How did we get here?

We finally found a bank that would change our euros for dollars.

Shouldn't most any bank be able to do that?

The clerk told us they don't take euro coins, "You can't exchange coins anywhere in the U.S., consider them a souvenir."

Really? Lame. Well, let's just exchange these bills then.

Then she told Evan he needed two forms of I.D.

What? Why? It makes absolutely no sense that I should need I.D. to trade money with you. If we came in with a dollar and asked you to trade us for quarters you wouldn't need I.D.

Will my German student I.D. work? No.

scheiße

But it wasn't the clerk's fault. It probably wasn't even the bank's fault. It is most likely a federal regulation to 'fight terrorism'.

"Yes, I'd like to exchange my Iranian rials for dollars, I'm shopping for an airplane --a BIG airplane...."

Really though, there is no reason for us to be so bass ackwards about things. Evan tells me that in Germany he could exchange money virtually anywhere, and he certainly didn't need bloody I.D.! Evan visited Germany,Austria, France, Switzerland, and Turkey without any trouble at all. But to get into the United States he had to empty out every single item in his luggage and send each through the metal detector one at a time. He nearly missed his flight because TSA thugs enjoy flexing their muscles and knowing nobody can do anything about it.

I'm not advocating open borders E.U.-style, I think people ought to show passports when coming into the U.S.. But the intimidation practiced by the TSA is violation of property rights and privacy under the name of 'security'. Requiring two forms of I.D. for something as simple as exchanging money is no different.

I don't know why anyone would want to come to our nation.