A little more than a year after I was in a car accident I’ve finally reached a settlement through my attorneys with the insurance company. Last week my attorneys faxed me a form that I sign to allow the attorneys to disburse the settlement check to pay my medical bills and themselves. I’ll get a little extra as well.
So on Wednesday I walked to the banks in my area to get the letter certified when I signed it. I finally found that BB&T had a teller who could help me for $2. When I handed her the paper, my money and my ID, she pushed it back at me under the thick glass teller window and said I needed two witnesses to sign it as well. “Seriously?” I asked. She nodded.
“Well then I guess I’ll have to scrounge some up right now,” I said and looked around me to see an empty bank floor. Ugh.
Just then a woman walked in and headed over to one of the standing-height wooden glass-top tables where people can sign the back of checks or do whatever else they need to do in a bank. I’ll be back in a second I said and walked over the to the woman and curled my left hand over my right hand in common begging style. “Excuse me,” I said. “I’m really sorry to bother you, but I need someone to be a witness for me when I sign something, it should only take a second. Would you mind helping me?” I said and tried to beg with my eyes as much as possible.
She agreed and followed me over just as a girl about my age walked in and entered the teller line.
z “Excuse me,” I said and repeated what I’d told the other woman…”so if you could help me I’d be very grateful. And you could even count it as your good deed for the day,” I said and smiled.
“What is it for?” she asked.
“I need to sign this release so my attorneys can pay my medical bills from an auto accident. I just settled with the insurance company and I need those bills paid off,” I said, hoping that I’d tugged on a heart string enough to convince her.
“Well I guess it would be OK,” she said and I thanked her.
I mailed the signed, witnessed and certified letter later that day. Thank God that there weren’t two people in the bank at that time who were paranoid and selfish.