Bank tells armless man he can't cash check because he has no thumbprints

[ck4829]

A bank in Florida refused to cash a check for an armless man because he could not provide a thumbprint.

"They looked at my prosthetic hands and the teller said, 'Well, obviously you can't give us a thumbprint'," Steve Valdez told CNN on Wednesday.

But he said the Bank of America Corp branch in downtown Tampa, Florida, still insisted on a thumbprint identification for him to cash a check drawn on his wife's account at the bank, even though he showed them two photo IDs.

In the incident last week, a bank supervisor told Valdez he could only cash the check without a thumbprint if he brought his wife in with him or he opened an account with them.

"I told them I neither wanted an account with them and couldn't bring my wife in because she was nowhere close by," Valdez told CNN.

Bank of America said in a statement cited by CNN: "While the thumbprint is a requirement for those who don't have accounts, the bank should have made accommodations."

Valdez said his treatment by the bank violated the U.S. Americans with Disability Act requiring institutions to provide reasonable accommodation to disabled persons.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20090903/us_nm/us_bank_thumbprint

[KansDem]

1. **** BOA!

And thumbprints. I tired of being treated like a criminal anytime I try to conduct business. Did anyone get thumbprints of BOA CEOs before they took our bailout money?

But he said the Bank of America Corp branch in downtown Tampa, Florida, still insisted on a thumbprint identification for him to cash a check drawn on his wife's account at the bank, even though he showed them two photo IDs.

I tried to cash my paycheck once during my lunch hour at the bank that my employer had its account. It was their fucking check and they wouldn't cash it without my giving them a thumbprint! It was money due me and I was the suspect! That was 10 years ago and I refused, waiting instead to stop by my bank on the way home from work. Do they still pull this bullshit?

[mockmonkey]

7. No, of course not

Now they will also charge you $5.

[HopeHoops]

2. How about a fucking toe print!

Hell, how about a PENIS print. Two photo IDs isn't enough?

[David__77]

3. How fucking petty!

I fucking hate people like that who get an ounce of authority and in turn abuse anyone in sight.

[BlooInBloo]

4. (facepalm)

And I'm glad I have both arms to be able to do that.

[juno jones]

5. Fuck BOA!

Did you know they have two lines, one for customers and one for criminals aka non-customers? They serve 3-4 customers for one non-customer. I used to have to cash my checks there because my employer had an account and the local check cashing place charged too much. MY EMPLOYER was paying them money for services but they had to treat me second class because they could. After every transaction they would ask if I wanted an account. Of course after the treatment I said, 'fuck no.'

I could see an armless guy falling into their bad graces. He probably was in there every week and the tellers probably knew him and his wife on sight.

[hunter]

6. How hard would it be to find an armless guy cashing bad checks?

Quite a bit easier than finding a guy with no previous police record based on a single thumb print.

I understand however that Bank of America doesn't like to hire supervisors who can think for themselves. Supervisors who are allowed to think for themselves might notice Bank of America is rotten to the core.

[ddeclue]

9. I tell ya it wasn't me.... it was a un armed man...

a la the Fugitive?

:crazy:

[ddeclue]

8. Bank of Fucking America... how did I know?

What did BOFA think, the man cut off his arms just to pass a bad check?

They charge $3.00 to cash checks drawn on THEIR OWN accounts. Should be illegal. They are scum in my humble opinion.