RARITAN TOWNSHIP, N.J. (AP) - An ATM lobby, activated
to lock automatically on Thanksgiving evening, trapped
a man as he completed a withdrawal, holding him inside
until a bank employee arrived for work Friday morning.

James Kahlke, 36, spent nine hours at a Raritan Township
branch of Commerce Bank - pounding on a door, pacing,
making periodic withdrawals and finally curling up on a
rug to sleep.

I guess he made the withdrawals out of boredom ;-)

Man spends nine hours trapped in ATM lobby

-- spider (spider0@usa.net), November 27, 1999

Answers

Nine hours. Nature would have called me after the first 2 or 3.

In addition to all those withdrawals, I would have made a least one or two deposits...!

-- darks stains (on@the.carpet), November 27, 1999.

One more reason to always carry a cell phone.

Even a used, unactivated, ten-dollar-yard-sale-special can be used to call 911 for free (FCC regs since the last year or so), and collect or credit card calls to any other number.

-- Ron Schwarz (rs@clubvb.com.delete.this), November 27, 1999.

Ah, this is rich reading this morning, spider. Maybe Mr. Kahlke, when he was making the withdrawals, reasoned that "they" must have anticipated the door-locking scenario and had built in a 911 system into the ATM number pad.

Good tip on used cellphone for 911. BTW: used cb radios can be found in working condition for about $5. Cheap communication for the neighborhood network. Of course, in the locked ATM event, you'd have to have to carrying your 12 volt battery with you but....

-- johno (jobriy2k@yahoo.com), November 27, 1999.

Re cell phones -- whether yours is activated or not, learn how to switch it between the A band and B band (applies to traditional 800 Mhz cellulars only). If you're outside the range of a tower in your *assigned* band and need to dial 911, you *may* be able to reach a tower in the alternate band.

-- Ron Schwarz (rs@clubvb.com.delete.this), November 27, 1999.

Citibank ATMs have phones to customer service.

-- Mara (MaraWayne@aol.com), November 27, 1999.

You have reached Citibank customer service.
We are open 9 am to 5 pm. Please call back
during normal business hours. [Click]

-- spider (spider0@usa.net), November 27, 1999.

Article also mentions that at his first possible convenience, he closed his account with that bank,..in full.

-- kritter (kritter@adelphia.net), November 27, 1999.

Yes, he could have made a few deposits. The banks make it very convenient by even providing the envelopes!

I surely would have deposited some "stuffed envelopes" into the slot if this had happened to me.And I wouldn't give a s*** if the deposits are captured on camera.

Sue the bastards for unlawful confinement, stress, opportunity loss of time,...

-- profit of doom (doom@helltopay.ca), November 27, 1999.

Kinda puts a damper on the bank run idea, holy schmokes.

-- PD (PaulDMaher@att.worldnet.com), November 28, 1999.