Tandem Drive-Ups

Wow! I have had some weird luck with tandem drive-ups lately. I forgot to post this a while back, but I had gone to the drive up before pick-up at school and thought I had plenty of time to cash a check. I pulled up and was the first of 2 cars front to back being helped. I thought, no sweat. I am first so I will be in and out in no time.

Well, I was wrong. They started talking with the person behind me first and apparently, she had a lot of questions which kept the teller and supervisor occupied for a while. I was getting nervous as I watched the time keep ticking away. She finally greeted me and I answered her question about cashing my check and then she continued. She answered more questions, again, to the person BEHIND me and I continued to try to wait anxiously as I became late to pick up my son. Finally, I received my cash and pulled out.

When I got to school, Hayden's teacher was waiting there with Hayden at the gate. I ran up to him and apologized to the teacher and proceeded to explain my drive up woes. She re-buttled with some fun stories of her own which made me feel better. Who knew it would've taken that long to cash a check.

Which brings me to today's incident. I went yet again to cash a check like I have done so many times before and was the first one through the drive up again. She said Hi promptly and felt better like this would be easy. After sending my transaction through, she greeted the customer behind me and I thought all is well. After a little bit of not hearing anything, I heard, "Are you cashing this check?"

"Yes."

"I'm going to send it back because you need to endorse it."

Puzzled...I reply with, "It is endorsed."

"Yeah, but since you are the one cashing it, you need to sign it."

"Really? That's a new policy that I've never come across."

She sends it back with a pen and I sign and push send, as I do so, I realize that I didn't put the pen back and start saying, Oh shoot! I forgot to put it back in I'm sorry. I was apologizing to no one since I didn't ring the call button to explain that I had forgot.

A couple more minutes go by and then I hear, "Can I have the pen sent back please?"

I explain yes and that I forgot. She sent the can back and I placed it in and sent it while saying Wow because by this time, the person behind me had received their money and she would not send my money until I sent the pen back apparently since the can was empty.

Not sure what she had been doing all this time, but apparently, it took her a couple more minutes after that to withdraw and cash my check.

Seriously, it really takes that much time and effort? When did all of that change from the several times before this one. I go in the drive up because I don't want to unpack the kids, but lately, it seems like an easier and quicker time, just getting out of the car. I thought drive up was for convenience, not inconvenience!