How banks care for us

I know a lady who was recently widowed. As you can imagine, she has a lot to sort out.

She happened to have a bank account somewhere with money in that was difficult to access, and wanted to change it to make it easier to access.

The bank in question couldn't help her (?!) so she decided to close down the account and transfer the money from that account to a new one elsewhere, where she would be able to access her money simply.

So I would assume she could either do a bank transfer or maybe have to get some kind of check from the first bank and take it to the second.

I obviously know nothing about banking as they told her that in order to close down her account and transfer the money to a new bank she would have to go into the branch and withdraw all the cash on an agreed day, and then carry the cash to the new bank where she could deposit it in her new account.

I am not joking!

So she arranged a date in question and got a friend to go with her to look after her as she had to carry such a large amount of money from one bank to the other.

When she got there, the bank had forgotten to arrange the cash withdrawal for her, so they graciously allowed her to have a cheque from them instead.

So...?

Actually, words fail me, I have so many questions about this, I would bore you.

Great to know banks like to help us, eh?

School Uniform

The other day I received an e-mail from my daughter's school (one sent to all parents) saying that some girls were wearing jumpers with the wrong kind of neckline.

I had been thinking for a while that the school skirt was a bit short (as in, not always worth wearing) so I replied to the deputy head, thanking him for his comments on necklines, and wondering if the school might like to also do something about hemlines?

I received a reply almost immediately from him, saying that the days where schools could dictate the length of school skirts were long gone.

Really?

So they can say whether a neckline should be round or v-neck, but can't suggest a skirt ought not to show underwear?

I am clearly missing something somewhere.

Is my son an adult?

So last October my son was 18.

As far as he is concerned, he is now an adult...

Two days later he needed his NHS number as he had to have a wisdom tooth operation. I called the dentist to tell them the number and was informed that the one I gave them was no longer correct, and that I should call the GP to get his new number.

So I called the GP and was asked a whole load of questions to verify who I was and who my son was - only to be told that his NHS number was confidential and that he would have to call to ask for the number himself. I pointed out that he was at school and he would not be able to call them, but they would not give me such highly confidential info.

Sigh

So I texted him and he called them in his break.

OK, so as far as the NHS is concerned, my son is an adult.

Then he had to go for the wisdom tooth operation, so I told him to make sure his school knew he would have to leave early.

GUESS WHAT

I had to write a letter telling the school and asking them if it was OK for him to leave early.

A few weeks later he went on a school trip and I had to sign a form allowing him to go on the trip AND signing a medical consent form, in case he got sick.

HUH? The NHS won't need the consent, my son is an adult. If he was at work and had to go to the dentist, I wouldn't have to ask his employer if it was OK for him to leave early, he would.

So education and the NHS both have a different opinion about whether or not he is an adult. (Both parts of the state, notice)

Meanwhile, as far as I'm concerned, he is still my baby!