Let me explain. 

First, there was a long delay at the Dalton Street railway crossing about 10am. The boom gates were down and red lights were flashing, but no train came along. At that time of the day, traffic soon banked up in all directions. 

After about 15 minutes, I joined other cars and trucks and turned around and drove down to the Byng Street crossing, which was open. 

I shudder to think what might have happened if an ambulance or fire engine on its urgent way was trapped in the lines of traffic. 

When I finally parked in the CBD and walked down to use one of the ATMs at my bank, I quickly found out they were all out of action. 

The one I tried to use “swallowed” my card and refused to return it. Inside the bank, I waited for an employee to get my card, but lo and behold, a man came into the bank waving my card and returned it to me. 

My story gets better, because then I joined a short queue to deposit two cheques into my account. 

The line of customers waiting grew longer and longer, and the minutes ticked by as two tellers struggled with two customers who seemed to have long and complex business to sort out. 

I don’t know what happened to “old-fashioned” service, but it seems that unreliable technology is seen as our future - like it or lump it!

Keith Curry, Orange