Taking an SDB Tour

I reflected on my other Decembers in Neopia. As my pets chatted excitedly about the upcoming holidays, I began wondering what advent items I still had in my box. I realized that I had saved everything last year, in order to get the coveted packrat avatar. Just as the line began moving, I thought about my bank balance. While it was still pretty large, the balance grew rather slowly. My shop, the main source of my income, had sold very little over the past few months.

And so it was that as I walked in the bank, I resolved not only to add to my collection, but to look through all of my possessions stored there, deciding if I could part with any of it. My decision had been made not a moment too soon, because I was soon called forward by a friendly Usul banker.

She smiled as she spotted the items I carried. "Would you just like to deposit these things, miss?"

"Actually, I'd like to visit my box. In person."

The Usul's smile lessened a little. "Would you like to search for something?"

"No. I'd like to look through it myself."

"Oh. Ok. Hold on one moment." She turned from the window, and found the nearest petpet scurrying around that wasn't currying items back and forth between boxes and tellers. "Beaker, this one wants a tour of her deposit box."

The small poppit stopped jumping for a second. "In person?"

"Yes. Can you please escort her?"

The little one began bouncing again. "Certainly."

After showing the petpet my ID card, my pets and I were ushered to a place I hadn't visited in quite a while. We walked away from the tellers and long lines of Neopians, toward the core of the bank's building, nearing the feature of my bank account that I had grown to love - my deposit box.

The poppit checked my ID card again, then turned toward the box that I knew was mine. Deftly, he entered in my PIN, and set the lock whirling. A robot petpet, whose name I could never remember, was waiting at the door. Like the poppit, it wore a small black vest, signaling he worked for the bank. The robot stared at me and my pets, then whirred and beeped in response. Our presence could only mean one thing. We were there for a tour.

The poppit left quickly, and the little robot closed the door behind us. The room was very well lit, and I once again surveyed the items on the shelves. There were many things here.

"How many items do I have?" I asked the small robot. The numbers below its face whirred. Soon, I was staring at the answer. 327.

Jitterbug, my Aisha's Floud, began flying around the room. She laughed excitedly. "Simon, can you find my toy?"

The little robot sped off down the hallway, and soon returned, bearing its prize on its shoulders - a surfboard keyring that had been given to her by the Tombola guy. She and Colleen, her owner, had begged me not to part with it.

I now remembered that Jitterbug had named our little robot helper that guarded our box. She had decided that first day his name was Simon. It had been the day Colleen had adopted her, and also the day Jitterbug received her gift from Tombola.

"Do you mind being called Simon?" I asked the little robot. Once again, the slots below his face whirred. This time, letters instead of numbers appeared. No.

I pulled out my notebook, and grabbed a pen that Simon offered me. It was time to work.

Simon, myself, my pets, and even their pets took our time noting the names of the items in our box. Our little helper grabbed all the items we decided were junk. At last, we were finished. "We'll be back later," I assured Simon as he let us out. "Thanks for your help!"

My pets and I spent most of the day over at the Shop Wizard, deciding the value of things, and what we wanted to part with. By the day's end, we had made another trip to the bank, and retrieved items that were put up for sale in our shop. They sold very quickly. My pets were happy, their pets were happy, and even our little robot guard was happy. And since I'd made a lot of Neopoints in one day, I was extremely happy.

My safety deposit box now has some semblance of order. I know what I'm keeping, what I'm selling, and what I just need to use (After all, those omelettes need to be eaten eventually). Yet even after a long day of sorting, pricing, and advertising, I was very satisfied. I had rediscovered an important aspect of Neopia. My deposit box.

Since the bank offers an unlimited amount of storage space, many Neopians keep the majority of their possessions locked away inside the bank's walls. But the problem with unlimited storage is simple. The bank and its safety deposit boxes may be limitless. However, our human brains are not. It is helpful to clean out your safety deposit box every few months. Discard junk, sell valuables, and arrange items that stay. Note what you're keeping them for.

Next time you're running low on Neopoints, and you're tired of waiting in line at the arcade, head to the bank and take a tour of your safety deposit box. Chances are, your bank balance will only improve, since you'll spot things you've forgotten you were keeping. And the little robot guarding your box doesn't get out too often. Be sure to bring them cookies, and thank them for watching your things. Chances are, your Simon will appreciate it.