Bad Banking

I just had to go through a whole ordeal just to get a bank to accept my less than 50% ripped dollar bill. According to the U.S. Treasury, any dollar that is less than 50% ripped can be processed at any local bank, and they would turn it to the Treasury. My bank, Bank of America, would not accept it, which really peeved me, so I had to go in search of a bank that would. I went to Wells Fargo, and although they were nicer, they still wouldn't accept it. The manager lady said that their policy is that they no longer accept mutilated currency because Brinks wouldn't, and they had no way to change the currency. Hello, aren't these people banks or what? Besides, the Treasury website makes a distinction between ripped and mutilated currency. Banks do not have to accept mutilated currency. Those need to be mailed in to Treasury to be examined, and they will mail you a new currency if they approve your request. The bank that finally would was Chase. Personally, I think they should start a new advertising campaign. "Chase. We actually follow U.S. Laws*." Or, some such. Read more about what to do with your ripped or mutilated currency here:

WHAT TO DO WITH RIPPED OR MUTILATED CURRENCY

*I guess it can't really be U.S. Law since Wells Fargo, Wamu, and B of A wouldn't accept it. Yeah, I was on a mission. However, why would the BEP department of the U.S. Treasury put that on their website if it was a voluntary policy? This is what the BEP states, "What is not mutilated currency? Any badly soiled, dirty, defaced, disintegrated, limp, torn, worn, out currency note that is CLEARLY MORE than one-half of the original note, and does not require special examination to determine its value. These notes should be exchanged through your local bank and processed by the Federal Reserve." The Chase teller even confirmed the less than 50% ripped thing, and exchanged my dollar bill.