Unfair fee

These types of fees are to cover processing charges for the
transactions. They also allow banks to offer their cleints free
checking accounts. Most banks charge these fees. If you don't want to
pay fees, stick to your own bank. And there would be no reason to be
embarrased if your bank charged someone to cash a check you wrote to
them. Once you write a check to someone, you have done your part. If
they don't take to their own bank to cash or deposit the check, then
let them pay a fee. It doesn't hurt the person that wrote the check.

From what I am reading you did not have an account at Washington
Mutual so why would they cash a check for someone that has no account
to back the check up with?
No matter what bank it was written against they still have to keep
policies in place to make sure they get paid back should said check
bounce.

If you wrote a check from your account with Washington Mutual to your
friend and he tried to cash it at BOA without having an account there,
I am sure that BOA would charge a fee for cashing it as a
non-customer.

The days of Banks taking the hit for cashing checks drawn on their
accounts for free are gone. These jokers just got multi-BILLION
dollar bailouts because they couldn't manage their money (ironic,
isn't it?) in spite of steadily climbing fees and charges over the
past decade. Don't think for a minute they will show any gratitude to
the average Joe's who will be paying that back for years.

There's really only one way to avoid the fee; Deposit it in your own
bank and wait for it to clear. You admit that you were not willing to
wait, so it will cost you to expedite that process. Welcome to
banking in a recession!

Many banks do this as they are providing a service to a non customer.
You say it's anti customer but you are not their customer.

The first line says that a friend wrote a check to him from WM.

OP is a BOA customer.

OP in the 5th paragraph said he "...simply can't believe that Bank of
America is taking advantage of non-customers by actually charging them
to cash other peoples checks drawn on THEIR bank!!!" He wrote BOA
when if you follow the story should have been WM.

Don't forget WM was recently bought by Chase. Chase had this fee in
effect before they bought WM.

Actually, there are many banks that do this now (charging
non-customers to cash a check drawn on their bank). Sign of the
times.

I did screw up... I meant Washington Mutual!!!

I agree 100%.

Every major bank charges a check-cashing fee to noncustomers, unless
the account holder has an agreement with the bank to waive the fee.
Bank of America charges this fee too.. so there you go.