Bank ATM Cautions

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foghornl

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I wasn't there, but close co-worker/shooting buddy related this to me earlier today...

Last night, around 8:00PM, shooting buddy riding in car with his brother [brother driving]. "Hey, I need some cash. Oh, here's a branch of my bank. Lets go through the ATM lane." This was in a supposedly "reasonably good area" of the Eastern 'Burbs of Cleveland. Brother pulls into ATM lane, one car ahead of them, finishing up. Car pulls in behind, a Single White Young Female driving. Buddy notices another car pulls in, but douses lights before getting in line.

Car ahead pulls away, guys pull up and start ATM transaction. Brother makes his withdrawal, waiting for card & recepit. Buddy notices dome light of last car come on, and hears door slam. Sees a Young Male running up between car & ATM/Bank wall...

"Gimme that money, mo-fo", BRANDISHING WHAT APPEARS TO BE A LARGE KNIFE.

"OK, come up and get it." [Brother has gotten card & receipt]. Just as the miscreant reaches driver's window, Brother cuts wheel hard left and stomps on gas, rolling said miscreant along the bank wall. As they roar away from bank, SWYF has amazed expression on face. Last car in line, with no lights on, has swung out of line, around ATM lane, and stops in front, to help the "rolled miscreant" into car. Brother & Buddy went to police station & reported incident. No further details right now.

Folks, be VERY AWARE. The Bad Guys appears to be moving to the Burbs in the Greater Cleveland area.
 
Always triple check my surroundings when going through the ATM.

Good reminder.
 
I usually stop at the safe ATM just after I conduct a routine traffic stop, and shoo the unicorns off the road. I like to deal with all my mythical creatures in one swoop. :D

Congrats to you buddy for having the situational awareness necessary to get out of the situation whole and safe.
 
For a while now I've only used the ATM as a walk up. I'd rather be able to access my weapon and its easier to see when out of the vehicle. The times I've used the drive up I prepare by placeing my pistol in a more accessable position. I really don't like ATM stops very much...too dangerous...but then a friend was attacked while in line at a fast food place on Sunday morning.
Most dangerous cinnamon rolls he ever went for...I told he they were bad for his health! :D
Mark
 
Bad guys are everywhere, especially where you do not expect them! I am glad everyone is O.K.


Be well!
 
Situational Awareness
of ATMs applies to drive in fast food restaurants as well. Often these have a dark area in back one places order, and no way to get out of line...besides the cars fore and aft, bldgs., high curbs,...etc. If others around, many don't /won't get involved. Drive-ins open till wee hours make good targets. Besides money, good way to lose a vehicle, or become a rape victim. Like say nurses on way home 2nd shift ( 2300 -2400 H).
 
Some Police Stations have an ATM right outside so if you know of one, it's probably worth an extra ten minute drive, esp. at night. Also, I go to a Credit Union ATM at a large public works building nearby. The doors are open late (for the hard working public servants) and there are at least two security guards there all the time. Even though I don't work there, I think they recognize me now ;) . Don't mind going a bit out of my way to be safe.
 
The ATMs I use are in big empty parking lots. I am not used to having any audience when I withdraw money. I don't play well with others :evil:
 
Aside from ATM and drive-up awareness, the most important lesson here is that even the most puny Yugo, Geo Metro, or Ford Festiva is a devastating weapon against the patheticaly weak wet bag of bones called a human body.

Soccer-Mommies (and the rest of us) drive around two-ton steel boxes that marshal more kinetic energy than an entire infantryman's combat load worth of magazines dumped on full-auto...

The only thing that keeps the criminal who approaches someone in a running car alive is psycological blind spot of the driver to the fact that they're behind the wheel of a very impressive weapon.

It's actually rather amusing that a criminal would almost never approach someone armed with a puny pocket pistol that can barely deliver a few hundred foot pounds to poke a tiny hole in him, but wouldn't think twice about accosting someone behind the wheel of a device that could render him wet pulp with a few million foot pounds. :D
 
Absolutely true if you feared you would be otherwise killed. I don't know about you but my $500 collision deductible is more than said robber was going to get from my maximum $300 ATM withdrawl. What I'm saying is it could cost you less to hand over the money than try to squish him and need a new fender...
 
Here's a recent story from the town I work in.

Three teens, one armed with a handgun, are staking out an ATM at night waiting to pounce on an unsuspecting customer. One no one shows after a while, they notice a young couple in a car in the parking lot. One rapes the girl in the backseat while the other holds the boyfriend at gunpoint in the front seat and the third stands lookout. All three eventually caught and going to jail.

Some people... :fire:
 
My bank has an interesting approach to ATMs. It has a drive-up and a walk-in. The latter is inside a vestibule off the main lobby, which you access after hours by swiping your ATM/debit card to unlock the door. It locks automatically when you close the door behind you. Of course, you still have to walk up there, but the surrounding area is easily visible. With a debit card and direct deposit of my paychecks, I don't have to use ATMs as much any more.
 
Generally when I visit the ATM, I pull up so close to teh machine I nearly clip my side mirror. That way, NO goblin can squeeze inbetween the car & ATM, and I have always considered my vehicle as a first line of defense.
 
I keep the trailer hitch sticking out the back of my Blazer for one reason: It will puncture a radiator very nicely. If I have a problem with someone behind me that I cant outrun (my truck maxes out at ~70mph, and I'm not even comfortable at that speed due to only 5 years of driving and no high-speed experience), I can either slam on the brakes or put it in reverse (if I'm stopped) and puncture their radiator, then try to get out of there (if my hitch isnt stuck in their vehicle) or do whatever I need to stop the encounter.

The cops shouldnt have much trouble finding a car with a destroyed radiator.

In the first situation of this thread, I'd have probably just floored it and gotten out of there. Why couldnt the two guys just leave?

Kharn
 
I've come to the walk up ATM on three occasions, in the mornings (twice around 8 AM, once around 11) to find them splattered with blood no more than three or four hours old, if that.
Also, was at one a couple weeks ago, where the cement below had been cleaned, but not well, and still bore a great deal of dark brown staining, as did the stucco of the bank wall the ATM was mounted into.

That wont be my blood. Maybe his, but not mine.
I keep a folding knife palmed while using the ATM, sometimes I keep it open in my hand, depending on the feel of the place. Sometimes I am very discreet about it, others I open it openly, then use deceptive kinesics to keep it out of sight. "Where'd it go, which way he gonna stick me from". The element of surprise is nice, and I'd count on it far more than scaring someone by letting it be seen. I generally believe in letting them feel before they see it.

I take my time at the ATM, do my thing, keep my eyes up, looking around between looking at the machine, be aware of people around me. Get my cash, cash gets in pocket, I get back in the car before the knife gets put up.

ATM's are scary S-O-Bs. I like the idea of the one in the lobby with your ATM card serving as a lock access pass to let you in, witht he door locking behind you. Very cool idea.
 
I work in the ATM industry and am privvy to many stories regarding ATM security. No one in their right mind should ever use an ATM without first being totally aware of what is around them. I have been known to drive completely around an ATM before using it just to check out all sites of cover. Also, I never place the vehicle in "Park" while using an ATM. I want to be ready to move ASAP.
 
Generally when I visit the ATM, I pull up so close to teh machine I nearly clip my side mirror. That way, NO goblin can squeeze inbetween the car & ATM, and I have always considered my vehicle as a first line of defense.
Click to expand...

Same here! I'm talking side mirror is millimeters from wall or other outcrop. Also I keep it in gear with my foot on the clutch, all doors locked, all windows up but driver's side. Check ahead, and rear and side mirrors every few seconds while doing transaction. When done, window goes up, money, recipt, and card go between my legs as I drive away. I can put it all back in my wallet at a stop light or whenever.

ATMs became my first lesson in situational awareness when I realized just how vulnerable you can be at one.

Cheers.
 
Someone mentioned something about the fender costing more than the $300 ATM limit. How much does your life cost?

In the state of Arizona, a knife in hand is a deadly weapon. You have a 80% of survival after being shot but a 20% chance of survival when being stabbed. We're not talking about money here - we're talking about an attacker using a deadly weapon. I would gladly trade some fenders, doors and windows for my life any time - hell I'd trade my arm if he had it at that point - it'd be my left arm anyways.

A few fenders are much cheaper than court costs for drawing and possibly even firing a gun. Hell - a new car would be cheaper still.

-Colin
 
ci, I said it, because if you can smash the BG you can also just drive away, as said by someone else above. If you value your life which move is smarter?
 
If said scumbag actually knows how to use a knife..he could quickly sever an artery or cut a huge gash in your outstretched forearm.....running the guy over is theLeast you should do...(I'm thinking REVERSE......):cool:
Plus I HATE people who rob other's hard earned cash...:fire:
 
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