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| Bank vaults in a bank |
“Panic
Room”, a movie about paranoia and suspense, made my heart throb with
fear. Jodie Foster acted as a quick-witted
mother who tried to protect her diabetic
daughter from intimidating intruders in a
high tech-equipped room (called panic room), in her mansion.
This movie reminded me of a frightening
experience I encountered in a bank
when I was locked in the vault. Overcome by
fear, I thought that I would never see
daylight again. The bank vault was my panic
room.
That eventful morning, I had entered the bank
vault to get some documents from
my safe deposit box. I was aware that another
customer had entered the vault in another section. However, when that customer
left, the bank employee quickly closed the vault door and switched off the
lights without realising I was still inside.
It happened very fast. One minute I was
looking through my documents; the next
minute I was enveloped in pitched darkness. I
could still recall the sound of the heavy metallic door as it closed: the echo
of the steely sound in the silence was terrifying. Suddenly I was left alone in
the cold dark room. Initial claustrophobia turned to panic!
“Hello, hello! Hey, I’m still in here!” I
shouted. There was no answer. I shouted
again, with all my might. Then it dawned on
me that the room was sound proof.
Worrisome thoughts crossed my mind. What if no
one came in that day! What if I
had to spend the night there! What if I passed
out? What if…I could visualize the
newspaper headlines the next morning: Freak
accidental death.
Dismissing such thoughts quickly, I tried to
focus on the situation in hand. My
eyes gradually got used to the darkness. I
groped my way to the entrance-cum-exit door.
I felt for the bell but could not find it.
Panic gripped me again!
What should I do? I decided to use my
muscles. With all the strength I could
muster, I knocked and banged hard at the
door. Hey presto, it worked – the door opened!
Was I glad to see a human face in broad
daylight! The bank employee stared at me with disbelief when she switched on
the lights.
“I’m so sorry,” she apologized profusely, “I
thought you had left!” She waited patiently while I locked my safe deposit box.
I did not want to stay in that panic room a minute longer so I rushed back to
the comforts of my home.
This incident made me reflect on the
functions of safe deposit boxes. Long ago,
people used to keep their money and valuables
in the home: in cupboards, among
clothing, under the bed, inside pillows, in
kitchen jars and even under the ground. Times
have changed. Homes are no more safe havens.
Many people keep important documents and valuables in safe deposit boxes in
banks.
How safe are safe deposit boxes? Are the
rooms where they are kept safe too?
Discussions with some senior friends who
patronise different banks gave me some ideas on what they like or dislike in
vault rooms.
Top on the list is privacy, followed by good
ventilation, proper lighting and adequate space.
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| Bank vaults with proper lighting, and ledges for placing boxes |
“I value privacy,” said A. “The vault in the
bank has a tiny room with a well-lit
ledge, a mirror and a curtain - very
convenient when I take out jewellery for special occasions.”
“Too many customers are allowed in at one
time,” said B. “Sometimes while
sorting out my jewellery, another customer
comes in suddenly and I have no time to close my box. It is very disconcerting.
I wish bank employees are more discrete and considerate.”
“The vault in the bank has too many boxes
assembled from the floor to the roof
with little space for movement. Customers
have to stoop very low or stretch very high to retrieve their boxes. My box is
located at a high level but I dare not use the ladder available. Luckily, the
bank employee helps me to take out and put in my box,” commented C.
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| Bank vaults reach up to the ceiling. It has a buzzer to call employee to open the door |
“I applied for a box long ago,” said D, an
elderly senior. “The room is small and
stuffy. It is dark and the passage-way is too
narrow. I have to put my box on the floor to get my valuables while some
customers have to hold on tight to the box with one arm and take out items with
the other. The bank does not have a ledge that pops out from between the
boxes.”
“I
like the large size box,” said E who recently acquired a box in a new bank.
“Files, certificates and documents can be put
in easily without them being folded or crushed.”
In some banks, customers have to sign in and
sign out but in other banks, only the
time of entry is recorded. Because bank
employees have multifunctional roles,
sometimes they are not aware that a customer
may still be in the vault.
Customers who pay annual fees expect banks to
ensure that safety precautions are
attended to regularly. In cases of
emergencies, example if a customer faints, falls or is locked in, having a
panic button strategically placed will go a long way in making the bank vault a
customer-friendly place.
Safe deposit boxes are meant for keeping
valuables safely. It is important that the
rooms where they are kept are safe and
panic-proof too.
This
article was published in the Star (Malaysian paper) on 25th June 2002.
Photos
are added here.
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