ATMs - Observations

[RedFanAlways1966]

Most of us (all of us?) have used ATMs to do banking. I live on them. I am kind of old-fashioned... no debit card (just use cash) for non-internet purchases. They don't have have business hours and do not require you to fill out a slip to make a withdrawal. They have also advanced in technology (touch screens) and reside well in our face-paced society.

* Remember when there used to not be any drive-up ATMs? Back in the day you used to park your car and walk up to the ATM. Most were located in the lobby of your bank or were in the front wall of your bank. The only ones like this now seem to be in a shopping mall or located in a large corporation.

* Ever notice all the paint marks on the drive-up ATMs? I have used drive-up ATMs for quite some time and can honestly say that I have never hit my side mirror on an ATM. That must be a real bummer. I guess these people end up getting the maximum amount out to pay for the damages to the car. Ouch!

* Remember (showing my age again) when the minimum withdrawal amount was $5? Nowadays you have to take out at least $20. Of course what can you possibly need ONLY $5 for these days?

* Do you want a receipt? This used to not be an option. You got a receipt. Why wouldn't you want a receipt? Can they be used by a thief to ripoff your account, do people litter with them too much or is the bank trying to save a $.01 by hoping someone will not want it?

* Some younger folks might not know what the letters ATM mean. Automated Teller Machine. My stepson likes to call it an ATM machine. He doesn't realize the redundancy in this term... Automated Teller Machine machine.

* Did the ATM cause a decrease in the number of bank teller jobs? I used to go into a bank to do my business. Of course that was before the direct deposit days too. I probably physically go into a bank these days once or twice a year. Mostly b/c of the direct deposit thing and the ATM. In the old days people knew their bank workers. Now they know how to use their ATM with their eyes closed and have no idea who those peole are in the building called the bank.

* Ever found anything at your ATM? I have twice found a $20 bill. Once it was on the ground and another time it was in the money slot (before they had a door that opened and closed on the money slot). Another time I found that the person before me left too soon... the machine asked me if I'd like another transaction. I was confused at first and then realized the last person must have grabbed their money and took off before answering no and grabbing their card. Devious thoughts entered my mind (make a free withdrawal!) momentarily and then decency took over. I hit no and promptly took the ATM card inside to the bank personnel.

[Matt700wlw]

I always wondered why there was braile on a DRIVE-UP ATM....

...uh...hello?

[RedsManRick]

Why would I want receipt? In this age of online banking, I don't need to carry around a little slip of paper that says how much money I have. If I need to know how much cash is in my wallet, I'll look. If I need to know how much is in my account, it's about 4 clicks away. The piece of paper simply serves no purpose -- other than for the person behind me to see that I just took out 200 bucks so they know they should come rob me.

[UKFlounder]

Actually my stupid bank does not have a drive up ATM nearby. The one at the local branch makes you drive up to it, but you then have to get out of your car to get to it.

I do remember when you could get $5 and I wish that was still the case. I occasionally want $15 or $25, but all withdrawals have to be base on amounts of $10. That's nothing major, but a bit annoying.

I like the option of not getting a receipt.

"ATM machine" is like "PIN Number" - I guess people just don't think about what they're saying.

[KronoRed]

Originally Posted by UKFlounder

Actually my stupid bank does not have a drive up ATM nearby. The one at the local branch makes you drive up to it, but you then have to get out of your car to get to it.

The National City in Bellevue is like that, maybe someone with really long arms could reach it

[RedFanAlways1966]

Originally Posted by RedsManRick

Why would I want receipt?The piece of paper simply serves no purpose --

I guess it is a quick and easy way for me to get a feel for how much my wife is spending!

[UKFlounder]

Originally Posted by KronoRed

The National City in Bellevue is like that, maybe someone with really long arms could reach it

That's the exact one I'm talking about.

[remdog]

IIRC, Cincinnati was in the forefront of the ATM rollout. I was told it was one of the early cities to get the technology because it was a good size to test how well the concept would be accepted and it had the right demographics.

Imagine my astonishment upon moving to LA in '79 and finding that many of the banks here did not have ATMs and some of their employees didn't even know what they were!

Rem

[Red in Chicago]

I have never used an ATM before. I don't have a debit card and actually have never had a desire for one. I have two credit cards, neither of which do I know the PIN's for. I realize this is antiquated, but each Friday I go to the bank and write myself a check for the upcoming week's expenses. I have enough extra cash laying around the house, if something comes up. I pay cash for virtually everything, gas, food, clothes, etc.

[Yachtzee]

Originally Posted by Red in Chicago

I have never used an ATM before. I don't have a debit card and actually have never had a desire for one. I have two credit cards, neither of which do I know the PIN's for. I realize this is antiquated, but each Friday I go to the bank and write myself a check for the upcoming week's expenses. I have enough extra cash laying around the house, if something comes up. I pay cash for virtually everything, gas, food, clothes, etc.

You mean you actually have a bank in Chicago that lets you do that? When I lived there, my bank had gotten rid of the tellers at all of its locations and replaced them with ATMs. The branches had customer service reps, loan officers, and investment planners, but no actual tellers. Just a row of ATMs.

[vaticanplum]

Originally Posted by Red in Chicago

I have never used an ATM before. I don't have a debit card and actually have never had a desire for one. I have two credit cards, neither of which do I know the PIN's for. I realize this is antiquated, but each Friday I go to the bank and write myself a check for the upcoming week's expenses. I have enough extra cash laying around the house, if something comes up. I pay cash for virtually everything, gas, food, clothes, etc.

That's very smart. You're forced to plan for expenses in advance and you're aware of exactly how much you're spending.

The receipt thing -- I never get one either. If there's an option in my life to avoid getting something that will end up in the garbage, I take it. Think of how many hundreds of thousands of receipts those machines spit out in a day across the country and I'd be willing to bet most of them don't get recycled. these are little things that make a huge difference in waste level and the environment.

I always know the ATMs in any area I live which allow you to take out less than $20 if you hit the "other amount" option. Some allow ten dollar increments...there was one by my college that allowed you to take out as little as $5. Came in very handy when I had seven, eight bucks in my account.

[GAC]

ATM fees are pure baloney. They say it's to cover "administrative" fees. Isn't that an employee's job to begin with? What a way for banks to make the mullah! It's robbery.

[macro]

Originally Posted by RedsManRick

Why would I want receipt? In this age of online banking, I don't need to carry around a little slip of paper that says how much money I have. If I need to know how much cash is in my wallet, I'll look. If I need to know how much is in my account, it's about 4 clicks away. The piece of paper simply serves no purpose -- other than for the person behind me to see that I just took out 200 bucks so they know they should come rob me.

I keep them and take them home as a reminder to deduct that amount of money from the checkbook register. When I got my first debit card almost twenty years ago, I made the mistake of failing to properly keep up with how much I was withdrawing. Funds were tight in those days, and I overdrew on six checks. They hit me up for $90. Lesson learned.

I also take the receipts for the comfort of knowing that the system actually recorded the correct withdrawal amount. Am I being paranoid or at least overly cautious?

[cincyinco]

Okay, so I met a couple friends up from Wisconsin, who say ATM stands for "A Time Machine" - because it tells time.. heh. They said everyones call them that up there.. true? or were they yankin' my chain?

[acredsfan]

I actually work at a credit union. I use my debit card all the time, but rarely at atms. I work in clifton so I carry as little cash as possible. We used to have a drive up atm at our drive thru which is actually located across the street, but too many times people would stand at the side of the building and walk up as someone was withdrawaling from the ATM and rob them. So now we have two ATMs at the main branch. One outside where you can park beside it and walk up to it. It is actually in the open by campus so there is a lot of traffic during the day. The other one you can get to by swiping your card at the door to the main building after hours and you can make sure you are the only one around and you are locked in securely. A lot of people do that at night.