Hic Sunt Dracones

On the list of stupid things I’ve done, this is one. But sadly it is probably doesn’t even rank in the top ten. I was walking to lunch with the guys from work and stopped to use an ATM (because Australia and EFTPOS…) anywho, I whacked in my card, PIN and got to the point of selecting the amount of money to withdraw when my phone rang. I knew it would be my boss as he’d been out of the office and was planning on meeting us for lunch, so I grabbed at my phone and started walking / talking (but not chewing gum), and trying to give directions to a restaurant that I’d only been given vague directions to myself. Some few minutes later I was wondering where my $60 was. Card yes! Cash NO!

ATM (user) Failure.

Wandered back retracing my steps (illogically) and withdrew my money. At this point I wasn’t convinced I’d actually completed the transaction, I just couldn’t figure out if I was that stupid. I knew I still had my card, but had I really withdrawn the cash? Was I mental? If so, exactly how mental?

The answer appears to be “mental enough” and the “time before ATM swallows cash of idiot who didn’t take cash” appears to be too long for this sucker.

PS. Fuck you Commonwealth Bank of Australia! When I went back to the machine and got my new set of shiny $60 I, for the hell of it, asked for a transaction listing. What I was given wasn’t remotely up to date (the most recent transaction was a couple of days old) and just now, while I’m checking to make sure that yes, I did lose my $60, I see that you charged me 50c for the privilege of having a shitty inaccurate statement? Boo to you.