May 2003

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I needed to deposit a check to my account today, so after work I went to my usual automatic teller machine to do the deed. I was all prepared. The deposit slip was filled out, the check endorsed, and the envelope for getting those into the ATM was sealed. So when I got to the drive-up machine, I expected the transaction to take very little time and go smoothly.

Wrong. In fact, this goes down in Becky-history as the weirdest encounter I've had with an ATM.

All was going well until that moment when I was putting the envelope into its slot. Either I aimed the envelope incorrectly, or there was some odd glitch with the machine. All I know for sure is that the envelope stopped dead in its tracks. But the machine kept on processing the transaction, as though the envelope had reached its intended place. I don't know exactly how these things work, but I suspect there's a sensor that my envelope managed to trip.

Anyway, there I sat, with the envelope still in my hand and the machine asking if I wanted to do another transaction. I was pretty sure the right answer on that one was "no," so that was the option I chose. That triggered the machine to go into its spit-receipt-and-beep mode, so I hastily retrieved the receipt (showing successful completion of the deposit, of course) and my ATM card.

And then I took a few minutes to think about my next move. I knew I could get in touch with a human at the bank tomorrow morning, but I really didn't want to wait. Then I had an idea. I had some cash in my wallet, and plenty of deposit slips, so I sat (there weren't other customers waiting) and made out the slip, and got a fresh envelope. I got the undeposited-but-credited check and its slip out of the first envelope, added the new slip and five dollars (the smallest bill I had), and made another deposit. I told the machine this deposit was only of the five dollars. This time, the envelope went in with no problem.

I'm hoping this doesn't cause a major problem. I'm planning to get in touch with my branch's manager if the balance develops a problem (as in, the deposit gets cancelled), or if the bank has a question. And of course I've saved the receipts. I think the worst that will happen is that I'll look a little stupid.

But I personally think my solution shows that I'm quite intelligent, and able to think quickly. So there.