Cassiel

So, I'm about to go out and run some errands this afternoon and among them are depositing a check at my own bank and depositing a check for my father at his bank. After that, going for groceries at one store and produce at a second. That means locking up my bike and lifting off the panniers four times, when it would be a helluva lot more convenient at the banks to go through the drive-up teller window. Does anyone do this? I thought I might try it and just see what they say.

maddyfish

I have, no problem, some banks may be different though. I have heard of trouble at drive-throughs from other people.

Nickel

I would call ahead to check.

Cassiel

Well, I figured I'd try it and if they balked I'd just go in. Worst they could do was say no, right? So I did, and lo and behold, the drive-up teller lady seemed amused! She kind of knows me, since I frequent that particular branch, which may have helped. "I always like it when someone does something new," she said. Hey, got my business done quite conveniently and possibly brightened someone's day. Everybody wins.

cooker

Lots of people have posted that they got told not to bike through the drive through. One recent poster said the bank told him he had to use the lobby, so he rode into the lobby.

Cassiel

That's lame. It's a vehicle according to the law, so what's the reasoning behind prohibiting drive-up use?

cooker

That law applies on the public roads. The bank window is on private property so they can impose arbitrary and stupid rules.

gerv 

Aren't drive-through banks uncomfortable enough in cars? I can't imagine waiting in line at a drive-thru bank on a bike! When I first moved to the US from Canada, I'd never seen one before. I found them rather amusing, but I never use them. If I have to go to the bank, I prefer to get out of or off of my conveyance and walk inside.

daredevil

I missed that one. Very funny.

Cassiel

My problem is that I have to lock up the bike, take off the panniers and carry them inside all just to deposit one check. Kind of a pain in the @$$.

bhtooefr

In a car, I agree. I HATE drive throughs in a car.

However, if I were on a bike, fully loaded, I'd rather ride through. First off, riding through the drive through uses no additional fossil fuels, unlike idling in the drive through. (And, things usually go juuust fast enough that you can't really shut down the car.) And, the fully loaded part, as has already been pointed out... do you really want to unload EVERYTHING?

cooker

Lots of banks (here, at least) have ATMs facing the sidewalk. I dismount but I don't unload the bike.
My wife doesn't like to deposit cheques via machine, but I have no problem with it.

Roody

I like to go in when the lobby's open, but i use he drive-through when the lobby is closed. I had only one teller say I couldn't do it. I told her (truthfully) that they always let me do it at the main office, and other tellers at the local branch let me do it too. She nicely waited on me.

I wouldn't worry about leaving my stuff on my bike. They have security cameras all over the place. The only place safer would probably be the police station!

ralph12

dblock

i am the drive up teller at the bank and the reason my bank doesn't allow people not in cars be it walking or bike or otherwise is from what i've been told insurance reasons. so far i've been working here since february and one guy on a mtb came up and he asked if he could do his transaction and i let him. i did see a roadie go to the drive up atm one other time.

of course i'm going to make it easier for my fellow cyclists and allow it.

on a sidenote my bank (HSBC) is having a "green campaign" and my manager asked us (the "team") to come up with ideas for the bank to go green. i said shut down the drive up, and she took it as a joke.

Roody

OK, insurance/liability reasons. If that were the case, why allow bikes in the parking lot at all? Why allow people to walk from their cars to the door. across the "dangerous" parking lot?

dblock

i know it's stupid but that's just what they told me. my bank is part of an outdoor shopping center so i guess the drive up is our territory and the rest of the parking lot is every man/woman for themself

wheel

I have an ATM that acts as a bank (via computer screen) it is in the wall of a strip mall.
Buy stamps even.

I don't use the drive thru. It keeps me from visiting those places. I spend , eat, and shop less. I think of it as a detterant.

Nycycle

I go through bank drive up, fast food joint for wifes food, and drive up to pick up wifes pills, never give it a thought, cars all been good behind me and in front of me.
The general attitude toward bikes has improved to a point I almost feel like royalty on my bike. I am sure it's gas price related.

I know there are butt heads out there, I just keep missing them up to date.

KnhoJ

I ride up to the teller window all the time. I do make sure I'm dressed like regular people, clean shirt and recently shaven, and before I even get around the corner where they can see me I hook my sunglasses on my shirt collar. Then I put on my friendly face and say "Hello!" before they can even react. (friendly face + sunglasses = Jack Nicholson) My check is out and ready to go before I get up to the window. Don't give them a chance to think about it; act like it's a routine, like you get away with this kind of thing all the time! If they follow your lead the first two or three times, you'll have them trained after that.

I-Like-To-Bike

Wow, you sure go to a lot of trouble to go to a drive through teller window. Just ride through as you are, you are not applying for a job or asking for a date.

cyclezealot

those banks who demand I not use the drive thru. ok, I will be happy to ride inside on my bike, gross out your customers and drip on your floor.

wahoonc

Glad to see we have someone on the "inside" Around here the trend has been to put all of the ATM's in the drive thu area. I have no choice but to use the drive thru. Quite often I am driving my large truck with the equipment trailer, and there is NO WAY it is going to fit thru the drive thru, so I walk up to them. So far I have yet to be told not to use the drive thru...

Aaron

Wogster

Those drive up windows, are real pollution generators, each car is there for several minutes, nobody shuts the engine down, there are probably 2-3 cars lined up, at all times, those are also with the engine running, so it's like 3-4 cars sitting idling in one place all day. Most drive up windows are open to the interior of the building, and unlike commercial and industrial buildings with vehicles permitted inside, banks and fast food places are not required to have CO detector alarms or extra ventilation. So, you have staff inside the building exposed to automobile exhaust all day, that is a workplace health and safety issue. If drive ups were required to have CO alarms, be isolated from the rest of the building, with positive pressure ventilation (pump air in from another source, so the air pressure inside is slightly higher then outside,so that exhaust is blown away, rather then allowed to enter the window, 99% of them would be closed, as too expensive to maintain, and that would be a good thing. ATMs are a solution for banks, but what about the local Mickey D's**********

wahoonc

Wogsterca,
Good point on the CO issue. IIRC there was an attempt in the Phoenix area to ban the use of drive thru's especially in the summer months due to the amount of pollution being generated and the contribution to the smog and overall air quality. I suspect that the tellers at banks are less likely to have problems with CO than at say a fast food joint. Most bank drive ins that I have seen have the closed drawers or the tube system. I would hope that they take the pollution in to account when they design the durned things, but I wouldn't bet on it. My ex used to teach at a school, when it was brand new it had some serious air quality issues, seems the main air intakes were on the side towards the freeway...DOH! after they relocated them to the opposite side of the campus the air quality improved quite a bit.

Aaron