A 65-year-old Texas woman was tackled and handcuffed after refusing to leave a Bank of America branch in Galveston, Texas that requires customers to wear a mask inside.
A private firm can certainly make any asinine demands it chooses of its customers but it just goes to show you how secular puritanism is taking over the damn country.
As H.L. Mencken put it, “Puritanism: The haunting fear that someone, somewhere, may be happy.”
But I hasten to add that there are additional considerations in this case.
According to the woman, she was visiting the bank to close out her account so the question really becomes one of whether a bank can change its rules about entering a bank after it takes a person's money.
It should be noted that Texas Gov. Greg Abbott had already lifted a statewide mask mandate so this was entirely Bank of America's demand.
Can a bank make any demand of its customers before they are allowed to take out their money if no indication of such a demand was in place when the customer originally opened the account?
And whatever happened to trying to be accommodative to a customer?
Couldn't a manager have taken the woman to the side and helped her with the transaction?
The secular puritans are not thinking about servicing customers, they get off on being midget-Maos.
This is horrific, but this is the current state of power freaks getting off wielding power. It is a form of cheap sadism.
-RW
I went to a bank yesterday that I am not a customer of, and there was only one very nice gal in this branch at the time, it’s was early morning.
ReplyDeleteShe wasn’t wearing a mask.
I commented on this, and she smiled and said well, I hope my bosses don’t see, I’ll get in trouble!
I assured her that wearing a mask to make me happy was not necessary.
When I was leaving she gave me her card to give to my bank if there were any questions about what I was there about, and she was the bank manager.
My bank, the employees wear masks, but do not require customers to mask. Never have.
Texas isn’t the bastion of freedom that it tries to act like any longer.
America isn’t the bastion of freedom its occupants pretend it to be either.
Move where you need to be now. You might not be able to soon.
The big corporate businesses that are towing the States line won’t change until they feel it in the pocketbook.
If the state has some sweetheart deal they may not care anyway.
That’s why I am completely against people who wear masks so they don’t hurt peoples feels.
Or to try to not make any waves.
There are a lot of Americans who hate what is going on but they are sheeple who can’t stand up for themselves.
Man up and be the one they can look to for courage.
Quit wearing masks so you don’t hurt feelings or don’t make waves.
Screw that.
I had a doctors appointment yesterday too, “masks required”.
I didn’t wear one, no one said a thing.
Make them uncomfortable. Don’t let them have power over you. Who cares about feelings.
This is the exact attitude to have.
DeleteThese are not technically private businesses. Their charter, rules and by laws establish the fact that they exist to serve the public; that's where their profit comes from--the public. BofA or Denny's or K-Mart is not a private club that gets to exclude people and revoke their rights. They accommodate the public, not a exclusive, dues-paying membership. Tell me I'm wrong. So property rights for thee but not for me? So businesses get to have property rights but while you're conducting business in one of these stores your property rights are subservient to theirs? There ought to be a law. Oh, I think there is.
ReplyDeleteEvery business gets its profit from "the public," so I'm not sure how that is a relevant factor. And you don't need to collect dues to own private property (do you collect dues from visitors to your house?).
DeleteThe whole essence of private-property rights is that the owner gets to set the rules for what goes on on that property. So yes, while you're in their store, their private-property rights govern your conduct. If you don't like their rules, then you don't have to enter their store.
The arguments against an individual masking are many, but private-property rights is not one of them.
I rarely wear masks in public, maybe only for a few seconds while I had been asked. Usually comes down to this: if state doesn't have a mandate, the local authorities, such as county or city, may still "think" and proclaim they have one. In Iowa, particularly, the attorney general has stated if the state Dept of Health does not have a mandate, any other gov't jurisdiction / municipality may not have a conflicting order. But the liberal democrat AG doesn't enforce this and everyone, including media, ignores and allows the local gov't to proclaim they have a mandate. This gives cover to, or at least an incorrect rationale, behind businesses to also state there is a mandate for their property.
ReplyDeleteIt is all BS. Businesses think there's a mandate locally as the local gov't is proclaiming such, so they follow and try to enforce FOR the local authorities. Then when a private property issue comes up with someone not wearing a mask, it is then the police / enforcement occurring not for enforcing the gov't mandate, but for violating private mandate. It's convenient. But it looks like it is not actually police enforcing the local government mandate. It's all a ruse.
I go about not wearing one in any stores in Iowa (no state mandate, but illegal local "mandates" allow biz to have mandates). 95% of the time no one bothers me. On vacation now in Orlando. Don't wear one in Ubers (no issues), resort, Disney properties, airline, airport, etc. They ask, I apply it for a few seconds, then promptly remove when the enforcer has done their duty and I'm out of their way.
I use every single chance I get to proclaim sanity. I tell everyone I know not to wear a mask, to be bold and courageous. I go on Twitter blasting every local news outlet correcting their stance. I even corrected a note in my company's review by major accounting firm to state there is risk from gov't and media over reacting to a virus, when they were originally saying it was the virus causing the risk and uncertainty.
We all must push back every single chance we get.
But libertarians support suppression of basic freedoms by private entities. I guess once gain libertardians are clueless about culture. But want to import people who have no concept of these things.
ReplyDeleteHeh this one strikes close to home.
ReplyDeleteBanks, like airlines, have one very important customer whose concerns outweigh all those of all other customers. That customer is the State.
Don't be shocked when so-called private entities that rely so heavily on the State, act in accordance with its wishes and not yours.
The market has spoken. Next up will be triple masks if you want to be able to use your phone. Don't like it? Go build your own telecom.
ReplyDeleteBanks are a Public Accommodation under law. They must follow all codes/laws and may not discriminate. Take the time to research federal laws on public accommodations to understand why this woman should sue the BoA and the local police department.
ReplyDeleteWho was taking this video?
ReplyDeleteIt was a body camera on the police officer. Some states/jurisdictions require officers to wear them.
DeleteMy understanding is that a bank is open to the public and therefore cannot discriminate against any one coming into their business on race, religion, handicap - For me I am a Christian and my religion does not make me veil my face - thats the Muslim religion - they have to let a woman in with a hajib so they have to let you in without a mask as well under first amendment religion - she needs to take this guy to court.
ReplyDeleteYou are legally correct.
Delete