About 15-20 years back (during the time the feds were running a lot of banks because they'd had to bail them out due to the S&L collapse mess) a friend tried to open an account at a bank.
They told him he couldn't because he had a state ID card rather than a drivers license. This in spite of the fact that the *state* says that said ID card is to be accepted just the same as a driver's license for anything that isn't driving related. My friend being an epileptic couldn't *get* a driver's license. Which he explained.
They told him it wasn't their problem. So he went and had a chat with a lawyer.
Fast forward a bit. They lost the ADA lawsuit (it's illegal to set up that sort of rule where a person with a disability can't qualify just because you are being an ass). The judge had a few choice things to say to the bank as well about not just the ADA issue but also the fact that they were *required* to accept the state ID cards.
Oh yes, as part of the settlement my friend demanded (and got) a framed apology from the President of the bank...
So, he strolls down to the same branch of the bank *with a copy of the court order*. And they tell him that the don't accept state ID cards. He manages to get them to call the main office. Much back and forth on the phone.
Meanwhile, I have another friend (who also knows the first friend) she just so happened to work in customer service at the main office. She didn't get the call, but the cluster of folks wasn't far from her desk.
As she tells it, one of the Feds wandered by and asked what was going on. When they told him, he blew his top and told them to open the account *now*.
The next day a rather pointed memo went out to all employees explaining in *great* detail that they *did* have to treat the state IDs the same as driver's licenses and that any complaints about them failing to do so would result in termination.
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branchandroot
(no subject)
Date: 2007-08-05 01:09 pm (UTC)They told him he couldn't because he had a state ID card rather than a drivers license. This in spite of the fact that the *state* says that said ID card is to be accepted just the same as a driver's license for anything that isn't driving related. My friend being an epileptic couldn't *get* a driver's license. Which he explained.
They told him it wasn't their problem. So he went and had a chat with a lawyer.
Fast forward a bit. They lost the ADA lawsuit (it's illegal to set up that sort of rule where a person with a disability can't qualify just because you are being an ass). The judge had a few choice things to say to the bank as well about not just the ADA issue but also the fact that they were *required* to accept the state ID cards.
Oh yes, as part of the settlement my friend demanded (and got) a framed apology from the President of the bank...
So, he strolls down to the same branch of the bank *with a copy of the court order*. And they tell him that the don't accept state ID cards. He manages to get them to call the main office. Much back and forth on the phone.
Meanwhile, I have another friend (who also knows the first friend) she just so happened to work in customer service at the main office. She didn't get the call, but the cluster of folks wasn't far from her desk.
As she tells it, one of the Feds wandered by and asked what was going on. When they told him, he blew his top and told them to open the account *now*.
The next day a rather pointed memo went out to all employees explaining in *great* detail that they *did* have to treat the state IDs the same as driver's licenses and that any complaints about them failing to do so would result in termination.
Sometimes the good guys win...