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Opening a checking account and anti-terrorism laws

So today I am to move into an apartment. Up until today I have been living with my brother, Peter, in a nice apartment in Crown Heights. As I need to lay down the deposits and pay the rent, I went to a bank in downtown Brooklyn, North Fork Bank.  The first cultural problem was the lack of anyone working. I sat there waiting for 25 minutes as the people at the desk basically lazed around intermittently calling on people to come to the desk to be helped. So after waiting I approached Yvonne Challenger, one of the administrators. I stated that I need to open a checking account. She asked me for ID and I gave her my university ID, license, and social security card. She said she would need a utility bill with my name and New York address on it. I told her I don't have a utility in my name and she said she couldn't open it due to the laws, referring to the anti-terrorism laws pronouncedly displayed on her desk. I explained that I have been overseas for several years and currently don't have a place with utilities in my name. She again said because of that I could not open a checking account.  I then asked for a number to call the bank headquarters and she proceeded to give me her card and as I was leaving realized it had the bank branch phone number on it so I went back in and asked for the toll-free number.

Being back in America is trying at times especially when I've always thought of America as an efficient place where customer service is at the forefront and decisions are made with logic....I am realizing this is a romantic vision. Yvonne Challenger may have been doing what she is told to do but when I have three credit cards in the US, my passport, and a checking account in South Carolina to substantiate my identity, someone is no using their brain. If it really is the policy of North Fork Bank and Yvonne has no room to use her judgment, I guess it is better I know that prior to giving my business and money to them.

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