why do people open the door at the ATM, drive thru, etc

[Road Guy]

I have never understood that, sure there is a small % of broken windows out there, but I see this all the time and do not understand, it perplexes me..

please discuss...

 

[Dexman1349]

Commonly I see it when the driver realizes they are a dumbass and parked too far away and don't want to move the car to get closer.

 

[EM_PS]

there are (surprise) a number of people not rolling around in your typ govt issue SUV - I suspect some folks just have a hard time reaching the ATM's interface area from vehicles that aren't of SUV / truck height

 

[engineergurl]

I have never done it at a drive thru, but I run into the issue at the ATM all the time where my truck is so high, the ATM (either the slot for the card or the money or the pin pad) is too low and my arm is just not long enough to reach. I open the door I can still lean out of the truck without having to crawl half way out the window... I just don't feel safe kneeling on my seat and leaning that far down with my butt up in the air for all to see and can avoid that by taking off my seat belt and opening the door and kind of hanging out the window by my arm pit...

Basiclly what I am trying to say is sometimes, the people might be just too dang short or their cars too dang tall... but the drive thru.... I have never been to a drive thru that I couldn't at least reach when they handed it out to me.

 

[DVINNY]

They are ATM flunkies and should have their rights revoked.

 

[cement]

I feel like a stunt car driver when I punch in my PIN hanging out the door.

Have you ever seen guys throw change into the tolls at the exact change lane from the passenger side? Living on the edge.

 

[Mike1144]

Here's a question about drive up ATM's. We've all heard the joke about the braille on the drive-thru ATM. I can understand that maybe its a standard key pad that they also use on walk up ATM's. But my bank has braille encoded buttons surrounding a CRT screen and the CRT screen displays the function of the button. What blind person can read a CRT screen?

 

[Slugger926]

I have never done it at a drive thru, but I run into the issue at the ATM all the time where my truck is so high, the ATM (either the slot for the card or the money or the pin pad) is too low and my arm is just not long enough to reach. I open the door I can still lean out of the truck without having to crawl half way out the window... I just don't feel safe kneeling on my seat and leaning that far down with my butt up in the air for all to see and can avoid that by taking off my seat belt and opening the door and kind of hanging out the window by my arm pit...
Basiclly what I am trying to say is sometimes, the people might be just too dang short or their cars too dang tall... but the drive thru.... I have never been to a drive thru that I couldn't at least reach when they handed it out to me.

The engineer who designed the ATM location failed to accomidate anyone driving a real vehicle. They probably did not consult their ergonomic charts, or should be reported to the local board of engineering.

 

[DVINNY]

^^^ Then it wasn't an engineer.

It was probably an architect.

 

[Capt Worley PE]

I haven't hit an ATM in at least six years. I usually get my money at the grocery or drug store when I use my debit card.

 

[EM_PS]

I haven't hit an ATM in at least six years. I usually get my money at the grocery or drug store when I use my debit card.

those driver's ed classes pay off don't they?

 

[Supe]

I rarely have to do this as I always get within inches of hitting something, but my car sits very low to the ground, and a lot of newer cars have a very crappy seat height to window height ratio. My butt is 6 inches off the pavement, and you can't even drive with your elbow out the window unless you crane your arm up about 8 inches over your shoulder. Of course, this is all compounded by the fact that I'm only 5'7" and have the wingspan and legs to reflect that.

 

[Chucktown PE]

I was a victim of a broken window. Long story but after numerous attempts to fix it over the course of a year and a half with parts from the junk yard and assorted glues and such, I gave up. All because I was too cheap to pay the $180 to have a glass shop reset the window. You should have seen me at the toll both on GA 400 in Atlanta. Not the easiest thing to do. However, since I totalled my car a couple of months ago I guess I a glad I didn't spend the $180. Sorry Road Guy. Since I was in Atlanta during that time I may be the inspiration for this thread. I was driving a green, 1996 Isuzu Trooper.

 

[MA_PE]

for those of us old enough to remember real bank tellers, the vast majority of current drive-up ATM machines used to be drive-up teller windows. There was a drawer on the bottom that opened out towards the car and you placed your banking papers in it. The teller retracted it and you told them via microphone what you needed. The teller then processed the transaction and returned the paperwork via the drawer. No reaching, contorting, or button pushing was involved. Height was not a real major problem because way back then, the mojority of the population drove CARS, not SUVs, crossover vehicles, vans, etc. they drove cars.

The design was pretty darn ergonomic and user friendly. As technology progressed banks filled the existing opening in the building wall with an ATM.

That will segue into my personal process, which is to pull my car slightly beyond the ATM, get out of the car, use the ATM (just like a walk up unit), get back in my car and leave. Obviously, I'm the minority here, but I mainatin that these things were not "designed" to be operated from inside a vehicle and instead are positioned that way out of field installation convenience. Think about it. If it were truly more convenient for drive-up access then why are all the newly positioned stand alone units configured to park and walk-in? The drive-ups I've seen are only located at existing banks that had a drive up teller system at one time in thier life.

Opening the door is a half-wayassed approach. If you can do it from inside you vehicle, then goos for you. I perfer the convenience of getting out of the vehicle, comfortably and efficiently processing my transaction and then leaving.

[rant off]

 

[RIP - VTEnviro]

I have a mid-sized SUV and if the ATM is designed for a car, its tough. Seeing as I don't want to scrape my car against the side of the machine, I leave a little space. Sometimes my arm can't reach the keys. So I'm guilty of the hang out the door phenomenon as much as the next guy.

 

[EM_PS]

for those of us old enough to remember real bank tellers,

I remember them days ld-025: . . .tellers used to give us suckers too when we were but wee ones

That will segue into my personal process, which is to pull my car slightly beyond the ATM, get out of the car, use the ATM (just like a walk up unit), get back in my car and leave. Obviously, I'm the minority here, but I mainatin that these things were not "designed" to be operated from inside a vehicle and instead are positioned that way out of field installation convenience. Think about it. If it were truly more convenient for drive-up access then why are all the newly positioned stand alone units configured to park and walk-in? The drive-ups I've seen are only located at existing banks that had a drive up teller system at one time in thier life.

Actually, the bank chain I belong to has the quirky characteristic of putting their ATMs in the foyer of their buildings. Sometimes seems like a pain in the ass, because you HAVE to park, and get out & enter said building to use the machine. guess its not as annoying as I thought, as never have any of these vehicular rants or issues going on. Does suck in crappy weather - good thing i live in MI - oh, sh!t, wait a second. . ..

 

[Capt Worley PE]

I remember them days ld-025: . . .tellers used to give us suckers too when we were but wee ones

If you were a really good boy, they gave you coloring books.

Sadly, I didn't get many coloring books.

 

[MA_PE]

I remember them days ld-025: . . .tellers used to give us suckers too when we were but wee ones

Actually, the bank chain I belong to has the quirky characteristic of putting their ATMs in the foyer of their buildings. Sometimes seems like a pain in the ass, because you HAVE to park, and get out & enter said building to use the machine. guess its not as annoying as I thought, as never have any of these vehicular rants or issues going on. Does suck in crappy weather - good thing i live in MI - oh, sh!t, wait a second. . ..

This is consistent with my prior comment/observation about new ATMs being walk-up units. The ATM's are in the foyer because it allows access after hours (they lock the main building doors and they don't have to build a separate building to house the ATM (like the stand alone units).

 

[Supe]

This is consistent with my prior comment/observation about new ATMs being walk-up units. The ATM's are in the foyer because it allows access after hours (they lock the main building doors and they don't have to build a separate building to house the ATM (like the stand alone units).

MA PE: I'm with you completely on the walk-ups. I hate doing things out of my car. If the bank is open, I park, get out, and go inside. What kills me is that people will wait 45 minutes in a drive through teller line, when nobody is inside.

That being said, the Chase I use does have the drive through tellers, but has a separate ATM lane. Nowhere convenient to park, and no ATM's inside, so you're stuck with the drive through. The two times I tried the ATM inside of Walgreens, it didn't work, so I abandoned that idea altogether.

 

[Casey]

Actually, the bank chain I belong to has the quirky characteristic of putting their ATMs in the foyer of their buildings. Sometimes seems like a pain in the ass, because you HAVE to park, and get out & enter said building to use the machine. guess its not as annoying as I thought, as never have any of these vehicular rants or issues going on. Does suck in crappy weather - good thing i live in MI - oh, sh!t, wait a second. . ..

This is how 95% of the ATMs in Canada are... You don't see too many drive-thru ATMs, and if you do, there probably isn't a line. The foyer also makes a good place for hobos to get out of the cold.