The Selfish ATM

Author:  Susan L. Prince


I stopped at my bank this morning on the way to work to use the ATM. I can't remember life before the ATM. I got my first checking account in the 1980's and it was right when the ATM's started popping up everywhere. I rarely stepped foot inside a bank, unless that is where the ATM was. The ATM is an awesome invention. I can get money at any time...at least that's what the kids say. I say..."no, there is no money in the account, they say 'just get some from the machine'".

Anyway, with money in my account and none in my pocket I stopped to get $20 to have on me. (Ok, I confess, really I wanted breakfast out.) Put my card in, typed in my PIN and the machine started spitting out my $20. The slotted door opened and then slammed shut WITHOUT GIVING ME MY TWENTY BUCKS! I thought "hmmmmmmmmm?" and the machine still acted as if it were trying to get that bill out. I figured maybe the little door was stuck and tried to "help" it, but that didn't work. I could hear the "wheels spinning" as though something was stuck, but there was no sign of my bill coming out. I made funny faces at the surveillance camera and said to myself...I'll be back!

The monitor said "Another transaction?" and I pressed "no" so it spit my card and receipt out. The receipt said I withdrew $20. I thought to myself boy I sure am glad I didn't ask for $100! I told the guy in the truck behind me that he may not want to attempt to withdraw from the machine and he told me that they had been working on the machine yesterday. Well, they didn't fix it! It ate my twenty bucks!

So, I called the bank from work and they said they knew it was my twenty bucks and will be posting it back into my account today.

I've been using ATMs for twenty years and this is the first time I never got my money out. I've had to go retrieve cards, but never the money. It's my dad's fault...we call it the "Prince curse"...kind of like a Murphy's Law thing. Why can't I be one of those people where the bills all start spewing out suddenly and I'd have to pick it all up? Oh, doesn't matter, I'm one of those freaks who would turn it all in. I hate that. LOL