Last week, Sydney’s Luna Park loved technology: The harbourside attraction unveiled its ‘My Experience‘ site that lets smartphone users link wristbands and share ride experiences in real time. This week? Not so much. They’ve just fired up to 20 staff for taking advantage of an on-site ATM that was spitting out $50 notes in place of $20s.
Firstly, if I was a teenager working on the Big Top Pavilion, I’d probably have been tempted myself. Secondly, why do I always find out about this stuff after the fact?
ATM company iCash Australia (who maintain the machines with cash supplied by the park) says that 50 buck notes had accidentally been placed where $20 notes should have gone. End result: a bunch of staff marched out one by one after being photographed using the machine in question.
Theft is theft I guess, but I actually feel kind of bad for them, especially the ones that only withdrew a couple of hundred bucks. [Sydney Morning Herald]
Image: Adam.J.W.C/Wikimedia Commons
chris
Tuesday, July 12, 2011 at 11:36 AMHow is it theft if its a machine fault? One could easily say, oh i was just getting a few twenties out.
simon
Tuesday, July 12, 2011 at 11:44 AMoh i was just keeping my hands warm in my pockets while holding a ipod inside a department store, its not my fault
David K
Tuesday, July 12, 2011 at 11:48 AMI agree, the ATM company fucked up and should have to eat the exspense.
Alex Lohrere
Tuesday, July 12, 2011 at 11:50 AM“why do I always find out about his stuff after the fact”
I think you’ll find it should be “this”.
DAN!
Tuesday, July 12, 2011 at 12:24 PMYou’re assuming alot. Perhaps Danny is religious and, being constrained by a condition in his contract, cannot outwardly take a stance on religion. By using the phrase “Secondly, why do I always find out about his stuff after the fact?” he could be referring to “God” or some other deity to whom he worships, and stuff could mean “The Divine Plan” etc.
As they say “he works in mysterious ways…”
Prob just a spelling mistake, but…
Richard M
Tuesday, July 12, 2011 at 1:25 PMAnd Ladies and Gentlemen, David epitomises what is so wrong with our society today…the “mine…mine…mine…gimmie…gimmie…gimmie..stuff you” attitude so prevalent. This was a mistake, no doubt, but to take money that is not yours however the circumstances is theft…regardless of whether it was a mistake.
DAN!
Tuesday, July 12, 2011 at 3:57 PMWho’s David?
DAN!
Tuesday, July 12, 2011 at 3:57 PMWait, I assume this was a reply to David K?
Bjorn
Tuesday, July 12, 2011 at 4:14 PMI think most people would be hard pressed to give back the money if they put in a 40 and got a 100? What happened to the guy that filled the machine probably he should be fired?
Danny Allen
Thursday, July 14, 2011 at 12:05 AMI thought god was a woman?
Peter
Tuesday, July 12, 2011 at 12:06 PMUnfair dismissal..
mark
Tuesday, July 12, 2011 at 12:20 PMThe error was made by the Luna Park staffer who loaded the machine incorrectly. The money belonged to Luna Park. The staff who knowingly took $50 notes in place of what should have been $20 notes were tempted by how easy it was to get something for nothing. Its greed and theft and very naughty but retrieving the money and warning them should probably have been considered in most cases.
Jack
Tuesday, July 12, 2011 at 12:29 PMyes unfortunately it is theft in australia. same things happened a few months ago remember? when commonwealth bank (or nab) atms went offline and dispensed monies out of your request even if you didnt have sufficient funds at all. but i understand its human nature, just a bit like if you will pick up and pocket a $50 note on the street or bring it to a police station.
attila
Tuesday, July 12, 2011 at 12:37 PMThe article says the cock up was by Luna Park, not the ATM company.
It is theft – same as if a bank deposits $1000 instead of $100 in your account and you run off with it. Same as if you drop your wallet full of cash and I find it and make no efforts to try and return it to you.
kylie
Tuesday, July 12, 2011 at 2:11 PMMy friend is a manager there. These staff members stole hundreds of dollars (the total loss so far is $55000). They were taking out all of the money they had in their account which was being doubled because of the error then going back to the bank and putting the money back in so they could do it again. How stupid do you have to be to do this knowing that there is a camera directly above you. They all deserved to get the sack, stealing is stealing.
Terence D
Tuesday, July 12, 2011 at 3:00 PMThanks for giving us a little more context kylie. If what you say is true then the park has every right to march them out for theft.
It’s one thing to go withdraw $40 and get $100 in return. It’s another thing to be actively putting money back into to the bank to go and withdraw it again. This is just as bad as the Commonwealth bank ATM fiasco that was giving out “unlimited” cash and people were drawing out thousands of dollars.
Bjorn
Tuesday, July 12, 2011 at 4:16 PMOk, if what you say is true than scratch my earlier comment. Totally agree that it is theft and getting fired is probably getting off lightly.
Jay
Tuesday, July 12, 2011 at 7:51 PMYou and your imaginary friend are full of shit dear.
Danny Allen
Thursday, July 14, 2011 at 12:07 AMYeah prolly. Just saying that my morals at 16 or so would have meant I would likely have been fired with them ;) So I can empathise.
ozoneocean
Tuesday, July 12, 2011 at 2:13 PMOf course it’s theft! -Since these idiots were taking advantage of the error. Dishonestly.
Yes the machine had a fault, but these people realised that and exploited it, they didn’t just “accidentally” get handfuls of extra cash “by mistake”. Get the police involved. Sorry, but this is pretty cut and dried.
That guy
Tuesday, July 12, 2011 at 4:21 PMActually the ATM is funded by Luna Park suggesting that the employees stole from their employer, it’s not the machines fault when a inept employee cashed it incorrectly, In Australia if you receive money that you have not requested from an ATM a single occurrence is an error or mistake but subsequent transactions where the goal is obtain money unlawfully is illeagal, with harsh penalties :) just fyi
Owen
Tuesday, July 12, 2011 at 5:53 PMthey’re carnies, what do you expect?
Steve
Tuesday, July 12, 2011 at 11:03 PMConsidering the last few times I’ve been to Luna Park, I’m not really surprised. Some of those stalls are manned by the seediest and unscrupulous carnie-types you’ve ever seen. And here I thought it was just a Simpsons stereotype.
Danny Allen
Thursday, July 14, 2011 at 12:08 AMHarsh man, harsh. ;)