There might also be some Equal-Rights nonsense that requires drive-through ATM keypads to have Braille on them, just in case a blind person is being driven around in a European car with the passenger seat on the wrong side, or if some thrillseeking blindie is driving his own damned self through the drive up lane going the wrong way. There are, after all, some very brave non-sighted folks out there. I do not believe this is the rationale behind the move either.
As a matter of fact, we are getting quite close to having cars that drive themselves. They already yell at you when you can't parallel park and they brake for you when you are too drunk to brake effectively yourself. It is only a matter of time before one (sighted or non) straps oneself into a vehicle, punches in one's destination and lets the car do the heavy lifting while one naps, does a crossword puzzle or surfs pornography on one's Smartphone. (Ironically, these cars will also require Braille on their keypads. Braille and the Hope of the Pure that the blindies punch in the correct destination address...) Perhaps the ATM manufacturers were simply making a proactive move on this inevitability because they are really smart and seers of the future. But probably not.
I had a notion about what the real reason was to put Braille on the drive-through ATM machines and as per usual, my hunch was right on the money. Literally. As with all things, the almighty dollar is behind this manufacturing move. Since the ATM keypads are mass-produced, the makers of the pads made the sound fiscal decision to make only one style and not a separate style for the drive-through models. "What are the chances anyone will notice?" they said.
Is that a British Aston Martin with a white cane sticking out of the passenger-side window approaching the ATM? Convenient!
Good day, Sir.
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