French banks

I’m slightly concerned that I’m studying business in a country that thinks it’s acceptable to close nearly all its banks at midday. I’m failing to understand why they would choose to make their services unavailable at a time where most people have half an hour or so for lunch (maybe make that two hours, we are in France after all) and to run errands including paying in the numerous amounts of cheques people still insist on using. If you’ve ever been held up by someone attempting to pay by cheque at the front of a massive queue in Carrefour and they can’t find a pen or they make a spelling mistake and have to start again, you’ll understand how fustrating this can be.

On top of this, the majority of banks are not open Mondays… what even is this?! Did the French finance minister decided he likes bank holidays so much he was going to have one every week ? As a result of the French’s banking systems incompetence, I will leave you with this cheeky jest I found online:

Q. Why don't Master Card and Visa work well in France ?
A. They do not know how to say "CHARGE!" 

Just kidding! Have a good Friday folks :)
EmJ x