Dude! Did I just witness a bank robbery?!

Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share
1

So it’s a paritcularly busy day in an understaffed office, with clients wandering around everywhere and a dozen deadlines to be met (hey, I took care of my end of it last week, which is why I can screw around now). Suddenly, it is remembered that taxicabs require money, and we don’t have any on hand. My amazing research skills are called upon to go to the bank and get some petty cash.

So I walk into the bank and discover that it’s one of those asshole banks where you need several forms of I.D., telephone numbers, fingerprints, and direct authorization in order to get two hundred bucks in cash. Unless…

The place is pretty empty. My teller goes off to call my office, and I’m left waiting. There is one guy in line behind me, kind of older, kind of scruffy, otherwise totally nondescript, except for one unusual thing.

He has an empty wine box at his feet.

The teller at the far end summons this guy, and there’s nobody between me and him. I wasn’t really paying attention, but when I looked at him again, he had placed the wine box on the counter so that I couldn’t see his hands. I can tell from his shoulders that he’s pulling something out of his jacket. Then thud! There’s this really loud bang, exactly as if the guy had just slammed a gun down on the counter. I look over at him, he gives me a sideways leer and continues to talk quietly to the teller. I hear the sound of counting money.

Now, I’m still waiting for my check to be authorized. The counting continues. I’m getting more and more nervous. Finally, my teller comes back and counts out my cash. Twice. Slowly. Transaction complete, ass in gear, I’m out the door. No heroes today–I’m the only guy in there who isn’t protected by an inch of Lexan.

Did I just see what I think I saw? I have a pretty broad imagination sometimes. Why would a teller count out cash to a bank robber? Do I need to contact the police? I mean, they have my full name, telephone number, picture, and fingerprint–I think they can find me if they need me. But I need to know if I’m required to report something that looked a hell of a lot to me like a crime, but not for certain. I’m in a freaking law office fer chrissakes, but all the lawyers are out.

Man, am I freaked out.

2

…if they got robbed, they’ll want to speak to you, otherwise you’ll just be seeing your picture on the news :wink:

-SS

3

Hmm…
I would say just let it slide…

If you call the police and tell them this story there are just two options that come to my mind:

  1. A yawning cop will ask you the address and thank you…

  2. A yawning cop will say…“They have already called us from the bank, but thanks anyway.”

So the procedure will be prettyy much the same no whether there was a robbery or not…

But thanks for letting us know!!

4

Yeah, I’m not too keen on calling either the bank or the cops.

“Hello, did you just get robbed? No? Oh, um, okay. Have a nice day…”

5

If I were you, I would call the bank just to placate your curiousity.

6

Besides, there is generally no duty to report a crime anyway, so don’t worry about it. :slight_smile:

7

Perhaps a dull, unlikely option, but perhaps the fellow was exchanging rolled coins for paper money?

Like I said - dull…

8

If it had been a robbery, the police would already know, believe me. In fact, if it were, they’d have known before you even left the bank, and if the bank wants you as a witness, they have your name (or your firm’s) from their records. If you’re really curious you might call the bank, or just keep an eye out for newspaper reports. I’m in a fairly small city, and bank robberies don’t make the TV news even here unless they’re part of a string or there was a shooting.

The exchange of coin rolls sounds a lot more plausible to me.

9

Exactly what I thought.

How do you know the wine box was empty, was the lid off? What kind of wine box was it? Cardboard, like you get 12 bottles in or one of the wooden boxes that you get a verticle in?

10

Yeah, it was the twelve bottle size with the top cut off of it and it was sitting on its side at the guy’s feet. I’m sure it was empty.

I like the coin idea. I’m willing to believe that until I learn otherwise.