I hate banks. I hate banks and the way that they basically shaft you at every turn. And their excretable customer service, where they shaft you yet again, and you have to grin and bear it. as changing bank account is akin to having beloved pets slaughtered in front of you. I *really* hate banks.

Ever since some really cronically bad customer service from the Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS), we've pursuded the policy of not putting all our eggs in one basket Specifically seperating our personal and corporate accounts in order that one idiotic muppet couldnt actually shut down our entire life with one mistake. Did I mention that I *really* hate banks ?

Now, for some reason, Banks were the first to be computerised (like, in the sixties. man!), but still take three days to transfer money between themselves. The money wasnt lost, of course - it just just being used by the banks for three days to gain interest for THEM whilst you coudnt use it. In order to get around this, you could PAY them another £10 in order to transfer the money on the same day - well between 10am and 3:30pm that is. Because a banks' idea of customer service is where you pay them lots of money, and the bank regulation in the UK could be described as 'derisory', you basically had to put up with it. And since RBS's idea of customer service was to introduce a MODEM based, windows 98 program (Royline), we had to keep one machine running windows. Till the modems got switched off in October. We'd been using it for 10 years, and paying £120/year for the pleasure of doing so. Modems. Honestly!

Did I mention that I REALLY hate banks ?

So, dear reader, it was with some trepidation that I went in today into my new and curiously purple banking internet site and asked it (grovellingly) to transfer some money. Fully expecting it (a) not to work, (b) take three working days and (c) cost me moeny to do so. I was FLABBERGASTED to find out that I was wrong. On all three counts!

(Pause to pick jaw off floor)

Yes. The UK Government had some years ago beat the banks softly across the wrists and told them to sort this out. And this month, it actually WORKED between my corporate bank and my personal bank! Yay!

In complete disbelief, I logged into my personal account - and yes. The money was there!

And so, I was pleasantly surprised, and of course mildly chuffed. Whats changed ? Oh yeah - Both RBS and HBOS are now propped up by the UK Government. Ah. So the civil service - itself the last bastion of Victorian innefficiency - appears to be far better than the drugged-slothlike performance of the banks themselves.

So thanks to the McMerican CDO screwup, we're all going to hell in an economic handbasket - but at least the banks are working faster.

God, I HATE BANKS!