When I read the news report that the new President of Cuba, Raul Castro, is now allowing cell phones to ordinary Cubans, I was very surprised. Coming from Malaysia, although I personally do not feel that it is a very advanced country, at least we have been using cell phones for at least 15 – 20 years already. We can see kids as young as 7 years old owning cell phones, though they most probably are hand-me-downs.
Did you know that the cell phone was so exclusive that only those who held high posts in the Communist government or those who work in foreign firms were allowed to use them?
Even though now that ordinary Cubans are allowed to own a mobile phone and sign up for a mobile subscription, most probably will not be able to afford it, no thanks to their monthly salary of not even US$20!
Did you read the odd news on Reuters where an ATM in Hull, Northern England, dispensed double the withdrawal amount for a few hours until it ran out of cash?
News reports said that people who discovered this malfunction were calling everyone they know to get down to that ATM to make withdrawals. I find it really odd that the daily limit is GBP300. Hhhmmm in contrast, my HSBC account here allows me to withdraw five-figures via the ATM.
It is said that the people who made withdrawals could face charges so that the machine operator could recoup losses. It’s not difficult to trace who made withdrawals from the machine because every transaction is recorded.
Well, I think that the operator should just let these people go with the cash, in good faith. It’s not their fault that the money came out double what they requested for and it is only human nature to get the most advantage over the glitch, right?
Reading this case, I am reminded of the time when an ecommerce store wrongly listed the price of an electronic item and everyone who found out about it was telling everyone else they know to make a purchase of that item. The company did not see through those orders, if memory serves me right.
