TO THE EDITOR:

Today I have experienced the most unbelievable hands-on incompetence of my life! Ladies, hear me out on this. Meaning, try if you may to apply empathy vs apathy when I share with you what took place for me today in my local small town bank. First, I am going to share that I am 90 percent certain that part of why the incompetence took place at all was initiated through being systemic to discrimination. YEP, you heard me discrimination. I say this because I am 36 and on SSDI. I appear to the average eye normal and without justification for this. However, for the record, I have Multiple Sclerosis. Why would anyone need to know this? Because the bank that I have banked at for close to 9 years knows this information. I have my income deposited directly into my account. Now, here is the secnd component, I went to cash a check today from the State tax return.Ý

When my hubby and I married I suffered from the deer in the headlights of who am I? And now, what is my name? I was overwhelmed with having been one name for 26 years and now I am who? So, I refused to change my SSI card. I wanted something to hold on to with my maiden name. Every year when we file for taxes there is one question on there that we are asked, is your name different than your legal name? And every year the answer is yes. Well, today I brought in my SSI card, my drivers license and my State refund ... I have never been more humiliated and irate at the same time.Ý

How dumb have we become? How difficult would it have been to look at the card, look at the account and realize the two names are the same individual?

Can you say incompetent? Can you say common sense has left the building!

For the record, they never did cash the check for me. Clearly I would have to say banks these days are a dime a dozen. I guess I will be looking into a new place to do business, preferably an institution who has common sense, clearly the bank I was with, lacked this, but hey, hope they keep their policy and procedures, that apparently omitted to teach Common Sense.

God Bless America!

Dani Rice
Lindstrom