I left my wallet at home today and only realised when I got to nursery so one of the staff lent me £20. I went into the bank on my way back from work to get £20 out to pay her back - I had my passport and chequebook in my bag.
I have done this a couple of times before and the local bank has never made a fuss - the first time it happened I had no ID at all and they made me go through a lengthy security process but were happy to give me cash with a signature. The second time I had a cheque book and driving licence and they just did the basic security checks. The cashier said that if you have any Barclays stuff (cheque book/bank statement etc) and ID they just treat it as a standard transaction.
So today I went in and explained I needed £20 as I had forgotten my wallet and the woman fixed me with a steely gaze and demanded to know how far away I lived. I said that I lived about 100 miles away but my wallet was about 9 miles away at which point she did a lot of pointed sighing and head-shaking and she said "We usually send people home to get their card". So I pointed out that if going home to collect my wallet was an option that is what I would have done - I was only here because that wasn't an option.
She then said "well you are supposed to have your bank card on you at all times". I did refrain from asking which law said this, and just said that I generally do have my bankcard but, for obvious reasons, those reasons being that I had FORGOTTEN it, I was without it today.
At this point she revisited the "sending people home to get it" thing. By this time I was starting to get the arse so I asked her whether it was no longer Barclays policy to provide access to an account with ID and a cheque book. She wouldn't answer but said yet again "well you are supposed to carry your card".
At this point I said "Look. This has happened before and none of your colleagues have taken issue with it. If there has been some sort of policy change please tell me and I will stop bothering you and ask to see someone higher up with the authority to authorise a withdrawal of £20".
Much glaring and huffing and then she shouted in the vague direction of her colleagues "This lady wants to take out £20 without her card". Her colleagues all looked at her a bit blankly in a "and what do you want me to do about it" kind of way, at which point she huffed and puffed some more and said I would have to answer a series of written security questions. This was clearly just her trying to be awkward so I said I wasn't writing down my security details - I would answer verbally as usual. I then got a lengthy spiel about why she personally thought written questions were better, although she wouldn't answer my question about whether this was a new policy.
Eventually I said "I just need to withdraw £20. Can we please do this in the normal way, with the normal verbal security questions, or do I need to speak to your manager?"
Finally she caved in, asked about 10 security questions, including some incredibly complicated ones about set dates that things happen on my account and gave me my £20 with a massive sulky face and a slam of her little plastic flap.
AIBU to think that some people just relish the opportunity to make people's lives difficult? I have no problem with people following the rules of their jobs, but I do object to people inventing new rules. And I certainly object to being told I should be "sent home" to get my wallet, like a naughty child who has deliberately not brought her PE kit to school!