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malaise Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Fri Jun-16-06 04:30 PM
Original message
A Friday special from a 96 year old lady
A relative sent this by email
------------------------
Shown below, is an actual letter that was sent to a bank by a 96 year
old woman. The bank manager thought it amusing enough to have it
published in the New York Times.

Dear Sir:

I am writing to thank you for bouncing my check with which I endeavored
to pay my plumber last month. By my calculations, three nanoseconds must
have elapsed between his presenting the check and the arrival in my account of the funds needed to honor it.

I refer, of course, to the automatic monthly deposit of my entire
salary, an arrangement which, I admit, has been in place for only
eight years. You are to be commended for seizing that brief window of
opportunity, and also for debiting my account $30 by way of penalty for
the inconvenience caused to your bank.

My thankfulness springs from the manner in which this incident has
caused me to rethink my errant financial ways. I noticed that whereas I
personally attend to your telephone calls and letters, when I try to
contact you, I am confronted by the impersonal, overcharging,
pre-recorded, faceless entity which your bank has become.

From now on, I, like you, choose only to deal with a flesh-and-blood
person. My mortgage and loan repayments will therefore and hereafter
no longer be automatic, but will arrive at your bank, by check,
addressed personally and confidentially to an employee at your bank
whom you must nominate. Be aware that it is an offense under the Postal
Act for any other person to open such an envelope. Please find
attached an Application Contact Status which I require your chosen employee to complete.

I am sorry it runs to eight pages, but in order that I know as much
about him or her as your bank knows about me, there is no alternative.
Please note that all copies of his or her medical history must be
countersigned by a Notary Public, and the mandatory details of his/her
financial situation (income, debts, assets and liabilities) must be
accompanied by documented proof.

In due course, I will issue your employee with a PIN number which
he/she must quote in dealings with me. I regret that it cannot be
shorter than 28 digits but, again, I have modeled it on the number of button presses required of me to access my account balance on your phone bank service. As they say, imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.

Let me level the playing field even further.
When you call me, press buttons as follows:
1. To make an appointment to see me
2. To query a missing payment.
3. To transfer the call to my living room in case I am there.
4. To transfer the call to my bedroom in case I am sleeping.
5. To transfer the call to my toilet in case I am attending to nature.
6. To transfer the call to my mobile phone if I am not at home
7. To leave a message on my computer, a password to access my computer
is required. Password will be communicated to you at a later date
to the Authorized Contact.
8. To return to the main menu and to listen to options 1 through 7.
9. To make a general complaint or inquiry. The contact will then be
put on hold, pending the attention of my automated answering service.

While this may, on occasion, involve a lengthy wait, uplifting music
will play for the duration of the call.

Regrettably, but again following your example, I must also levy an
establishment fee to cover the setting up of this new arrangement.
May I wish you a happy, if ever so slightly less prosperous New Year?
Your Humble Client

Remember: This was written by a 96 year old woman
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Swamp Rat Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Fri Jun-16-06 04:34 PM
Response to Original message
1. kick and recommended!!! n/t
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ceile Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Fri Jun-16-06 04:34 PM
Response to Original message
2. Perfect!
I'm sending that to everyone!
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Swamp Rat Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Fri Jun-16-06 04:37 PM
Response to Reply #2
3. I just sent it to a few people already! n/t
:D
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malaise Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Fri Jun-16-06 04:42 PM
Response to Reply #3
4. I sent it to my bank manager
:D
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Swamp Rat Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Fri Jun-16-06 04:48 PM
Response to Reply #4
7. Ooo! GREAT idea!!!
:applause:

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GrumpyGreg Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Fri Jun-16-06 05:07 PM
Response to Reply #2
9. Me too ! It's fantastic.
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conflictgirl Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Fri Jun-16-06 04:44 PM
Response to Original message
5. It is very funny, but it's not actually by a 96-year-old woman
It's one of those chain emails that goes around. It was originally written by some male columnist in Australia as a humor piece, not as an actual letter to a bank.
/killjoy
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malaise Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Fri Jun-16-06 04:47 PM
Response to Reply #5
6. I still love it
Killjoy :D
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Richardo Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Fri Jun-16-06 05:07 PM
Response to Reply #5
10. I thought for sure it had to be George Carlin or Andy Rooney
:eyes:
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catnhatnh Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Fri Jun-16-06 05:20 PM
Response to Reply #5
12. YEP....
...so says Snopes...still I WANT it to be real....
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Minnesota Libra Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Fri Jun-16-06 04:49 PM
Response to Original message
8. OMG, this is so hilarious!!! I would have like..........
....to see the first reaction of the bank manager.:rofl: This truly inventive!!!:rofl:
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Ilsa Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Fri Jun-16-06 05:15 PM
Response to Original message
11. Morning Edition was tlaking about banks and ODs today and
how they amount to an interest charge of about 17,000% on a few small utility bills. They said the working poor pay the most in these fees while others have small OD lines of credit or other automatic overdraft protection. They also spoke of how banks pay the biggest checks first, presumably because they are "more important". But it also allows them to rack up more OD charges as more of the smaller checks bounce. What a racket.
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hyphenate Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Fri Jun-16-06 05:24 PM
Response to Original message
13. I certainly hope
she got her $30 back and a nice apology!!!
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LibertyorDeath Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Fri Jun-16-06 06:21 PM
Response to Original message
14. Beautiful !
Rec!
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lildreamer316 Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sat Jun-17-06 04:14 PM
Response to Original message
15. I LOVE this!!!!
Sending to everyone I know.
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