Has your bank locked you out?

G

GoodEnuff

Senior Member
Saw a news item today where a US Bank in a small Kentucky town was robbed and two employees killed. Which answers my question of...

The local bank now locks its doors during business hours. Some weeks ago, I went in to cash a check and was surprised when I found the entrance door was locked. Huh? Were they closed? Had the feds shut them down? Then I heard a click and the door was unlocked. Now, there is a keypad sort of thing in the entry vestibule where you press a button to alert them you are there and they buzz you in. WHAT????

This is a small town, pop 2200, and this is the only bank here. Crime is next to nothing but this hit me a little hard, to even think about someone robbing the local bank. Yet it is happening.

I ran away from the city to a suburb. I ran away from the suburb to outside of that. Then I ran away from there to this small town. And ran away from the small town to this rural area five miles away. No more running because there is no other place to go.
 
That is strange. I live in a small town, but my bank lobby was only closed during covid. Unless the person inside the bank recognizes who they are buzzing in, I don't see how that would prevent a robbery. [They could be buzzing in a criminal.] It also seems they would lose business from new people wanting to come in to open an account.
 
I read about this robbery, but few details were given. Nothing was written as to why the suspect in custody killed the employees. Thieves are unpredictable. Law enforcement have always told tellers in banks, convenience store clerks and others who handle money, not to be a hero. Give up the money and do as your told. The money is usually insured and even if it isn’t, it can be replaced by future sales.

During any robbery, the victim’s goal should be to stay alive.
 
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Going to the bank?!?!

Come on peoples, we have the internet now. :D

Seriously though, bank branches in the UK are becoming an endangered species. They're in the process of closing them, which started around 2015. Apparently 6700 branches have closed thus far. For example, Lloyds Bank are close a further 158 this year. Soon it will be all ATM's and online.
 
When I need cash, I go to the ATM machine outside the bank. There are times I need to go inside: to access my safe deposit box, to deposit a check moving funds from a different bank,and to get a document notarized. I added a family member to one account and was required to sign paperwork inside the bank.
 
I think one of the banks I went to last holiday season when I was trying to get the cash from the ATM changed to a wider variety of denominations did have a security process at the door but I don't remember if they buzzed me in or opened it manually. It wasn't something that I would be surprised at. What I am currently grumpy about is that the community fitness center, which is free for us to use, has started requiring us to badge in (so now I have to carry my community ID card with me all the time - the horror of it!).
 
VaughanJB said:
Going to the bank?!?!

Come on peoples, we have the internet now. :D

Seriously though, bank branches in the UK are becoming an endangered species. They're in the process of closing them, which started around 2015. Apparently 6700 branches have closed thus far. For example, Lloyds Bank are close a further 158 this year. Soon it will be all ATM's and online.
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I haven't walked inside of a bank since I got an online bank in the 2010s. I was tired of being nickel and dimed with fees and the terrible customer service.
 
Until very recently, you couldn't get into my doctor's office until the nurse met you out in the hallway and held a thermometer up to your forehead. This started during Covid, of course, and they didn't give it up for years! Seemed kind of ridiculous to me.
 
Oldeagle66 said:
I haven't walked inside of a bank since I got an online bank in the 2010s. I was tired of being nickel and dimed with fees and the terrible customer service.
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I came from Dallas, and most banks there were that way. In order to get "free checking" - even way back then, I had to maintain a miniumum monthly balance of $1500.00 in the checking account. Where I live now is a much smaller community, and the locally owned bank, which is not affilliated with any chain or holding company, offers free checking with no minimum balance to seniors. They also pay a higher interest rate on CDs than larger banks.

However, they either can't afford to (or don't want to) offer competitive interest rates on a mortgage or refinance.
 
There is a place close to me that has 3 Bank of America ATM's. No bank is close by , just the ATM's. The catch is the ATM's are locked up in a small glass enclosed location. In order to get into the enclosure, the person has to pull out one of their bank cards and swipe the magnetic device to get the door to unlock, much like swiping a card when buying something. I assume I could do the same using Google Wallet on my phone.

It is in a relatively safe area and close to an IHOP and a Walmart so there is a lot of foot traffic close by. I guess it does prevent someone from lurking around the ATM machines and if someone is lurking outside the lock door, a person can just wait inside for the person to leave.
 
GoodEnuff said:
Saw a news item today where a US Bank in a small Kentucky town was robbed and two employees killed. Which answers my question of...

The local bank now locks its doors during business hours. Some weeks ago, I went in to cash a check and was surprised when I found the entrance door was locked. Huh? Were they closed? Had the feds shut them down? Then I heard a click and the door was unlocked. Now, there is a keypad sort of thing in the entry vestibule where you press a button to alert them you are there and they buzz you in. WHAT????

This is a small town, pop 2200, and this is the only bank here. Crime is next to nothing but this hit me a little hard, to even think about someone robbing the local bank. Yet it is happening.

I ran away from the city to a suburb. I ran away from the suburb to outside of that. Then I ran away from there to this small town. And ran away from the small town to this rural area five miles away. No more running because there is no other place to go.
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Might be a nationwide policy by US Bank. It'd help weed out would-be robbers attempting to thwart identification by wearing hoodies and face masks.
 
GoodEnuff said:
Saw a news item today where a US Bank in a small Kentucky town was robbed and two employees killed. Which answers my question of...

The local bank now locks its doors during business hours. Some weeks ago, I went in to cash a check and was surprised when I found the entrance door was locked. Huh? Were they closed? Had the feds shut them down? Then I heard a click and the door was unlocked. Now, there is a keypad sort of thing in the entry vestibule where you press a button to alert them you are there and they buzz you in. WHAT????

This is a small town, pop 2200, and this is the only bank here. Crime is next to nothing but this hit me a little hard, to even think about someone robbing the local bank. Yet it is happening.

I ran away from the city to a suburb. I ran away from the suburb to outside of that. Then I ran away from there to this small town. And ran away from the small town to this rural area five miles away. No more running because there is no other place to go.
Click to expand...
I live in Kentucky now, but when I lived in Indiana prior to 2020, we had banks whose tellers stands were out in the lobby and no protection whatsoever around them. They were little individual stands. I don't know who came up with that bright idea, but I feared for the safety of the tellers. I haven't noticed that down here in Kentucky. Having said that, I don't care what state I'm in, call me paranoid or not, but I'm always on my guard any time I have to go in a bankls lobby. I don't go in any more than I have to.
 
Sunny said:
Until very recently, you couldn't get into my doctor's office until the nurse met you out in the hallway and held a thermometer up to your forehead. This started during Covid, of course, and they didn't give it up for years! Seemed kind of ridiculous to me.
Click to expand...

Tbf, you can't have sick people getting into the doctors.
 
GoodEnuff said:
Saw a news item today where a US Bank in a small Kentucky town was robbed and two employees killed. Which answers my question of...

The local bank now locks its doors during business hours. Some weeks ago, I went in to cash a check and was surprised when I found the entrance door was locked. Huh? Were they closed? Had the feds shut them down? Then I heard a click and the door was unlocked. Now, there is a keypad sort of thing in the entry vestibule where you press a button to alert them you are there and they buzz you in. WHAT????

This is a small town, pop 2200, and this is the only bank here. Crime is next to nothing but this hit me a little hard, to even think about someone robbing the local bank. Yet it is happening.

I ran away from the city to a suburb. I ran away from the suburb to outside of that. Then I ran away from there to this small town. And ran away from the small town to this rural area five miles away. No more running because there is no other place to go.
Click to expand...
they keep all the individual units locked in the hospital after hours. the hospital itself is locked after visiting hours. limiting access to the building. with all the active shooter stuff i would be thankful you're locked in. might be the difference between life and death. i have a feeling we will likely be seeing more of this as time goes on.
 
Oldeagle66 said:
I watched a bank robbery once in the 80s at a small town bank in Ohio. It was a surreal experience I will never forget.
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I was a teller in a small town Ohio bank for many years and I don't live far from Berea now. This all seems shockingly close. I worried sometimes about being shut in the vault but never about being shot.

How completely evil and unnecessary! He left plenty of other eye witnesses and bank employees are well trained to give the robber whatever they want. Banks are FDIC insured, so I'm sure they weren't refusing his orders or fighting him.
 
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