The Automated Teller Machine is a great invention.  You don't have to talk to anyone or write anything down.  You can just press some buttons and get some cash.  Good deal. 

...except when ATMs are out of cash, like the Wachovia in Landing, NJ.  It's one of those ATMs with no bank attached to it; just an island in the middle of a parking lot.  I went to it last night to get some money.  I put in my card, typed in my PIN, and pressed some buttons to get cash out of my checking account.  And then it tells me, "We're sorry, this machine is temporarily unable to dispense cash."  What do you mean "unable to dispense cash"?  What other purpose does an ATM serve other than to dispense cash?  Yes, I know it has balance-checking and money-transfer capabilities, but who goes to the ATM to do stupid things like that?  And why did this stupid machine wait until I inserted my stupid card and pressed a bunch of stupid buttons before it stupidly told me this?  Couldn't it say it at the beginning so it wouldn't waste my time?  That really burns me up. 

I went back to it this morning before work, and it was covered by a big plastic thing that said it was out of service.  I was mad, but definitely a lot less mad than if it had done the same thing as last night. #money