Happy Anniversary ATM
Apparently, the
ATM machine recently celebrated its 50th anniversary. It first appeared in 1967 in London England,
so I don’t remember those early machines.
I remember first seeing ATM machines in the 1980’s. I didn’t use one until 1987. It was with great trepidation that I trusted
this modern marvel to correctly distribute my cash.
When the
machine belched out a few twenties, I felt as if I had hit triple cherries, or whatever
it is that pays off in Vegas. I still didn’t
trust the machine. I had heard stories,
and if it jammed or something, what do you do, especially when you use one
after the bank is closed.
I am a
little leery of new technology. It’s
like a new restaurant where food can be mediocre, and service sometimes poor; I
want to wait a bit to see what others say, and to let the staff work out any
kinks. So for another few years, I
wasted half of every other Saturday morning at the bank to cash my pay check
and take out the cash I would need to survive the next two weeks.
Occasionally,
I might need a little cash and I would trust the ATM for maybe $20 (there was no charge to use the ATM.) When I moved to a little town with a
bank just around the corner from me I gained trust in the ATM and had my check
deposited automatically and used the ATM as needed.
I only had
one bad experience.
The day of
my daughter’s wedding I needed money. We
needed to leave early for a 2-hour drive, so I walked to the bank and withdrew
$300 from the ATM. Except I withdrew a
receipt for $300, no money came out of the machine.
Fortunately,
the bank was open. Unfortunately, the
bank was busy. The clock was ticking on
my leaving for the wedding, and my impatient, anxiety ridden and unpredictable
wife was waiting at home. I was a block
from home, but did not want to leave the bank until I had my money. I did not have a cell phone in those days so
I could not call my wife. Could I have
used a bank phone? Probably, I didn’t
even think of it.
It took a
half hour for the bank to check the machine, confirm it owed me $300, and give
me the cash.
When I got
home, I caught holy Hell and took a wicked tongue lashing for being late. We made it to the wedding on time, but it was
a most unpleasant drive to say the least.
Of course, when we arrived, Mrs. Hyde turned into Dr. Jekyll. No one knew the trouble I’d seen.
Anyway, that
has been my only issue with an ATM.
Today it is hard to believe that I used to stand in line and wander
through the bank maze every other Saturday to get cash.
Happy
Anniversary ATM.
They are so darn convenient these days, but so is getting cash back at any store when you make a purchase with your debit card. Years ago when son was in his youth, he wanted something, don't remember what. I said we didn't have any money for it. He said "yes you do." I asked "where?" He said "that machine at the bank. It just gives you money after you put your card in." We had an economic lesson that day that it only dispenses funds that are available and in our case no funds were available for his particular want.
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Wow, Interesting blog post. thanks for it.
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I don't know what I'd do without ATM since all our banks are closing. Yes, happy anniversary ATM.
ReplyDeletewonderful, until the "skimmers" come by, it's happening a lot in our area, at ATM's, and filling stations mostly. they put a Skimmer on the machine, very hard to see, it snaps a picture of your card and now has all your info; a state highway patrolman was hit at a gas station, I'll stick to my bank teller
ReplyDeletethis explains the process
Deletehttp://money.howstuffworks.com/atm-skimming.htm
Of all the days to have bank machine trouble that WOULD be the day the machine decided to be out of money. I too was hesitant but now they are trusted and I prefer to do as much business as possible at the machine rather than stand in line.
ReplyDeleteI must confess... I have NEVER used an ATM. And probably never will. Not that I'm a technophobe or anything, but I don't have a cell phone, either. I rarely have to wait in a line at our bank, and I just cash one set budgetary check at the beginning of each month, and I'm good. When our younger son was in college, HE used the ATM all the time, which drove us nuts, because it was NOT a free service. Instead of getting whatever money he needed to cover his needs for the month or whatever, he went like every day and withdrew it in dribs and drabs.
ReplyDelete50 years, who would have thought. Of course I have a seriously warped sense of time. I think I am still around 42.
ReplyDeleteI started using one in the mid 80's in college. I've also only had one issue in all these years. I had my card not returned after it gave me the money. It was at one of those drive up free-standing ATM's. Was a hassle because my bank around the block said it didn't operate the machine, even though it was theirs!
ReplyDeleteThey've been around since 1967?? I don't recall seeing one until the 90s and I don't know what year. I don't even remember when I started using them, but I remember that when they started charging a fee, I stuck with using one for my bank only, as the fee only applied if you used one from another bank. Now, many ATM's are for multiple banks, but I still use one from the bank I have an account with. Depending on what type of account you have the fees can be minimal, nonexistent, or whatever the rules are for a regular credit account. I have a concession account, being a low income person, and I am allowed xxx many free transactions per month, if I go over I get charged per transaction.
ReplyDeleteOur bank has actually replaced a couple of tellers with an ATM machine inside the bank right in front of where the tellers used to be, most people avoid it and now they have a bank employee standing there coaxing everyone to use it.
ReplyDeleteThey are wonderful if they work right. I love your misadventure, but you had a lot of them with that wife. I'm happy that now you're just an occasional jerk. Just saying.
ReplyDeleteHave a fabulous day and weekend. ☺
I don't like them. DH would withdraw money and forget to tell me. Then my record keeping would be fouled up until the bank statement came in. (Before we had online banking)
ReplyDeleteThis happened with the wrong wife!!
ReplyDeleteIn the early 80's the bank where I worked started the first ATM in the area and we called it the Cookie Jar. It was set up in a grocery store, actually shaped like a cookie jar and my job was to make sure it functioned and to field all the questions. Even being the Cookie Jar attendant, I never thought ATM's would ever become popular. People were too leary.
ReplyDeleteHere's a shock---I've never used an ATM. I don't even know what my pin number is.
ReplyDeleteMy problem is i don't want to use them to make deposits. It takes too long for them to get around to making the funds available.
ReplyDeleteI don't mind ATM machines except that they keep making them "better", which means the rules to operate one keep changing. Dingbust it anyway I'm too old to keep learning new stuff about machines. Today I got a fancy new CPAP machine that's supposed to keep me breathing while I'm asleep. This one actually transmits all kinds of information on my sleep habits to a satellite which links to a web page that my doctor can then access and see how I'm doing and even make adjustments to my machine without me knowing it and I hear space aliens can also tune in and control my behavior and . . . oh, never mind.
ReplyDeleteI only use the one at my bank. It's a drive-up one on the back wall of the bank. TWICE it has eaten my card after giving me money. That's a pain. They can't just go and get your card out. You have to wait until the next business day, after 3:00 p.m., when they open up the ATM. Then you can go inside the bank and pick it up, with proper ID. I don't understand why you can't get it the SAME DAY, after 3:00 p.m. Because apparently they're opening up that machine every business day.
ReplyDeleteOnly one time for me. It was after hours and I wanted to deposit $150 in cash from a garage sale. It took the cash but I did not get a receipt or anything. Just sucked it right in. It was a 3 day weekend, and I had to wait till a Tuesday before they confirmed that the deposit did take place.
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