"Y2K will cause computers to fail in strange and wonderful ways."

Well, how about this for an ATM "Y2K war story". It seems that at one branch of the bank where Mrs Weasel is employed, there is a very unique ATM glitch that's surfaced since the first of the year.

If that ATM is accessed in one certain period during the early morning hours, withdrawal transactions don't appear on the customer's account records. The cash simply comes out of the machine. And it gets better.

The ATM will allow the customer to withdraw up to two and one half times the usual withdrawal limit. Pretty neat, huh?

And there's no identificiation of the customer who makes the "magic transactions". The bank doesn't want to make things public by contacting people seen on security tapes making those transactions. So they're going to eat the losses on this one and hope not too many folks need to withdraw cash at the magic hour.

Obviously the bank learned about this one the hard way. But the ATM service company says it will take time to repair.

Gosh, I need to put on a ski mask and go make some very large ATM withdrawals... Nah, I need my sleep.

WW ;)

-- Wildweasel (vtmldm@epix.net), February 15, 2000

Answers

Beauty.

But of course, you can't compound things by naming the bank, so therefore it can't be verified, and therefore it's not Y2K!

You should forward this episode to Cory anyway.

-- JIT (justintime@rightnow.net), February 15, 2000.

What again?! .I was too honest the first and only time. Let me find my housecoat and slippers, and head out to the....

-- Slots (ne@rme.com), February 15, 2000.

I can see it tomorrow as the pundits tried to figure out the long lines at ATM machines just before dawn. Any suggestions as to how the sudden ATM rush might affect the Dow or ideas for headlines...I'm using Mapquest to plot the ATM locations within driving distance right now.

-- mke in houston (mmorris67@hotmail.com), February 15, 2000.

We're in the money.....

-- Mara (MaraWayne@aol.com), February 16, 2000.

"Debit-free withdrawal" Sure beats the free coffee pot with each new account.

-- Not Whistlin' Dixie (notwhistlindixie@yahoo.com), February 16, 2000.