It's time to stand up for banking_美文_趣味英语-查字典英语网

It's time to stand up for banking

The first time I experienced this, I figured maybe the manager would wander over and offer me a cup of tea, or maybe a cookie. There’s never a sense of urgency, and it seems that even the simplest transaction (“Yo! Can you please change these 482 one-yuan notes into real money?”) triggers a mind-numbing sequence of signing and stamping – all from the seated position. The endless repetition distracts you from thinking about the horrible fate awaiting any poor teller who misplaces that little red stamp that seems to miraculously materialize out of thin air.

While the whole let’s-sit-around-and-kill-two-hours mentality of Chinese banking continues to perplex me, it’s nothing compared to the level of frustration I experienced after my debit card was swallowed by an ATM at a hotel in Li Du. While I applaud the bank’s efforts to uphold strict security protocols, being told I might have to wait up to two weeks to access my funds seemed unduly punitive. Why not just cancel the old card and link a new one to the account?

Obviously, the concept of sit-down banking isn’t for everyone, but it has struck a chord in China and no amount of moaning by petulant foreigners is going to change that – nor should it.

I just hope the security guards continue to buck the trend. Some of those guys might get pretty antsy if they were told to take a seat.

Broadcaster:

Greg Fountain is a copy editor and occasional presenter for China Daily. Before moving to Beijing in January, 2016 he worked for newspapers in the Middle East and UK. He has an M.A in Print Journalism from the University of Sheffield, a B.A in English and History from the University of Reading.