The Clever Gentleman and the Bank
An elderly gentleman walked into a bank and approached the teller. Handing over his bank card, he said politely, "I’d like to withdraw $20, please."
The teller barely glanced at him before responding, "Sir, for withdrawals under $200, please use the ATM."
The old man frowned. "And why is that?"
Sighing, the teller slid his card back across the counter. "Those are the rules, sir. If you don’t need anything else, please step aside. There are other customers waiting."
The man paused for a moment, then handed his card back. "Alright, then. I’d like to withdraw all my money instead."
Annoyed but following protocol, the teller checked his account. A second later, her demeanor shifted completely. She leaned in and whispered, "Sir, you have $500,000 in your account. The bank doesn’t keep that much cash on hand. You’ll need to schedule an appointment for such a large withdrawal."
The gentleman nodded. "I see. How much can I withdraw immediately?"
"$5,000 is the maximum per transaction."
Smiling, the old man replied, "Alright, I’ll take $5,000 then."
Now speaking with extra politeness, the teller quickly counted out the cash and handed it to him with a warm smile.
The gentleman took $20, tucked it into his wallet, and then slid the remaining $4,980 back across the counter. "Please deposit this back into my account."
Moral of the story: Never underestimate older folks. They’ve spent a lifetime mastering the game.