mark's madness

Banking Horror Stories

The time has come for me to switch banks.  I am currently with City National Bank which has awful hours and almost no ATMs.   Even if they had ATMs, I couldn’t use one since the last cards the bank sent me expired two years ago.  They were supposed to send new ones, but that hasn’t happened.

I decided to share my worst banking horror story, and I’d love to hear yours.

When I was banking with B of A, I had a checking account , a savings account, a Visa card, and a 6 month CD with them.  I received a notice in the mail that my credit card had been canceled at my request.  Seeing as how I never made that request, I called Bank of America to clear up the situation.  When I spoke to the operator, she told me the account had been closed at my request.  I told her that I never made that request and that I would like to re-open the account.  I was informed that the account couldn’t be re-opened once it was closed but that I could open a new credit card account.  I told the agent that I would do whatever was simplest to get my Visa up and running ASAP.  After a “brief” time on hold I was told that I didn’t qualify and could not get a card from B of A.  I asked to speak to her supervisor.  When the Bank of America  supervisor came on the line, he curtly told me that there was nothing he could do.  I explained that the account was closed by mistake and I just wanted things to be put back how they were.  He didn’t care.  I let him know that I would be closing all of my Bank of America accounts, transferring  my credit card balance, and taking my business to another bank.  Still nothing.  There was no concept of the value of a customer or even the desire to make money of the interest on my credit account.  

So this story wasn’t a total nightmare.  That’s what I am trying to avoid.   I am sure there are banking nightmare stories from every bank.  Tell us yours.

You Know You’re from California…

You know you’re from California because…

You say “like” and “for sure” and “right on” and “dude” and “totally” and “peace out” and “chill” and “tight” and “bro” and “hell of” and “hella”(Nor Cal only) and “faded” and “stoked” and “fo sho” and you say them often

You know what real cheese taste like.

All the porn you watch is made here, cause we fuck better and that’s how it is.

You don’t get snow days off because there’s only snow in Mammoth, Tahoe, Shasta, and Big Bear.

You can wear sandals all year long.

You go to the Beach – not “down to the shore.”

You know 65 mph really means 100.

When someone cuts you off, they get the horn and the finger and high speed chase cuz we don’t fuck around on the road.

The drinking age is 21 but everyone starts at 14 (legally 18 if you live close enough to the border).

Our governor can kick your governors ass.

You can go out at midnight.

You judge people based on what area code they live in, and when asked where you’re from, you give your area code.

You might get looked at funny by locals when you’re on vacation in their state, but when they find out you’re from California you turn into a Greek GOD.

We don’t stop at stop signs… we do a “California roll”
No cop no stop baby!

You can get fresh and REAL Mexican food 24 hours a day.

All the TV shows you “other” states watch get filmed here.

EVERYONE smokes weed. no exceptions.

We’re the Golden State. Not the Cheese State. Not the Garden State…..GOLDEN!!!

We have In-N-Out (Arizona and Vegas are lucky we share that with them).

We have the most representation in the House of Representatives, which means our opinion means more than yours, which means we’re better than you.

The best athletes come from here.

We got Disneyland….what now!

We have The Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf which is way better than Starbucks.

We call it soda, not pop.

Oh, and no one from California calls it Cali… that’s how we know you’re not from around here.

The fastest part of your commute is down your driveway.

You were born somewhere else.

Your sense of direction=Toward the ocean and away from the ocean.

You eat an In n Out burger at least once a week!!!

You know how to eat an artichoke.

The primary bugs that you worry about are electronic.

Your car has bullet-proof windows.

Left is right and right is wrong.

Your monthly house payments exceed your annual income.

You can’t find your other earring because your son/brother is wearing it.

You drive to your neighborhood block party.

Your family tree contains “significant others.”

You don’t exterminate your roaches, you smoke them.

You see 25 lawyers chasing an ambulance.

More than clothes come out of the closets.

You go to a tanning salon before going to the beach.

More money is spent on facelifts than on diapers.

Smoking in your office is not optional.

You pack shorts and a T-shirt for skiing in the snow, and a sweater and a wetsuit for the beach.

When you can’t schedule a meeting because you must “do lunch.”

Your children learn to walk in Birkenstocks.

You’ll reluctantly miss yoga class to wait for the hot tub repairman.

You consult your horoscope before planning your day.

All highways into the state say: “no fruits.”

All highways out of the state say: “Go back.”

The Terminator is your governor

You can’t remember . . . is pot illegal?

It’s barely sprinkling rain and there’s a report on every news station: “STORM WATCH”

You actually get these jokes and pass them on to other friends from California.

Your coworker has 8 body piercings and none are visible.

You make over $300,000 and still can’t afford a house.

You take a bus and are shocked at two people carrying on a conversation in English.

You don’t care what race people are because you’re too busy wondering what gender they are.

You have a very strong opinion about where your coffee beans are grown and can taste the difference between Sumatran and Ethiopian.

You know which restaurant serves the freshest arugula.

It’s barely sprinkling rain outside, so you leave for work an hour early to avoid all the weather-related accidents.

A really great parking space can totally move you to tears.

A low speed police pursuit will interrupt ANY TV broadcast.

Gas costs $1.00 per gallon more than anywhere else in the U.S.

A man gets on the bus in full leather regalia and crotchless chaps. You don’t even notice.

Unlike back home, the guy at 8:30 am at Starbucks wearing the baseball cap and sunglasses who looks like George Clooney IS George Clooney.

Your car insurance costs as much as your house payment.

The normal symbols on restrooms mean “people wearing pants” and “people wearing skirts”.

Your hairdresser is straight, your plumber is gay, the woman who delivers your mail is into S &M, and your Mary Kay rep is a guy in drag.

Both you AND your dog have therapists.

You have to leave the big company meeting early because Billy Blanks himself is teaching the 4:00 PM Tae Bo class.

You pass an elementary school playground and the children are all busy with their cell phones or pagers.

(author unknown – found on Facebook)

Snow Blower

The Superbowl’s Biggest Losers

Maybe it’s better that Brett Favre didn’t lead the Minnesota Vikings to the Superbowl.  They have a spectacular FAIL rate.  The NFL has now had XLIV losers and the Vikes have perfected losing the big game.  Most NFL fans still consider the Bills the FAIL team of Superbowl for losing four in a row.  It takes special talent to lose the annual AFC-NFC championship game.  Now Imagine Brett beating the Saints with a comeback for the ages, only to lose to the Colts in South Florida.  This could have made Peyton’s legacy complete… defeating Brett Favre in the Superbowl as the Vikings become the first team to lose 5 Superbowls.  Instead, the debate can continue, who is the Superbowl’s Biggest Loser?

New DSW Shoe Warehose AD – Too racy or just right?

I love the new ads from DSW Shoe Warehouse.  Are they too racy, or just right?