This one doesn't seem to have a way to make it sound legit, does it. Any way you shake it, the banker should never have behaved that way.

I like your phrasing though, "too poor to have an account here". The fact the "penalty" is money is just cruel.

I could have deposited the minimum amount, but she probably sensed that if I was told that it had to be more, I might choose not to open the account after all.