Ryan Bigg

⟵ Posts

Money

13 Jun 2009

I went in to work today to pick up some things and on the way there the fuel light came on so I thought I would fill up on the way back at one of the two servos on the way. I go in to work, grab the stuff and go to the Foodworks down the road to get money out of the ATM there. It tells me to stick my card in and then take it out immediately after.

I do this. Again. And Again. And Again.

After about the 10th try I get frustrated, grab some snack food and head to the counter with the purpose of getting out my money. I ask the cashier for $200 and she says “Um… I could probably only give you about $20”, which annoys me a little but I know the servo right across the road has an ATM in it that I could try. I walk back to my car so I can drive it across the road to the servo, fill up on fuel and cash. Great idea! So I cross at the traffic lights but the servo is on the other side of that road, and in between me an it is a very long line of cars looking to go the other way.

Scratch that servo.

So I know there’s a Shell just before I get on the Western Freeway that I can go to if I take the scenic route. To me, it’s always seemed like a large well-“endowed” servo with everything you want, including an ATM. I get there and fill up on Petrol and I look inside the shop and see they don’t have the mystical ATM that I so dearly crave. No worries, when I pay for petrol I’ll just ask for the money out then. So I did. Cashier could only give me $50, and I take it.

But I still need a bit more to get me through the week.

Not a problem! There’s an ATM near my local takeaway joints that I know will give me the money I need! I go there and park in the final spot remaining in the parking lot and basically get out of my car and in front of the ATM in one smooth movement. I insert my card.

It feels like something’s stopping the card from going in.

I take it out and try it again.

Only then do I look at the screen to realise that the ATM is switched off.

I drive the remaining 500m home, dejected.

I think this is a sign the world wants me to get out and exercise and it’s showing me this by just about forcing me (indirectly) to walk to the ATM at the Commonwealth Bank on Park Road, just up the road from where I live. So off I go then.