My father still expresses wonder at the marvel that is the Automatic Teller Machine. The concept of just swiping plastic, keying in a pin number and pocketing the cash which the 'money machine' belches out is nothing short of magic to the man who, till just a few years ago, needed to take half a day off from work to withdraw a mere Rs 5,000 from the bank.
Times have changed, but I don't think dad can forget the days when he had to stand in a queue at his bank, wait for the teller to finish his smoke, grab a token, take a seat, call his token number and then finish his tea and gossip, critically examine the money withdrawal slip (as if it had offended him in some way), grudgingly sign it when he could not detect a forgery and FINALLY, reluctantly part with the cash as if it were his own fortune that was being given away.
My poor, disgruntled father would then trudge to the parking lot, crank up the air-conditioning of his car to the highest notch and drive home -- ready to spill blood if anyone as much as mentioned 'bank' in his presence for the next 10 days or so.
Cut to 2003 and dad can't contain his excitement. An ATM in the neighbourhood market -- a minute's walk away from home!
He promptly takes me to the ATM (me being more experienced in matters of the money machine, being Gen X and all!) and asks me to demonstrate how it works. The swipe-and-punch system doesn't cease to amaze him.
The time saved is simply 'fantastic' and the air-conditioned environment keeps him in a great mood.
Dad now likes to prophesise how handling money has changed with the times. He says an ATM debit card is the 'plastic' for all those who don't want the hassle of a credit card.
The ATM card is the financial independence for small towners, who no longer need to depend on partially educated babus, who seem to infest banks in every small town.
And that's not all. Some banks have also come out with cards for the illiterate. They feel there is no reason why the uneducated cannot use ATM services and instead of pin numbers, use thumb impressions for identification and voice instructions instead of instructions on the screen.
ATMs also mean freedom from carrying those bulging bags stuffed with cash, just in case! And more than anything else, it is the security of easy, 24X7 cash in case of an emergency — ready-to-withdraw-money at every nook and corner of India imaginable.
You can pay your bills with these cards, swipe them like you do with a credit card, without drawing up a long credit bill. What's more, most of these cards come free with a bank account and have cash back offers attached to them, which make them even more attractive to the holder.
As dad says, why resist when the temptation is so great. And the smile on his face every time he visits an ATM is simply priceless!####
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