Inside the Forbidden Citi, or, The Revenge of the Signifier

When I switched banks over a year ago, from the godawful Hong Kong Shanghai Banking Corporation (HSBC), whose only distinction would appear to be that P.G. Wodehouse once worked there, to Citibank, I thought I was doing myself a favor, and in many ways I was, as far as my stateside existence is concerned: Citi has branches everywhere in New York and quite a few in DC, and so far they haven't made such egregious errors with my account as HSBC used to. But I also thought it would simplify and ease matters on the Continent, and in this I was apparently sorely mistaken. There is a Citibank in Gliwice, and I've been using its ATM since I became a Citibank cardholder; but I now see that ATM described on my bank statement as a "NON-CITIBANK ATM," for which offense a harsh penalty must of course be exacted.

Although the logo looks the same to me, it turns out that "Citi" is just another empty signifier, like "Budweiser" or "Tim Williams".

As a flashy poster for a seminar on Diamond Path Buddhism here in Gliwice says, "Things are not what they appear to be; nor are they something else."