Having received two bearer cheques, meant for me, this morning I first went to a branch of “ABC Bank” to present one at their counter. The young lady in the cabin asked me if I wanted to deposit the cheque in my account to which I said I wanted to encash it. She replied that the cheque was not drawn on their bank.
I could at once understand my mistake: I had passed on to her the other cheque which was drawn on “STU Bank”. But I stood my ground and quipped, “So what, don’t I get paid at any ATM without any consideration at which bank I maintain my account?” She kept quiet and returned the cheque to me. I said since you encash cheques drawn on your own bank only, I would give you the right kind of cheque and passed on to her the cheque drawn on “ABC Bank” after signing on the reverse of it. Having received the cheque she said she wanted me to sign the cheque twice on the reverse to which my answer was that the second signature should be sought at the time of paying cash so that you can confirm that you are paying to the same person who tendered the cheque on the counter. The second signature should be for your safety not just as a routine. I further mentioned that in the absence of issuing any tokens the importance and significance of obtaining the second signature when making payment becomes a useful drill, a safety for the paying officer. All said and done she insisted that I first put both the signatures. What can’t be cured must be endured. She then asked me to hand over to her a copy of my CNIC to which I said it was a bearer cheque and anybody could get cash against it at the banks’ counter. But she insisted in a manner that if I did not comply with her instruction she would not pay my cheque.
Well, again I had to submit to her instruction and passed on my original CNIC which she handed over to an orderly to get its photocopy. When he came back he had done 4 copies of my CNIC out of which he gave me 3 and one to the cash officer. I asked the cash officer why should you take all these measures, what was the purpose? The answer I got was that this was as per State Bank’s instructions and are meant to check money laundering etc. She said this as if she was telling me, no more questions please. However, I was reminded of an article I had gone through in a Pakistani newspaper over the week end I quote it, “Few months ago Pakistan economy witnessed an outflow of nearly $25 million plus a day, on occasions $60 million a day. According to SBP sources, the flight ran into staggering $9 billion a year”. I thought it was the true story of pound foolish, penny wise. Coming back to the photocopies of CNIC, I thought the scheme is fraught with more, bigger frauds.
The orderly who had done 4 copies, could have done more to pocket few for him and to be used on documents to his benefits irrespective of what damage that could do to me. This can acquire bigger dimensions leading to bigger frauds and colossal damages to innocent persons. With all this in my mind I had by now entered the other bank, a foreign bank, a very big, famous bank. I had to encash my other cheque.
Somehow or the other, I have been visiting this bank since few months and having noticed that the writing desk they have kept for customers use is too low to be comfortable I did bring this to the notice of an officer of the bank who instantly and completely agreed with me and promised to bring this thing to the notice of the management. After that whenever I have gone to that bank I have repeated my observation but to no avail. The management was deaf to my complaints.
But today when I entered the bank I was surprised that along with that old writing desk was lying another rather new desk of the same height and smaller in other dimensions. That was not yet in use. At this I was reminded of a joke which I repeated to the same officer whom I have been registering my complaints with. Let me share this joke with you too:
A gentlemen “Mr. A” had a friend “Mr. B” who for some reason or the other would smell very bad from his cloths. “A” having arranged a party also invited “B” but on the condition that he would come having particularly changed his vest which he thought was the main problem. “B” assured “A” that he would do the same at all costs. On the day of the party when “A” saw “B” coming nicely dressed up he hurried to embrace him as a welcome gesture. Suddenly “A” got totally upset as “B” smelled the same bad and “A” said to “B” you have disappointed me by not changing your vest. “B” said I knew you would not believe me and he brought from his pocket the used vest as a proof of having put on a new one! The bank officer not only enjoyed the joke but agreed that a very similar thing had happened in respect of the writing desks at her branch.
Ultimately, I had to get my cheque encashed so being over 70 years I went to the counter “For Senior Citizens Only”. Ahead of me was one young man so I had to wait as the formalities of copies of CNIC, two signatures, contact number etc. were being completed. This took solid 10 minutes. These days the concept of urgency in paying cash cheque promptly has gone into oblivion while the cashiers are given the position of officers so they verify the drawers’ signatures then and there. Even tokens are no more issued to save time! The result, however, is just the opposite.
On my turn I enquired from the cash officer why did he have to serve a young person from a counter specified as “For Senior Citizens Only” particularly when there was no rush on other adjoining windows. He did not have a proper answer. He just kept on mumbling something which I failed to understand on this side of the counter. However, because of my complaint, he neither asked me for the copy of my CNIC nor my contact numbers. If these are State Bank’s requirement I don’t know how he is going to satisfy the same.
ABS JAFRI
Lahore