rant: ATMs (Star: credit, school, living)

[whiteboyslo]

(OK, i know this is immediately going to come off as me being THAT GUY, you know the non-local guy who just wants things to be like they were back in Cali, but bear with me.)

we belong to BofA, and every branch we have been to has exactly (1) ATM. it's typically a drive-up ATM that has replaced one of the old-school teller drive-ups with the awesome vacuum tubes.

in CA (*oh no, here he goes*), pretty much any bank will have AT LEAST (2) ATMs, usually with one being a walk-up and one being a drive-up. MOST branches even have multiple with 4-5 ATMs not being all that uncommon whatsoever. usually, every drive-up that used to be the old-school 'talk with an actual person' style has been replaced with an ATM.

now, don't get me wrong. i LOVE that NC still has the old-school style. something about that speaks to the charm of this state where people have not lost the ability nor the desire to speak to an actual person rather than a machine. however, BofA won't help me through those lines because my account is not an NC account (which you wouldn't think would make a difference for a bank named Bank of AMERICA). and even if i did switch my account, that still leaves (1) ATM to service everyone after hours, which brings me to the next part of the rant......

people are SO SLOW when using the ATMs, at least at my local branch! i've actually clocked people, and it takes the average person 3+ minutes. sure, that doesn't sound like a long time, but multiply that times the (5) cars in line for the (1) ATM, and you start to get the idea. honestly, even if you have to deposit items, it doesn't take that long. BofA's ATMs are so hi-tech they can read the check, determine the amount, and do the math for you, so what's the deal? and most of the time, people are just getting some cash, which is should take a minute, tops. i'm not saying you don't get behind slow pokes in CA, but that seemed to be the exception whereas here it seems to be the rule.

so, aside from being a rant (and believe me, i feel better now), i guess i'm also curious to know whether y'all think they may ever put more ATMs in the banks around here, and if you'd welcome it.

Mike

[saturnfan]

Even State Employees Credit Union has very few branches with 2 ATM's.

Have seen a set of two at Centura on Capital at New Hope Church Rd.

[CalicoskiesNC]

You actually "clock" people at ATMs? Geesh, you've got too much time on your hands. I never even use an ATM. I'm at so many POS (point of sale) places, I just tack on cash that way when I need some bucks in my pocket. I work for a bank and I don't think there is even an inkling of adding more ATMs.

The way I see it, if this is the most pressing issue that has you upset, you are living a blessed life! Make your wait time more productive:
1. Read a book, magazine, mail
2. Apply lipstick, face powder or handcream
3. Clean out the inbox/outbox in your cell, maybe even update the addy book
4. Pull out a dust cloth and dust your dash
5. Eat lunch or a snack
6. Gather trash in your car
7. Cut, trim or file your nails
8. Call Mom
9. Prepare a list of things to do after you get away from this ATM
10. Re-do the settings on your radio, or fix the incorrect time
11. Clean out purse/wallet or just organize both or either
12. Close your eyes and listen to the birds and/or traffic, and just relax

[kingyouth]

That is not a rant, just a whine.

[toot68]

13. Medicate before going out in public.

[Starglow]

Nothing moves fast here.... better find yourself a good shrink if you plan on staying.

[dlj02000]

i just ditched BofA a few months ago for the charles schwab high-yield investor checking account.

there are no minimums, no fees, and you can use any ATM in the world and they'll reimburse you for any fees you're charged. being able to use any ATM anywhere should definitely cut down on having to wait in lines.

(i promise i don't work for schwab! i'm just a formerly unhappy BofA customer who is now an extremely happy schwab customer.)

[lottamoxie]

Not all BofA's only have 1 ATM, though many do. There's one I go to that has the drive through counter person, a drive through ATM, and a drive through thing with those vacuum tubes. It just depends which one you visit. Plus, as Calico said upstream, you can get cash back at various P.O.S. checkouts so you can avoid going to the ATM just for cash.

[Zoya]

Originally Posted by Starglow

Nothing moves fast here.... better find yourself a good shrink if you plan on staying.

No kidding....that was something that took awhile to get used to....now I get upset if people are all huffy.

He'll either need that shrink or learn to relax.

[falk25]

Uh oh.... I hate waiting in an atm line, too! I'm with bofa and getting ready to move there from CA... hmmm... maybe I should consider switching to the Schwabb, too.