A misinformed bank teller at a Wells Fargo in Arizona was determined to explain how desert life worked to a woman who just wanted to buy some GPB (pounds sterling, aka British money).

My mother visited the Gilbert & Guadalupe branch of Wells Fargo the other day, having heard that this particular branch might carry pounds sterling. Having purchased euros the year before at a WF in Tempe (two cities over), she knew she had a backup if this branch didn’t work out.

When she asked if they sold GBP at the branch, the smug, 20-something teller informed her that they do not. He further said that not a single branch in Arizona sells foreign currency. When she politely explained that she had purchased euros the year before just 10 miles down the street, he shook his head brusquely and explained to her: “This is the desert, ma’am. We don’t have any euros or GBP here.”

About this time, a nice, soft-spoken female teller quietly mentioned that he might be wrong, to which he insisted that, while in the desert, we would simply have no need for euros. You see, for this is the desert, the implication rang quietly, and thus we are an entire ocean away from requiring such currency! At about this time, she connected through to the Tempe branch who informed her that, of course they had euros & GBP available and that the currency desk was open until 4:30pm.

The smug teller did make a matter of apologizing for giving “seriously wrong information,” because this is the desert, and we own up to our mistakes here.

We want to extend a desert congratulations—probably a potted cactus or a pueblo-shaped cake—to the good teller who was determined to help Chris’s mother no matter what Mr. Know-It-All said.

(Photo: JeffChristiansen)

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