Kidnapped by an ATM Machine!

Before I begin my story let me set up the pre-scene; that being the Costa Rican ATM machine. Unlike the states where you can find an ATM on almost any corner, here you can only find an ATM at a bank. It has it's own cubby hole on the side of or at the front of the bank. It has a glass door that is tinted in the middle so people can't see what you're doing.

To get into the ATM you slide your debit card at the door, which demagnetizes the door and allows you in. Once in, the door shuts and locks you in. Inside it is sweltering and almost suffocating hot. After hiding your money in random notches throughout your clothing, you push a button that will demagnetize the door and off you go on your merry little way. Pretty easy right? Not so fast!

Now here's the set up of the actual kidnapped. My friend Amanda and Jenny needed to go to the ATM and I went with them. We walked about 800 meters (1/2 mile) down a curvy, dark mountain road at about 7pm, Friday night. The bank was a little set back from the road, which was only traveled by cars and very few people.

Several people came out of the ATM and held the door open for us. We all three went into the ATM as it was big enough and it would not have been the best idea for me to stay out alone, in the dark, in front of the ATM. I was the last one in and I saw that there was a golden slide lock that was in the way of the door from completely closing. Me being the safety police, I decided to move it so that the door would close with us securely locked in. As the door shut, I thought "I hope that wasn't there for a reason."

It was painfully and suffocatingly hot inside the ATM room and I decided I would rather wait outside. So I pushed the button and only the bottom part of the door open and not the top magnetic lock. I hoped it wasn't working only because Amanda was using the ATM. Once again I tried and it wouldn't open. I waited to say something until Jenny was done. Then I informed them of the bad news. I had just locked us inside the ATM!"

We tried and tried to get it open. I was really afraid that we were about to break the glass from pushing on it so hard. We were in disbelief that this happened and I was worried about how long can we survive in such a harsh environment of suffocating heat. We were pounding and making noise but there was no one to hear us.

After about 10 minutes of being kidnapped by the ATM, Amanda sees a tico guy walking by and she yells out to him, "Auydenos! Estamos atrapadas!" (Helps us! We're trapped). At first he looked at her and kept walking, but his heart took pity on us (okay maybe he wanted to laugh at the gringas locas - crazy Americans). Either way he came to the door and he told me to push the button (again all of this took place in the Spanish language). I told him I know that but it's broken and tried showing him. Once he believed me, and that I wasn't just plain stupid, he looked around for a solution, I was pretty much hopeless that we would get out without involving the police to help. (Try explaining that one!) He said he would try to slide his card. I thought that if the magnetic thing was broken, his card was going to be useless for our rescue. But it worked!

It turns out that just the button was broken and that the sliding lock was there for a very good purpose! I could tell it had been that way for a very long time as the metal door frame had indentions from where the lock has hit it time and time again, allowing the ATM user to not fall victim to the Kidnapping ATM machine. I wonder if the security people ever really watch those videos from the ATM? What a laugh they would have! Who knows how long we would have had to stay inside that thing!