# Is it true that ATM machines..... **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [January 27, 2013, 11:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-true-that-atm-machines/648565 "2013-01-27T23:15:55Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![The\_Flying\_Dutchman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/9fc348/32.png) [@The\_Flying\_Dutchman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Flying_Dutchman)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2013, 11:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-true-that-atm-machines/648565/1 "2013-01-27T23:15:55Z")
automatically inform police that an emergency is in progress when you punch in the reverse sequence of your PIN number? ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2013, 11:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-true-that-atm-machines/648565/2 "2013-01-27T23:19:13Z")
That would prove problematic for people with palindromic pins. ---
**Author:** ![beowulff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beowulff/32/542_2.png) [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2013, 11:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-true-that-atm-machines/648565/3 "2013-01-27T23:19:26Z")
[No, it’s not true.](http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=snopes%20atm%20reverse&source=web&cd=1&cad=rja&ved=0CC8QFjAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.snopes.com%2Fbusiness%2Fbank%2Fpinalert.asp&ei=8rUFUZH2JsS1rQHsuoGQDg&usg=AFQjCNF0_Uq6HH2PqzhlxCo9gPfuaNKfPQ&bvm=bv.41524429,d.b2U) ---
**Author:** ![Chimera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Chimera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chimera)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2013, 11:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-true-that-atm-machines/648565/4 "2013-01-27T23:22:02Z")
Not true. ---
**Author:** ![moriah](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b2d939/32.png) [@moriah](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/moriah)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2013, 11:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-true-that-atm-machines/648565/5 "2013-01-27T23:36:42Z")
But it is true that the ATM machine… IS YOUR FATHER! ---
**Author:** ![Ruken](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f475e1/32.png) [@Ruken](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ruken)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2013, 11:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-true-that-atm-machines/648565/6 "2013-01-27T23:45:05Z")
As far as I know, this is not true for any Automatic Teller Machine machines. ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2013, 11:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-true-that-atm-machines/648565/7 "2013-01-27T23:48:10Z")
> [@Ruken](#): > > As far as I know, this is not true for any Automatic Teller Machine machines. Except the ones at the La Brea Tar Pits. ---
**Author:** ![solosam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9d8465/32.png) [@solosam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/solosam)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2013, 11:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-true-that-atm-machines/648565/8 "2013-01-27T23:55:47Z")
I propose an experiment. ---
**Author:** ![steviep24](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/5f9b8f/32.png) [@steviep24](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/steviep24)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2013, 1:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-true-that-atm-machines/648565/9 "2013-01-28T01:12:51Z")
Only works on Penn and Teller’s ATM. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2013, 1:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-true-that-atm-machines/648565/10 "2013-01-28T01:51:14Z")
Is Teller automatic? ---
**Author:** ![Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e47c2d/32.png) [@Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biffy_the_Elephant_Shrew)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2013, 2:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-true-that-atm-machines/648565/11 "2013-01-28T02:37:04Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > Is Teller automatic? He ain’t telling, so it’s a mute point. ---
**Author:** ![simster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/simster/32/1047_2.png) [@simster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/simster)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2013, 2:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-true-that-atm-machines/648565/12 "2013-01-28T02:47:30Z")
> [@Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](#): > > He ain’t telling, so it’s a mute point. Yeah. It’s like a cow’s opinion. It just doesn’t matter… ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2013, 4:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-true-that-atm-machines/648565/13 "2013-01-28T04:56:05Z")
> [@Ruken](#): > > As far as I know, this is not true for any Automatic Teller Machine machines. Strangely, “ATM machine” is correct. One of the first popular ATM machines was the “Any Time Money” Machine. Other banks started just called them “ATM” for “Automated Teller Machine”, which may have been the a term used before, but “Any Time Money” Machine was the first popular device. Early names were also De La Rue Automatic Cash System or DACS, Bankomat, CIT (Cash Issuing Terminal) , Cashpoint, and so forth. So, by and large, altho now “ATM” means “Automated Teller Machine” thus “ATM Machine” is a redundancy, it was not always so. ---
**Author:** ![OttoDaFe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ottodafe/32/356_2.png) [@OttoDaFe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OttoDaFe)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2013, 5:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-true-that-atm-machines/648565/14 "2013-01-28T05:49:06Z")
But what happens if you enter your Personal Identification Number Number _sideways_? ---
**Author:** ![Grrr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grrr/32/146_2.png) [@Grrr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grrr)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2013, 6:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-true-that-atm-machines/648565/15 "2013-01-28T06:09:07Z")
Not true. But it would be nifty if banks issued you an _extra_ pin that did such a thing. ---
**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2013, 6:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-true-that-atm-machines/648565/16 "2013-01-28T06:18:03Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > Early names were also De La Rue Automatic Cash System or DACS, Bankomat, CIT (Cash Issuing Terminal) , Cashpoint, and so forth. The one at my bank was the Instant Teller. ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2013, 6:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-true-that-atm-machines/648565/17 "2013-01-28T06:52:33Z")
I always say “PIN number.” I never say “ATM machine.” ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2013, 7:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-true-that-atm-machines/648565/18 "2013-01-28T07:58:30Z")
> [@simster](#): > > Yeah. It’s like a cow’s opinion. It just doesn’t matter… That’s a moo-ed point. ---
**Author:** ![johnpost](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f17d59/32.png) [@johnpost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/johnpost)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2013, 1:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-true-that-atm-machines/648565/19 "2013-01-28T13:57:47Z")
i always say PIN number numerical access code number for the ATM machine robotic money dispensing device. ---
**Author:** ![AncientHumanoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ancienthumanoid/32/278_2.png) [@AncientHumanoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AncientHumanoid)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2013, 2:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-true-that-atm-machines/648565/20 "2013-01-28T14:12:02Z")
Is the APC center protected by a UPS power supply? What is its UPC code? [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-true-that-atm-machines/648565.md?page=2)