Free Reality Check

(I am at a bank, attempting to cash my check. Two tellers are working. I get called over to the left teller while the one on the right is working with a clearly irate customer and her embarrassed teenage daughter.)

Customer: “What do you mean there’s a five dollar service fee?”

Teller: “Well, you don’t have an account here. For customers that don’t bank with us, we have to charge a five dollar service fee.”

Customer: “I can just take my check to [store] and they’ll cash it for free!”

Teller: “Actually, they will charge you a service fee as well.”

Customer: “I can’t believe this! This is crazy! My daughter has an account here! Can she cash it?!”

Teller: “Sure, but—”

(The customer snatches check straight out of the teller’s hands, and slams it down in front of her daughter.)

Customer: “Here. Sign this.”

(The daughter signs, and the customer shoves it back in the teller’s face.)

Teller: “Umm, she needs to sign it here. She signed it in the wrong—”

(The customer snatches the check again, and gives it to the daughter to sign it correctly.)

Customer: “This is absolutely ridiculous! I cannot believe how insane you people are! I’m from New England and we all know that up North this is one of the craziest places there is, but this is just stupid!”

(By this time I have finished cashing my check, so I turn to her.)

Me: “Ma’am?”

Customer: “What?!”

Me: “I know in New England things are crazy, but here in the South we try to be polite. I would appreciate it if you apologized to this lady here.”

(And with that, I walked out, leaving her stammering.)