In days gone by, many folks were handed their weekly checks on Friday. Many of these people stopped at their banks to deposit their checks. This is why banks stayed open a few hours later on Fridays.
Some small businesses had a larger amount of cash on hand to cash payroll checks for good customers. My father always made a trip to the bank on Friday afternoons to get cash for our service station’s weekend business.
My dad always banked with Indiana National Bank. When we first opened our station on Madison Avenue, just north of Epler Avenue, the closest INB was at Terrace and Madison avenues. That was a long drive to make deposits and do other banking. It was wonderful when an Indiana National Bank branch opened at South East Street and National Avenue. That was a much shorter trip.
There was not much credit card business during those days. Our station sold Sunoco gas and oil products. Sunoco developed a credit program called SunChecks. It was a checklike credit system that a customer could use to purchase products and services from Sunoco dealers and be billed by Sunoco. The checks were filled with those old-time primitive holes that a computer could read.
Of course, without much credit card business, we accepted a lot of checks. This was another reason for daily trips to our bank. Since we went to the bank so often, we got to know the tellers.
I remember having an interesting morning at my bank many years ago. I was living in Greenwood and doing quite of bit of traveling for work.
One Monday before going on a weeklong business trip, I stopped at my bank to get some cash. The money machines were sort of new, and my bank’s machine issued money in $25 increments. If you wanted $50, you got two envelopes.
I went to the machine and followed the instructions to get $50. When the little door opened I saw some envelopes. I took them out and counted eight of them. I then checked my receipt and saw that I was charged only the $50 that I had requested, but I got an extra $150.
I walked over to the front door of the bank and saw several employees, but the bank wasn’t open yet. I knocked several times before a stern-looking manager walked to the door. He pecked on his wristwatch, shook his head and walked away. I knocked again with similar results.
I got his attention on my third knock. He stormed to the door, opened it and loudly told me that they were not open. I apologized profusely and showed him the six envelopes that I had discovered.
I then witnessed a fast change in his manner. He invited me inside and apologized as he took some information from me.
I’ve often wondered if the proper person ever received his money envelopes.