Rant -- "Bank Drive-thru is for motorized vehicles only!"

[dex]

Under the law, a cyclist has the same rights and responsibilities as any other vehicle. One would think that would be good enough for the bank.

Keep in mind that a bank (or any business) is generally located on private property. And it's quite likely that their insurance policy only covers motorized vehicles in the drive-through.

[maillotpois]

I bet Dex is completely right. liability/insurance issue. you'd be surprised at the sort of claims that arise in drive throughs - we've seen some. crazy. a bike does "seem" more vulnerable than a car in that sort of setting, and I bet they've got an exclusion in their insurance policy.

[KBIKES]

I used the drivethrough on my bike at a bank numerous times before they said I couldn't do that. Just said I couldn't. This branch had a way of making it's own rules outside the parent corporate "rules". They said the Comptroller was in charge of liability. He basically said there was no insurance issue but couldn't understand the concept of riding a bike on a road of all places! Left that bank. The branch manager was fired and the bank no longer exists.

[Jolt]

I've ridden through the drive-through many times at my bank and nobody has ever had a problem with it. The only time anyone has commented on it at all was this past Saturday--the teller said "What's the gas mileage on that thing?", which was amusing (especially since that was the second such comment I had gotten that morning while out on errands). Maybe it just depends on the bank; this is a smaller local one. I certainly don't see any reason for it to be a problem unless it's an insurance thing (and even then it's pretty stupid).

[tulip]

Insurance is the reason. Many banks have an ATM on the sidewalk for pedestrians--will that work for you? Otherwise, I'd just bring my bike inside. Or bring a lock and lock it up outside.

[OakLeaf]

Use the drive-up ATM. It won't refuse to serve you.

If their insurance really had an exclusion, they'd post a sign (as they do in parking garages with the drop-down gates).

If they want to make an issue of it (charging one of their customers with trespassing, maybe? ) let them.

I use the drive-through at a national chain pharmacy all the time. If anyone has insurance issues, you know they do.

[SadieKate]

From the Chicagoland Bicycle Federation --

http://www.biketraffic.org/biketraffic/BT0203/

Bank Holds Up Biker
But finds it doesn't pay
By Angela Hahn

It was a typical summer day, filled with typical daily errands when Michael Abraham of Waukegan made his way to the Zion branch of First Midwest Bank. He was the first one in line at the drive-up teller, with no cars in front of him, so it was much to his surprise when the teller told Abraham that his business was not welcome. Abraham was on a bike.

"I was really pissed — they were making me go all the way back to my home, just to get in my car and make my way all the way back to where I already was," said Abraham.

Abraham called the Chicagoland Bicycle Federation. According to the Federation's Mark Counselman, they encouraged Abraham to contact the bank's branch manager, who told Abraham that their insurance plan precluded them from allowing bicycles at the drive-through teller. But Abraham was a former risk manager, and to him that explanation smelled fishy.

So Abraham and Counselman did some research. "What we found across the board are banks enforcing unwritten policies barring cyclists and making references to insurance as the reasoning," said Counselman.

Neither Counselman nor Abraham found any insurers who actually had a position on bikes at drive-throughs. Furthermore, Counselman could find no history of injuries, hazards or claims resulting from cyclists banking at the drive-through teller. In other words, these "unwritten policies" seem rooted in misconceptions rather then facts.

"If there were a real danger, insurers would be the first to know about it," said Counselman. "If a bank can improve customer service by doing something with no real indication of being dangerous, that's good business. Cyclists and motorists share roads every day, why not at a teller window?"

So Abraham had reason on his side. And if that wasn't enough to sway the bank, he could make his argument even more compelling.

"I wasn't going to take 'No' for an answer," said Abraham, a First Midwest Bank stock holder. Not only would he move his money, but Abraham "was prepared to enter a stockholder resolution if I had to."

The bank agreed to a compromise. Bank officials told Abraham that customers on bikes would be able to use the drive-through teller when the lobby was closed. Still a bit skeptical, Abraham decided to test out this new policy two weeks later and happily found that the drive-up tellers graciously accepted his business.

Thanks to Abraham Abraham's persistence, Chicagoland has one more bike friendly business. So, the question is: Does YOUR bank allow cyclists to use the drive-up teller? Give it a whirl and find out. If you get blasted with an "our insurance doesn't cover it" excuse, pick up the phone and let the Chicagoland Bicycle Federation help you fight for cyclist's rights! Mark Counselman can be reached at 312-427-3325 and says he's happy to help.