Why There Are No Italian Bank Robbers
A correction: For the first time, I peeked into the entranceway of the bank in Panzano this week. I was surprised to see there was one of the magic robber-proof tubes off to the side. I’ve only ever walked up to the bancomat and never paid attention to the actual bank entrance. So apologies for my naivete in thinking Panzano was an exception to the countrywide effort to foil bank robbers.
I thought it was a joke. An aquaintance made a comment, rather off handed, “Oh, no one robs banks in Italy anymore!” It’s not as if stories about bank robbers hit the news everyday, but still, to make such an absolute proclamation seemed a bit odd.
Skepticism shrouded my face, prompting his follow up comment. “I can’t get into my bank unless I go into a tube, all by myself, like at the airport. And I can’t leave unless I go through the same kind of exit tube. A robber could never get out!”
Really? There’s no such contraption at the bank which hosts the bancomat I use in Panzano, a branch of the oldest bank in the world, Banca Monte dei Paschi di Siena. This banca has been in continuous operation since 1472! ( A side note, the bank (from the word banca meaning “bench” where deals took place) was originally founded as a mount of pity - monte’ di pieta) to save poor commoners from the usury of nefarious moneylenders!) But back to bank robbers, or rather the absence of them…
My bank here lacks the described tubes of detterence. In fact, though there are the same type of medieval bars you find protecting many village windows over the bank’s single street side window, that window was often thrown open during banking hours. If I dared I could have poked my hand through the bars and waved at the tellers. Now the summer heat means the window’s closed and the AC is on. Guess the locals are confident bank robbers never heard of Panzano.
Then yesterday, driving home from Montecatini Terme I stopped at a bancomat in another town. What do you know! There were those bank robber proof tubes I’d heard about!
