I think one shouldn't read the news -- at least not to the extent I do -- because it increases my anger and lately makes me feel the whole world is blighted, blasted and cancered, and I can't trust things like... my oldest bank. I went in the other day to add a little cash to an old, old account I generally neglect. The teller handed me the deposit slip without comment. It was overdrawn by about $150. Since I hadn't been using that card, I was stunned and asked for the most recent transactions to be printed up for me.

There were about 12 overdraft fees; first a couple of $36 charges, then suddenly a $9 charge for 10 days in a row, one each day. I hadn't received any notice of them. I went over to talk to one of the office-cubicle people.

I got quite angry while questioning him, since I have NO opt-in agreement with that bank to cover overdrafts from store or online purchases. I hadn't written a check on that account in at least 6 months; I hadn't used it in a store. I didn't recognize the last charge that made it negative, since it did not say what store or company.

It turned out I'd attempted to use it online for the NYTimes, but thought that I hadn't done it correctly, since it's been 2 months and I have yet to receive a Sunday issue of the paper. But that's who it was charging me and it put me into the red.

So why wasn't this charge simply declined? I wanted to know. Turns out the bank has another category of purchases that they can charge you fees on: the "Recurring Charge," which they never decline, and incurs a fee every time if you don't have money there to cover it, no matter whether you have opt-in or not.

A "recurring charge," because I had supposedly agreed to let the NYT to keep charging my card for the paper (which I never have gotten) ... However, I showed him the printout the teller gave me, which called it a Point-of-Sale purchase -- which is the name they give to one-time purchases you're right there for, like using your card in a store. Apparently the bank can call things whatever they want.

I got quite testy. I'd had this account for most of my life; this bank happened to be listed as one of the "good banks" by the HuffingtonPost, that was fairly safe for people to use and had little or no involvement in the mortgage crisis, etc. At that time I hadn't even received any of the letters from the bank alerting me to these charges. And no one had called me.

Maybe I look or sound scary these days, despite my "mom" coat and all; or it may have been that I mentioned having business accounts at another bank, but he immediately said he'd take off most of the overdrafts. The money was put back in my account.

We all must remember that the people right there -- not tellers, but the ones who occupy the desks -- have the discretion to waive ordinary fees. I can only imagine what other banks are doing to people.

The remaining money I'm going to have to work on the NYTimes to get back, but they aren't answering yet....