Cries of pain in banking queues

” Lula Nethi Walata Kanaya Pandithaya” !

“Lulaa” and “Kanaya” are two distinct species of inland fish, the former always taken to be wise and dominating. When the former is not around, the latter (supposedly dense) assumes the role of a “sage” and tends to rule the roost. So goes a local saying.

This idea beautifully sits in with the situation we find ourselves in today in the Covid-19 era, with long-winding queues forming near banks. Indeed, they have to fall in line with health guidelines. Sadly, in most instances, the aged, the infirm and the handicapped have little or no choice or preference (quite understandably with security staff expecting rebuffs from boorish types in the queue). So, the security or minor staff controlling movements and entries inside, do a thankless job by marshalling the operation. While some of these staff employed for the operation are indeed sympathetic, understanding and act with finesse, others have been observed to be quite unaccommodating in dealing with customers, perhaps intoxicated with the newly bestowed importance or a mis-direction of their role. Most of them turn a blind eye to the travails and difficulties of the aged, the infirm or the handicapped, and tend to be not so courteous at times with appeals for some preference.

They tend to apply the rule uniformly. While in normal circumstances, the management and staff address the customer with due respect, these worthies tend often to claim a non-existent relationship of uncle, aunty, akka, nangi or aiya. While customers have to suffer, not only the travails of a long wait sometimes in the hot sun and difficult terrain, they have also to contend with some indignities without a murmur – all in the name of transactions with one’s own money at banks. Customers have to brief them first about the nature of their business, whether they understand or not, prior to being directed to the relevant counters. What most of them are cocksure about is the word “up-date”, and they gleefully grab the passbooks and take the documents themselves.

It is most regrettable that the bank managers are either blissfully unaware of the trauma silently suffered, or are showing a “devil-may-care” attitude towards customers who in the business world are euphemistically recognised as always right. If not, the top managements would have with an atom of sense and responsibility, seen the dire need for a responsible officer in the institution to occasionally comb the queues to identify the vulnerable, and those who can be dealt with without much ado in order to minimise discomfort, avoid time waste and unnecessary clogging; and help to clear the messy rush without abdicating the management power and responsibility to self-important personnel (sometimes hired), under whose sometimes irresponsible conduct customers have to suffer physically, mentally, emotionally, psychologically and on rare occasions even indignity. Indeed, our forefathers have had the sagacity to foresee or predict such situations in framing the aforesaid juicy saying.

I. P. C. MENDIS