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We have BofA and I've never waited at an ATM, though I guess I don't go at the high traffic hours either and like most others on the board, I RARELY use the ATM. I just get cash back at the POS if I know I'll need money in the next day or two.
BUT...I can sympathize with you about the slow pace of life here. We lived on Long Island growing up and then my husband and I moved to Western NY to a very small town in the "sticks" and that was a HUGE adjustment for us as far as pace of life. We lived there for 10 yrs and I didn't think it could get much slower till we moved here.
It's an adjustment but you will get used to it. My husband and I always said down here it always feels like you are on vacation, nobody is in a rush to go anywhere and it's a lot more carefree.
1. Paper shredders!
2. The ultimate Calculator!
3. The 'I don't have anything better to do with my time' machines!
4. PIN acceptors!
5. ATM card eaters! They are hungry and eat often....beware!
so, 2, 4, 6, 8, who do we appreciate?
Real live tellers! Certainly not the Virtual ones Coastal Credit Union now uses!
MAX Headron at its best! ...as I play the twilight theme song in my head.....
I never have had to wait much at the BOA ATM. I think the machines themselves are pretty slow even the updated ones that scan the checks automatically. I also try to get cash when I can when I am out at the grocery store or wherever- saves me a trip. The ATM's are definitely not as plentiful here as other places.
(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
Dude, I feel ya. I've lived out West and down in FLA and every Wachovia and BofA that I've been to in those areas has at least 2 atms. I haven't found Wachovia or BofA in South Durham that two atms. And what ends up happening is exactly what you said above. A line about 5 deep at the one atm and the people ahead you take about 3 to 5 mins to use the thing.
Sucks................I know, but that is how they do it here.
I won't fault you because EVERY TIME I go to an ATM in my Civic, I whine about how hard it is to reach all the way up. I'm not a short person. I always complain about how they made those windows for the ginormous SUVs and mini-vans. I try to do all my banking online so I don't pull my shoulder out of whack. /whine
We have BofA and I've never waited at an ATM, though I guess I don't go at the high traffic hours either and like most others on the board, I RARELY use the ATM. I just get cash back at the POS if I know I'll need money in the next day or two.
BUT...I can sympathize with you about the slow pace of life here. We lived on Long Island growing up and then my husband and I moved to Western NY to a very small town in the "sticks" and that was a HUGE adjustment for us as far as pace of life. We lived there for 10 yrs and I didn't think it could get much slower till we moved here.
It's an adjustment but you will get used to it. My husband and I always said down here it always feels like you are on vacation, nobody is in a rush to go anywhere and it's a lot more carefree.
It's all about cash back, OP. I still don't have the patience to wait in line for the ATM after living here for 12 years. I love getting money via a check but hate waiting to deposit it. When I visit Mom in Orlando, I appreciate the two ATMs. Your going to have to give up on the ATM if you want your stress levels to go down.
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