Was heading out of the house yesterday to do a few errands on my bicycle and wanted to stop by the bank to make a deposit. As a general rule, I don't leave my bike locked or where I can't see it and so I thought I'd just go in the drive-up. Then I thought, "No, for no good reason in the world, the bank probably wont allow that." So I put off the bank until later and then went on the motorbike. Asked the lady at the bank and she said No, bicycles are not allowed at the drive-up teller. I cannot see any safety issue involved, can you? I wonder if it would be good and worthwhile for a great number of bicyclists to badger banks (BofA first!) into being bicycle-friendly. It wouldn't cost them anything and it would be one more step to make bicycles a convenient alternative to the dino-sleds.

I've seen the same policy applied at fast food drive thru windows. (Once, when encountering a fast food restaurant who had closed inside but still served from the drive thru window for another hour, we tried it on foot and bicycle. They refused to serve us. Seemed kinda silly at 11:30PM, with no one around they wouldn't serve us food unless we were inside a car.)

Sorry to hear that. Makes no safety or financial sense. I get kind of annoyed with only drive-up (car) mailboxes. I have been very fortunate but it is so tiring to pedal through a obstacle/collision course riding my trike to get to a mailbox.

countersTrike

I think that the fast food folks feel it's a safety and security issue for their employees. That's probably the same reason that the inside is closed.

I can't say about banks, especially if they use one of those pneumatic tube systems.

I have seen a recent (Advocacy and Safety ?) thread on the sordid topic of lack of "drive-up" access for pedestrians and bicyclists. Evidently some of the "our insurance forbids it" excuses are accurate. There are two scenarios under which bicycle access would really make a difference -- extended drive-up hours and lack of proper parking security. I would very much like to see bicyclist and pedestrian access mandated as a condition for granting a use permit for a drive-up facility.

I don't know about the insurance excuse. The bank I used in Granville, Ohio, when I was in college, had no drive thru - only a walkup to supplement their inside tellers.

I have used the drive up window for the local Walgreens pharmacy pick-up and also used the one at a Regions bank. The lady at the bank thought it was interesting that I was on my bike, and asked me how far I had ridden, how long it took etc.. She never mentioned that I wasn't supposed to use the drive up. There is a Burger King not far away and I like their new .99 spicy chicken sandwiches, so I will give them a try too.

No problem here. I've used pedal-up banking before.

You haven't lived until you pull up to a fast-food drive-in window when it's 25F degrees out and ask for some to go stuff, and hang it on the back handlebar of a tandem hybred. Or something. The staff thought it was weird, but it worked for me.

I've used pedal up banking without problem from the bank. The guy behind me in the 5000lb pickup truck seemed somewhat hostile though.

I had always assumed that they might equate me with a pedestrian though and they specifically do not allow those in the drive up lane.

Did a walk up at Wendy's in N'awlins a couple of years ago. No problemo except for some funny looks.

I've ridden and walked up to the drive thru at my bank both without eliciting any comments from the tellers. However, Monroe is a smaller town and I've been using that bank for 20 years.

Haven't done a drive thru for banking but have done it on the tandem to a Sav-On pharmacy. They didn't say anything, but the driver behind us was probably wondering what we were doing.
I tried doing a drive through on horseback at a burger joint, but they wouldn't allow it, even though they had tie rails for horses in front of their place.

If you ride a bicycle up to the drive thru, put your transaction in the tube and send it what are they going to do? Not take your money? I have walked up to the ATM at the drive thru and used it, I see no difference.

What are they afraid of? A skateboarder robbing you? They just don't want kids on BMX bikes doing wheelies thru the drive thru.

I've done a pedal-up at my bank's ATM, which is adjacent to the drive-up teller lanes. No problem, although some girls in the Camaro ahead of me seemed to get a kick of the cyclist at the drive-up.

Maybe that is why they have the braille letters on the keys at the ATM so the passenger on the tandem bike can take out money.

I have used my bank more then once on the weekend & they just ask how far I've ridden?

Went through the drive-up at the McDonalds near PDX last week to purchase two soft ice cream cones. Noticed a sign that said "No Walk-ups". I asked the associate about going through the drive-thru on a bike. She said same rule applied - No Service.

I think it's a Security issue. Bikes get away too fast and are very hard to track, especially after dark.

Bugs me though!

While on a rode trip with my family in the Pa. Dutch country, we saw
an Amish buggy at a bank drive thru. Kinda on topic.

Dear Grammar police....I know.

Never mind the grammer police,watch out for the spelling cops, road not rode.

My local drug storeis so use to my riding to the drive through, that when I walk in they ask why I am not riding my bike.

I occasionally take my bike and Cannondale Bugger thru the
beverage drive thru...no problems.