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From: ptodd@tekchips.UUCP (Philip Todd)
Newsgroups: net.travel
Subject: banks - US vs Europe
Message-ID: <148@tekchips.UUCP>
Date: Wed, 19-Mar-86 15:45:08 EST
Article-I.D.: tekchips.148
Posted: Wed Mar 19 15:45:08 1986
Date-Received: Sat, 22-Mar-86 04:07:34 EST
Distribution: net
Organization: Tektronix, Beaverton OR
Lines: 29

I am a European living in the U.S., and have a question for natives. 
Why are your banks so inconvenient for travellers?

In many aspects of life, you Americans have things arranged in a far more
user-friendly way - e.g. stores that stay open long into the night, movie
theatres which are comfortable and don't show advertisements - the list is
long - but your banking system is archaic.

I can cash a personal cheque from my local Bank of Scotland account in banks
all over Europe.  In Oregon I can't even cash a cheque in a different part of
the same city - and as for cashing a cheque in nextdoor Washington - I might
as well forget it.

And as for the ridiculous delays in crediting cheques to your account.
I once had a refund cheque from the El Paso power company for 200 dollars 
forwarded to me in Scotland.  Now I know that my current bank in Oregon
would take 2 weeks minimum to clear such a cheque.  My Scottish bank took
a couple of minutes to convert dollars to pounds and gave me cash on the spot.

Why then has arguably the most technically advanced nation on earth got
such a poor banking system?  Partly I guess because of antiquated interstate
regulations, but more plausibly because of low expectations of the public.
If the banks of different countries in Europe (and this is not even restricted)
to the EEC) with different languages, national banking regulations, and 
currencies cooperate smoothly, why can't the banks of Oregon and California?


   "The flesche is bruckle, the Fend is sle"
                                              Phil Todd