Chasing automated teller machines

THE EDITOR, Madam:

A Jamaican adage implies that there are two things a woman should never 'run down' (chase); ‘a bus and a man, as there is always another around the corner’. My, how times have changed!

In the case of the bus - a means of public transportation - those must have been in the days of the Jamaica Omnibus Service, or ‘Jolly Josephs’. In the case of the man, the question is, which man? But let us leave that one alone, as a new contender has emerged – the automated teller machine (ATM). While there may be one around the corner, the question is, Is it working?

Last week, when the one at my location was not working due to frequent lack of funds, I ventured to a gas station, only to discover that the two Scotiabank outlets there were also out of service. I was then directed to a Sagicor outlet a short distance away. But it told the same tale, and so did the National Commercial Bank ATM on the other side of the square. Contemplating my next move, I went to another campus; and that was how I managed to get some funds.

The previous week, I visited the BNS main branch in Liguanea. Of the three machines, one accepted only deposits; the other showed physical signs of needing replacement; and the third one was out of cash. How can the Jamaica Bankers Association and the Bank of Jamaica assist in resolving this untenable situation? As we approach the Christmas season,

are we expected to chase ATMs and, in the process, compromise our safety?

JOAN FRANCIS