So, my first Monday in town we decided to get all practical and go get me a SIM card for my phone, and open a bank account.

We’ve picked a bank, after asking around and seeing who gets recommended and see a branch while out on our travels so decide to pop in there.

We get in to the bank and there is no one around. One guy sat at the desk and that is it, everyone else is in some meeting. So we sit, and we wait.. and wait. Eventually someone comes out and he assures us he’s going to get everything sorted.

“So, what’s your social security number?”

“I don’t have one”

“Oh.. well, umm, I don’t think I can do this”

But he decides he can, and uses my passport to make sure he has my name right. He takes my Mum’s address as my English base and my address for here, and takes a username and email address for the internet banking.

The bank is closing by the time we’re finishing up, and I’m getting the impression that I’m being shorted here, he’s not giving me everything, but I’ll give him the benefit of the doubt, I am the one here with no experience of the American banking system.

We give it a week, and no email has come through with my internet banking details. Then to top it off, my first statements come through, and my name has been spelt wrong.. He had my passport in front of him and he’s spelt it wrong!

I attempt to ring the bank, the helpline number you need a PIN to use.. well, I don’t have that yet! So DmentD comes and picks me up one lunchtime and we pop in. We explain what’s happened and the woman on the counter happily changes my name, applies for a new card and checks the internet banking set up…

He hadn’t set the internet banking up!

We give it a while longer, a bank card has yet to show, and still no email for the internet banking!

So we go back again. This time waiting to see a Rep rather than just someone on the counter. She appears and after the usual rigmarole over my name (a rarity over here) and my not being native we sit down and explain the situation.

She pulls out some papers, that I have never seen before, and asks if I’ve signed them.. umm no! Turns out, the guy at the start hadn’t gotten me to sign this rather crucial form saying I was a foreign citizen. Without that or a social security number nothing else was going through!

She was wonderfully helpful and we didn’t leave until we had the papers with my username and password for the internet banking on. Getting home soon after and finding it working.  I’m still waiting for the card, but that still has a week or so to turn up.

I liked this woman so much I made her cookies (with a card attached.. not touting for business.. much)! And have decided that she is the only person I will deal with at that bank