Anyone remember the days you'd get arrested if you walked into a bank wearing a mask?
These days you'll be arrested if you don't.
Back in my day, holdups were a real threat. We all had pistols under the counter, and had target practice a couple of times a year.
But the threat was real. I knew a guy who was shot dead at Parramatta, and others who were held at gunpoint.
One friend was used as a hostage at a robbery at Redfern. They made him carry the cash while they used him as a shield, and were going to take him in the getaway car. He took a big risk, and threw the bag as far as he could, and took off in the other direction. Lucky for him, the crooks went after the money. The police caught them up on the North Shore when they crashed their getaway car.
Any time some fool came in wearing a motorcycle helmet, panic went through the branch.