Why Are There Queues At Banks?

[diddlydo]

Every time I pass a bank there is a huge queue outside and I fail to understand why. Surely most people now do online banking, have direct debits etc all set up and there are loads of ATMs on the street. I've had no need to go into an actual bank in living memory so can somebody please explain?

[barry1010]

Yes, TTT, that's what I did when I bought my last car. No faffing

[chelle7272]

Recently lost a bank card and the only place I could withdraw money fwhile I waited n the new one for a week was the bank. So there's one reason.

[fiction-factory]

TTT: //FF: "A slight change of topic but there are sometimes queues outside post offices (even before lockdown) and people are prepared to queue to do thinks like collect pension as cash (MIL insists on it then pay most into bank)" - she does know that they'll pay it directly into the bank right?//

Yes. Had that conversation loads of times but it just leads to resentment. Has a PO card. Draws pension out as cash in PO. Keeps back maybe £30-£40 to pay gardener, buy a paper, put in charity envelopes, pay hairdresser etc, and gets bus into town to pay the rest into bank to cover DDs, cheques, QVC account (or expects me to take and pay in for her). Puts her in control, she feels. She knows the money is there. Also she doesn't want the bank staff knowing her business such as exactly how much pension she gets. You sometimes just have to leave people to do things their way.

[jourdain2]

Since my hairdresser set up on her own (legit) she can't even manage cheques (no card reader and I don't think she'd ever seen a cheque until I gave her one - she had to go into a bank to cash it)and the sum involved means that I carefully hoard small change to add to the notes (pensioner's discount). Roll on being able to pay her again - in whatever form she wishes!

[diddlydo]

Chelle - doesn't everyone have more than one bank card for withdrawing cash in an emergency such as yours?

[naomi24]

^No.

[sanmac]

When the hair-cutting establishments re-open there are going to be a lot of barber queues.