WASHINGTON -- A few years ago, an ATM machine malfunctioned in the elite Washington, D.C. neighborhood of Georgetown. Americans lined up to collect $20 bills being handed out in place of $5 notes.
San Francisco voters did essentially the same thing by passing an initiative to ban ATM fees. Apparently the latest human "right" is no-fee convenience cash. Banks should install ATMs, but not charge noncustomers for using them.
Santa Monica, Calif., and the states of Connecticut and Iowa have approved similar measures. The U.S. Defense Department is considering prohibiting ATM fees on military installations.