Another stupid question, kind of Options

[Fat2death]

What is the point of the braille at the drive up atm machines? Only in America. (Or not?)

[Joanne]

http://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/9...teller-machines

[Fat2death]

http://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/9...teller-machines

WTF?!

This may sound like one of those absurd points of principle, but ATM manufacturers say a fair number of blind people do take cabs to drive-up ATMs, and nobody wants to ask a total stranger to help with a financial transaction.

I get it but the driver can just look at it! The blind person will never know the driver saw it, and has no proof that he didnt, so why not give the driver the pin number?

Your question does point to a more serious problem, which other readers have also raised: how the hell is a blind person supposed to use any kind of ATM? Whether the keypad numbers are identified with braille or not, there isn't any braille translation of the on-screen instructions, without which the machine is useless.

Again WTF?!!! Thats true. Unless they memorize every ATM in the city and knows in advance which buttons to hit when. I mean I could go on, but the whole article will have me here all day.

[Joanne]

Braille isn't used only by those who are fully blind. Think about those who are visually impaired.

[Fat2death]

Braille isn't used only by those who are fully blind. Think about those who are visually impaired.

Well YOU have a point there. BUT once they go blind, (assuming they will) they cant drive themselves, and then we are back to my point.

[Tomates]

The visually impaired go to places too...its not like they have someone who can see do everything for them.
Hell if i was blind i would try to do as many of the more independent things as i could.

[superstitious]

Well YOU have a point there. BUT once they go blind, (assuming they will) they cant drive themselves, and then we are back to my point.

Well, someone else can drive them. Perhaps they don't want people to know their personal financial information (like ATM pins and such).

[none345678]

So the blind can type in there pin and (what is most likely a friend or family member) can read what is on the screen and what not. Better to have it there than not, anyway. Kinda like the "no dogs except seeing eye dogs" signs.

[Gigi]

From The Economic Naturalist:

When Ben Bernanke and I described the example about drive-up cashpoint keypads with Braille dots...somebody sent me an angry e-mail saying the the real reason for the dots is that disabilities legislation requires them...There is a requirement that all cashpoint keypads have Braille dots, even at drive-up locations. Having Braille dots on drive-up machines might even be useful on rare occasions, such as when a blind person visits a drive-up machine in a taxi and does not want to reveal his PIN number to the driver.

^ That would be a reasonable answer, except that I still think that blind, or even visually-impaired people very, very rarely use drive-up machines.

It's not so much a question of having Braille dots because it's RIGHT, but because it's not more costly to do (in fact, it may be more costly to NOT have Braille dots on the machine). Look at it from an economic standpoint. ATM manufacturers probably have only one type of machine that makes the keypads, which include Braille dots. It would be too costly to order a new part for a non-Braille dot keypad and produce it for specific drive-up locations. Read on...

I urged him to think about the circumstances under which the regulation was adopted. If it had been significantly more costly to require Braille dots on the drive-up machines, would the rule have been enacted? Almost certainly not. The fact is that adding them was costless. And since the dots cause no harm and might occasionally be of use, regulators might well find it advantageous to require them, thereby enabling themselves to say, at the end of the year, that they had done something useful.

It would be naive to think that all the things that happen in the world that seem morally right are done with the right intentions. Sometimes it is just convenient, and makes you look better to boot.

Moral of the day: Not only is treating everyone the same way morally responsible, it's also cheaper! Win-win.

[karmakiller]

ATM manufacturers probably have only one type of machine that makes the keypads, which include Braille dots. It would be too costly to order a new part for a non-Braille dot keypad and produce it for specific drive-up locations.

This is what I was thinking, because the drive-up machines are just like the machines that are in buildings, except for the outside covering of them. I'm pretty sure the braille on the drive-up machines doesn't get used very often, but there's exceptions to everything.

[Fat2death]

Another one... They make hot dog buns in packs of 8 as standard. I dont think I have ever seen hot dogs sold in the store with less than 10 hot dogs in the package.
Im pretty sure thats to make money, but its stupid. Im tired of buying all those extra buns. I always run out of one before the other. I have slight ocd, so it kind of pisses me off to have so many buns left and no hot dogs.

[heyo-captain-jac...]

Another one... They make hot dog buns in packs of 8 as standard. I dont think I have ever seen hot dogs sold in the store with less than 10 hot dogs in the package.
Im pretty sure thats to make money, but its stupid. Im tired of buying all those extra buns. I always run out of one before the other. I have slight ocd, so it kind of pisses me off to have so many buns left and no hot dogs.

They usually sell hot dogs four per pack or ten per pack around here.

[Mikeplyts]

I have 24 packs and 12 packs over here. :|

[kryogenix]

Another one... They make hot dog buns in packs of 8 as standard. I dont think I have ever seen hot dogs sold in the store with less than 10 hot dogs in the package.
Im pretty sure thats to make money, but its stupid. Im tired of buying all those extra buns. I always run out of one before the other. I have slight ocd, so it kind of pisses me off to have so many buns left and no hot dogs.

then go kobayashi on that shit

[Fat2death]

I have 24 packs and 12 packs over here. :|

Ok, I will just kill myself if I were you.

[Mikeplyts]

Ok, I will just kill myself if I were you.

Uhh, is that a good idea? Or is this like a sorta stupid statement to your sorta stupid question?

[Fat2death]

Uhh, is that a good idea? Or is this like a sorta stupid statement to your sorta stupid question?

No, its not a good idea. lol

[rnicron]

um...hotdogs here are sold in 8 packs.

[superstitious]

Depends on the brand. I think Hebrew National hot dogs come in 5 packs. It's worth it though. Oscar Meyer is 8, I think.

[Fat2death]

Depends on the brand. I think Hebrew National hot dogs come in 5 packs. It's worth it though. Oscar Meyer is 8, I think.

Ok, so what about the buns. You will have extras Im sure.

[rnicron]

i guess here in missouri we do things the easy way?

hotdog buns = 8 packs
hotdogs = 8 packs

simple

tbh, i don't think i've ever seen anything other than an 8 pack of hotdogs unless it's like a value pack.

[none345678]

I think it's usually 8 pack hotdogs and 6 pack buns, but it might be 8 buns. I'm not a big hot dog fan.