Home Sweet Calaboose

"Hell or High Water" is an amazingly good film.  Jeff Bridges, as an aging Texas ranger, turns in a performance that may just be the finest of his career.  The Oscar for best leading actor should simply be mailed to him. That is no slight to Ben Foster, who,  for his portrayal of an impulsive bank robbing ex-con, should already have his supporting actor statue at the engravers.

As I watched this saga of a soon to retire ranger on the trail of two west Texas luckless brothers who are systematically knocking off small town branches of the Texas Midlands Bank, it occurred to me that most of us spend far less time in banks than we used to.  With automatic deposits and withdrawals, credit cards, ATMs, and on-line loans it's way too easy to scratch "go to the bank" off our list of things to do.  Banks are reducing brick and mortar locations and full-time employees at an ever accelerating rate.

  

Banking has become one more industry forever changed by the internet.  That's why it's a good thing that Lawrence John Ripple of Kansas City, Kansas was smart to pull off his latest bank heist while there still was an actual Bank of Labor on Minnesota Avenue in that city.  You see Mr. Ripple had an ulterior motive to his attempted ripoff of the bank's cash.  Instead of fleeing after handing a teller a note that read, "I have a gun, give me money", he took the money and then took a seat...IN THE BANK LOBBY.

When a bank security guard approached, Ripple said: "I'm the guy you're looking for."  The guard took the money from him and held Mr. Ripple until the cops got there.  It didn't take long as the Kansas City, Kansas police headquarters is on the same block as the bank.

When questioned by investigators, Ripple said that he'd rather be in jail than at home with his wife.  "I no longer want to be in that situation," was the quote.  He didn't elaborate further but I speculate it was either her company or perhaps a fondness for jailhouse cuisine that prompted this move.  Perhaps it was just more inexpensive than counseling?

"I just love them jailhouse tater tots."