La Banque

Banks in France are different than banks in America. It's not just the language difference, but the security that I find interesting. For example, the main bank I go to has a "doorbell" you need to ring and the receptionist will let you in. I like this bank because the receptionist/teller is very nice and he has helped me as I struggled getting things worked out with bank cards, pin codes, etc. I know he'll greet me with a smile and is happy to help.

Today I went to a different bank to process a transaction for our French association. To enter this bank, you first hit a button and wait for the light to turn green, then you push open the door. Next, you are facing another door and have to press another button and wait for it to turn green. Now, you are in the bank. This bank did not have a friendly receptionist/teller to greet me. I went to the counter to do the transaction. The girl barely looked at me nor talked to me. She wasn't rude, but wasn't very friendly. C'est la France. After I was finished, I had to go through the same process with two doors to leave. It still seems awkward to me and I went through a brief panic, thinking "I'm stuck!". I made it through, however, and thus endeth my story of la banque française.