Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP
Posting-Version: version B 2.10.3 4.3bsd-beta 6/6/85; site ucbvax.BERKELEY.EDU
Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!ucbvax!ernie.berkeley.edu!mazlack
From: mazlack@ernie.berkeley.edu (Lawrence J. Mazlack)
Newsgroups: net.travel
Subject: Re: banks - US vs Europe
Message-ID: <12538@ucbvax.BERKELEY.EDU>
Date: Fri, 21-Mar-86 18:48:47 EST
Article-I.D.: ucbvax.12538
Posted: Fri Mar 21 18:48:47 1986
Date-Received: Sat, 22-Mar-86 23:02:41 EST
References: <148@tekchips.UUCP>
Sender: usenet@ucbvax.BERKELEY.EDU
Reply-To: mazlack@ernie.berkeley.edu.UUCP (Lawrence J. Mazlack)
Distribution: net
Organization: University of California, Berkeley
Lines: 27

>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.

Well, there are two answers.  One is that you can get a VISA/Master Card
cash advance anywhere and this has displaced part of the need.  The other
is more relevant: In Europe, you can cash checks everywhere using the
EUROCHECK system. (Uses a widely accepted form of check guarantee.) I
agree that the US banking system is archaic in that we do not have a similar
sort of system - also I wish that I could be able to use Eurochecks in
Europe.
Larry Mazlack
  UUCP		{tektronix,dual,sun,ihnp4,decvax}!ucbvax!ucbernie!mazlack
  New style	mazlack@ernie.berkeley.edu	
  ARPA | CSNET	mazlack%ernie@berkeley.ARPA
  BITNET   	mazlack@ucbernie.BITNET
  telephone     (415) 528-0496
  snail         CS Dept, 571 Evans, U. California, Berkeley, CA 94720