Bork!Bork!Bork! Sometimes technology is made of sterner stuff than we give credit for, such as this ATM, which has clung on to life – and power – despite the indignities heaped upon it.
Spotted by Register commenter Toonie, today’s entry in the pantheon of public borks is notable not for its ancient operating system, or state of undress, but for the fact that it is functioning at all despite having clearly lived a very tough life.
Our reader spotted the distressed device in 2025 while strolling through the city of Liverpool, England. It has been vandalized and was long out of use, yet, on closer inspection, the CRT was still glowing and stating the admittedly obvious “SORRY OUT OF SERVICE.” Just below, picked out in yellow, is the text “ON-LINE.”
The text looks a little crooked, but let’s face it: someone has had a go at the poor machine with extreme prejudice, and the fitment of the bezel can hardly be called square. So we can forgive the askew letters this time.
The “ON-LINE” text must mean that somewhere a management console is reporting that the ATM is still connected to the network, even though it is unlikely to fulfill its design purpose without substantial reconditioning.
Our reader checked a popular street view service and found that the ATM had been out of service at least as far back as March 2023, although it looked in better condition then.
They also pondered: “Who is paying the electricity bill for this?” The ATM itself is in the wall of an abandoned retail unit, its screen still glowing like part of some dystopian video game or depressingly likely science-fiction flick.
Still, in an age where a computer or phone might suddenly stop working if looked at a bit funny or left outside on a typically drizzly day in the UK, it’s reassuring to note that some technology is made of sterner stuff, with a newfound purpose of simply staying alive rather than merely dispensing cash to Liverpool’s multitudes. ®