Bank’s vault takes a holiday

When branch manager Ian Miller locked Washington Mutual’s vault last Friday he was thinking three-day weekend.

Too bad customers weren’t. The downtown branch was unable to open its vault Monday and had to send cash-seeking patrons to other branches.

Miller, 34, accidentally set the vault’s timer for one day past the weekend. When workers showed up Monday morning, no one could reopen the high-security vault. It’s expected to open today when the preset timer lock expires.

“I turned it one click too far,” Miller said with a sheepish smile. “I goofed. It’s one of those things.”

Customers could still use the ATMs, which had just been restocked, or place cash in the night drop for processing today when the vault released the money. Staff also directed customers to other local branches.

Miller, who has worked at the bank for 3 ½ years, said such incidents happen occasionally. But bank teller Dustin Wintczak, 28, said he hasn’t ever heard of an employee locking the bank out of a vault.

“I’ve never personally witnessed it,” said Wintczak, who has worked for the bank for more than two years, including at a Seattle branch. “It’s very infrequent. We will be making fun of him for quite a while.”