The Ticket to ATM Perdition

We’ve seen it before – ATM kiosks idle from operation, rebooting into a blank screen showing off the RAM, BIOS, Windows and finally, the batch file that launches the ATM app.

Thursday was unintentionally revealing to me as I had, in my pocket, an ATM card that consistently crashed all the ATM’s I inserted it into.

First strike was the ATM located in Greenbelt 5. I thought it was just a random bug, until it happened twice, barely one second after sliding the card in.

Second strike was an ATM located in Greenbelt 1 (which can now be accessed via the new GB5 extension annex. Yes, Virgina! The Dulcinea restaurant is now indoors!). So this was when I meticulously inspected the card to reveal a small crack in the magnetic strip.

Silly, really. But frustrating as well. It was really embarrassing to reboot the ATM with people lined up behind me. “Oops!” I said, thrice, and made an unscheduled trip to my branch to apply for a replacement card.

Such is the ticket to ATM perdition.

By Jayvee Fernandez

Jayvee Fernandez is a tech enthusiast, EAN certified SCUBA Diver and underwater photographer based in Metro Manila, Philippines. His photos and videos have appeared in various international and local publications including Random House Germany, Discovery Channel Canada, and CNN.

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