Yobs From The Bank

Yesterday I took the train up to London to visit the Affordable Art Fair, which was a very interesting trip but that's not what I'm going to tell you about today. I've written a little on banking before on theartistandthetartist alluding to the Quaker capitalists and their principled approach to banking. In contrast I'd like to share a very loud and aggressive mobile phone conversation I overheard on the train yesterday from the seat behind me. Here a large, suited gent. was sitting, yelling at a colleague (back at the office I assume) in expletive riddled tones for the whole carriage to hear. The poor chap on the receiving end obviously had not acted fast enough on some 'deal' or other.

"Craig, I don't think you've even read the f#**#ng e-mail, go back and read the f#**#ng e-mail, then call the client and tell him he can draw down on the money, do it, now. Craig, you're not f#**#ng listening to me, if you do it now, it don't actually matter if it's 'arf a percent or one percent, call 'im now, tell 'im he can draw down an' we're lookin' at sixty grand each in our f#**#ng account before Christmas."

Mmm nice. I don't know whether Craig got his finger out or not, and don't much care but the point about this conversation is the overtly greedy tone of the whole transaction. I don't know whether our friend and his colleague Craig were pimping draw down mortgages or loans or whatever, but the point that struck me was, neither did they.