Business as Usual

Monterrey, México

The warehouse is deafening for anyone within earshot. It’s always cold and always drab. Martín works as a machinist for a U.S. parts manufacturing company. He had hoped his position here would be a stepping stone but, six years have passed and his situation was officially stagnant. He wasn’t without prospects, however. With a background in diesel mechanics and two years vocational training, he was hopeful for better things to come.

The intercom blared and he could barely make out the sound from the static. A few inaudible words trail after his name.

“Martín, we’re being contracted for a short-term project in the states. They want six of the most capable. I want you to be one of them.” This wasn’t exacty what he had in mind but what did he have to lose? He figured by the time he finished the project he could use that as an opportunity to talk about a promotion when he returned. This was the break he needed. Most of management spoke English because the company was based in the U.S. Martín was one of two hired hands to speak it as well.

When Martín landed stateside he took an Uber to the job site for a mandatory training. For the next twelve weeks he would assist in repairing tanks at the military base in El Paso, TX. A background check was completed in advance and his security clearance was issued on site. During the training, he was advised to open a US-bank account in order for his wages to be direct deposited.


“They have to be scared of getting fired or they won’t be motivated to open accounts,” said Janet.

Janet hung up the phone before her staff walked in. Most people think of bankers as sophisticated, well-read financiers, but, they’re factually more akin to the fake vehicle warranty salesmen who manage to call you on your cellphone twice a month. The whole financial services industry had managed to evolve into a regular meat-packing assembly line over the last 50 years. Tellers refer customers to bankers under false pretenses, bankers open accounts under any circumstance and managers inflate the numbers for bonuses. Nina seemed to be the only banker at odds with this setup and made the mistake of sharing her concerns with Janet not long ago. She is also the only banker to go without a bonus for two years and counting. This year she started writing down all of the fraudulent accounts and names of forged signatures in a small black notebook that she carried around. She told Janet it was to keep track of her sales and appointments. “Its ‘Fly into February’!” said Janet. “Double sales goals month! I want four products for each person that comes in-I don’t care if they don’t use it.”

Martín is confused. “But I don’t need a savings account.” The day got passed him and it was getting late. He had to be on base early next morning. He left the bank in a hurry and unsure of the interaction. His only concern was the checking account for his paychecks to go into. At least he did that.

The next two weeks were a blur. Work. Eat. Sleep. Repeat. He kept his head down and counted the days until he was back home. He was going through the mail on a Friday afternoon when he paused. Why the hell is my bank account closed? I never agreed to a debit card!

Customers in the lobby grew uncomfortable overhearing Martín argue with Janet.

“Why on Earth would I need a savings account when I don’t even live here?!”

Janet calmly says, “Every checking account has the option for a savings. It’s good to have just in case.”

“Just in case what?” Martín said. “I told the banker this was temporary and all I needed was an account for direct deposit and now that account is closed. Why is it closed?!”

“Please have a seat and I’ll personally look into your account,” Janet said with a disingenuous tone. Martín was beside himself and questioned whether he should have even accepted the job. He wanted to go home. Back to his real job. With or without a promotion. She wasted a few minutes talking to some coworkers out of sight.

“Sir, it seems our monitoring system flagged the account as suspicious because of a lack of banking history. The account was closed by another department and the funds will be mailed to the address on file. I apologize.” Except she wasn’t really sorry at all. It was now 6:05pm and the bank was closed. She kept looking at her phone trying to dismiss the constant flow of text messages coming in. She had other plans on her mind. Martín left feeling unresolved and over it. His phone rings.

“Martín, I have some bad news. The contract for the military project has been cancelled and we’re sending you back home.” It’s only been two weeks since he started, he won’t get the full commission he set out to earn and the little money he had in the bank is tied up in a check that’s yet to be mailed. This sucks.

The flight home felt shorter. Maybe because things were back to business as usual and he didn’t feel any sense of accomplishment. He was hoping to be motivated by the time he got back, renewed even. Sometimes them’s the breaks.

Back at the bank, the teller who was assigned to send Martín’s cashiers check was busy getting reamed by Janet. She quickly typed in 2-0-0-0-0 instead of 2-0-0-0 in the amount field; It was then sealed and left for outgoing mail.

Janet walked into work the following morning to find her direct supervisor and two state regulators waiting for her in the office. They explained to Janet how they had been notified of the unethical sales practices and that she was promptly being let go. She was carrying her untouched coffee and a few personal items when she saw Nina talking to the two officials with the small black notebook laying open on the table. Sometimes them’s the breaks.

Martín is relieved to put the trip behind him and signs the back of the check before handing it in for deposit. He grabs the receipt with the updated balance reflecting a deposit of $20,000. ¡Ay Dios Mio! Oh my God! In that moment, he thought business as usual might not be so bad after all.