7 ms·

I like to tell the story of the time I was moving from one state to another and did not have housing yet. The bank refused to open an account. With a passport

I like to tell the story of the time I was moving from one state to another and did not have housing yet. The bank refused to open an account. With a passport, plus license with outdated address. Said it violates KYC w/ no proof of address. Meanwhile, with no documentation (no id, passport, etc) I could legally conceal carry a gun in the bank. I can't believe it's gotten to the point where you can be trusted to legally have a gun in the bank but considered too dangerous to hand over $5.

lazide 4y ago
I agree, it's absurd. But.... maybe you'd send those $5 to ISIS?!? /s
mrguyorama 4y ago
There's no bill of rights amendment to give you access to a bank account. Also, a lot of people think it would be stupid and not good to bring a gun into a bank, but if you try to codify that in any way, including a sign on the outside of the bank that says "please don't bring a gun in here", certain really angry people get even angrier and will publicize such a thing to fellow very angry people as if it isn't a perfectly normal thing to not want a gun in your bank.
- notch898a 4y ago
  I would argue the bill of rights, specifically the 4th amendment, should protect you from a government imposed search of your papers to open an account.
  - lazide 4y ago
    It's hard to imagine that standing up to the situation that is required, which is someone must provide gov't issued identification to have a bank account (because terrorists). After all, I don't think anyone has a right to privacy from the gov't regarding gov't issued IDs. Maybe 10th amendment/interstate commerce clause overreach? (Why is the federal gov't mandating what my local branch requires for acceptance of ID?!?) But then the Gov't would pull out the whole 9/11 patriot act justification, national security, blah blah blah, and chances are the supreme court would give them even more justification.
    - deleted 4y ago
      [deleted]
- PeterisP 4y ago
  > There's no bill of rights amendment to give you access to a bank account. Interestingly, the EU does take this exact approach, having a directive that mandates that everyone has the right to a basic bank account and banks can't refuse opening one just because you're a refugee or a convicted fraudster or a homeless unemployed drug addict. Access to financial infrastructure is a key part of participating in modern society and interacting with the state (e.g. receiving any benefits), so it is imperative that everyone, including the most downtrodden, can access it.
  - lazide 4y ago
    But what if one of them gasp buys something illegal with it!?!? Or funds something terrible? /s That’s the argument here for the KYC/AML laws. No joke.

lazide 4y ago

I agree, it's absurd. But.... maybe you'd send those $5 to ISIS?!? /s

mrguyorama 4y ago

There's no bill of rights amendment to give you access to a bank account. Also, a lot of people think it would be stupid and not good to bring a gun into a bank, but if you try to codify that in any way, including a sign on the outside of the bank that says "please don't bring a gun in here", certain really angry people get even angrier and will publicize such a thing to fellow very angry people as if it isn't a perfectly normal thing to not want a gun in your bank.

notch898a 4y ago
I would argue the bill of rights, specifically the 4th amendment, should protect you from a government imposed search of your papers to open an account.
- lazide 4y ago
  It's hard to imagine that standing up to the situation that is required, which is someone must provide gov't issued identification to have a bank account (because terrorists). After all, I don't think anyone has a right to privacy from the gov't regarding gov't issued IDs. Maybe 10th amendment/interstate commerce clause overreach? (Why is the federal gov't mandating what my local branch requires for acceptance of ID?!?) But then the Gov't would pull out the whole 9/11 patriot act justification, national security, blah blah blah, and chances are the supreme court would give them even more justification.
  - deleted 4y ago
    [deleted]
PeterisP 4y ago
> There's no bill of rights amendment to give you access to a bank account. Interestingly, the EU does take this exact approach, having a directive that mandates that everyone has the right to a basic bank account and banks can't refuse opening one just because you're a refugee or a convicted fraudster or a homeless unemployed drug addict. Access to financial infrastructure is a key part of participating in modern society and interacting with the state (e.g. receiving any benefits), so it is imperative that everyone, including the most downtrodden, can access it.
- lazide 4y ago
  But what if one of them gasp buys something illegal with it!?!? Or funds something terrible? /s That’s the argument here for the KYC/AML laws. No joke.