Ten centimeters—that's the distance between me and most ATM buttons. I believe that few people are as bored as me, calculating the distance between me and a stupid machine. But even though those measly ten centimeters between me and the keys seem close enough, it's really difficult for me to reach them.

I'm a 28 year old man who's 1.32m tall. I got a job after graduating from university, and I support myself like other people. However, every time I need to do simple bank deposits and withdrawals, I endure a series of setbacks.

I often have to jump up to reach the money in the withdrawal slot, while watchful eyes peer through the glass door. Facing those ten measly centimeters, I feel annoyed, but I can only say to myself in the end “all right, I'll keep standing on my tiptoes.”

The ATM was invented to facilitate personal banking and improve work efficiency. I used to be afraid to enter the bank hall to do business because I was not tall enough to reach the counter. As a young boy, I would hide behind my mom when we went to the bank. But after getting a job, I got many bank cards.

With these bank cards, I make deposits and withdrawals. I use the cards to shop, pay tuition and transfer money to friends and other people…. The difference is the way I do these things: I don't like to go to the counter. I prefer ATMs, but they too cause me trouble.

I use different strategies for different banks and different ATMs. For those ATMs situated a bit higher, I stand on tiptoe to use my fingers to push the buttons. For the ATM with platforms, I jump up to withdraw and jump down when done. Sometimes I simply can't reach the touch screen. Then I can only turn to the security guard or bank clerk for help with a lot of cash in hand. But I don't know them. Asking a stranger to help me make deposits and withdrawals means they can see my balance on the screen. Though I feel uncomfortable, I have to say “thank you.”

After several such embarrassments, I started paying attention to every ATM I see. And I realized that on the way where I commute to work, there are three banks whose ATM heights suit me. One is Construction Bank of China (CBC), but having no CBC card, I can only withdraw funds. For my own convenience, I use it and ignore the commission charge. Why? Because I feel comfortable using it. Two ATMs at the doorway of the canteen of my weekend school are also at a good height. I usually go to them to do withdrawals and deposits with my Agricultural Bank of China (ABC) card. Near where I live, an Industrial and Commercial Bank of China (ICBC) ATM has a small podium! I can jump up and easily reach the screen, so I go there to save money. When I take the subway, I find the heights of the ATMs inside the subways are suitable, but they aren't necessarily ones I need. Therefore, upon encountering an ATM of a bank whose card I have, I often withdraw money just in case.

Anyway… when I wrote this, even I didn't know I was so boring as to hold all these thoughts in mind. But there is no better way. That's life. When you encounter a problem too many times, you work to find a solution. But why is it always me that has to stand on tiptoe? In this process, I think I have paid enough attention to ATMs, but I still think there are problems. What can those with my height or shorter do? How do the adults on wheelchairs fare with ATMs? I really don't see these people at ATMs. Maybe you would say that they ask others for help or, bidding farewell to ATMs, find another way to do their banking.

Well, you know what we do? We say to ourselves：“all right, we'll just stand on tiptoe”.