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Abu Dhabi, Where The ATMs Are Filled With Gold
Well, there are some places where the Gilded Age lives on! Like the sorta-locale for Sex And The City 2 Abu Dhabi, where one of the fancier hotels now has a gold-dispensing ATM. This machine — which I guess could be alternately referred to as an "AMM," but never an "AMM machine" — keeps track of the current price of the precious metal (currently $1,245 an ounce) and offers dispensation in either small bar or coin form. The coins are even customizable. I wonder if the designs are at all similar to the ones laid down by those penny-stamping machines we see at rest stops? After all, it's nice to have souvenirs of fancy vacations!
Ha – that the Emirates Palace would do something like this is no surprise. I was there a year or so ago – the coffee/tea shop in the lobby offered a cup of fresh-brewed something or other in a cup lined with gold flakes. For the bargain price of $120. If you're Emirati, gotta find something to spend all that money on – you pay no income tax and the govt buys you a house. Gold-stuffed grape leaves, anyone?
It's kinda nuts, yes. But also relatively common because the Koran forbids usury, and so I guess credit cards are out for Muslims. Or something like that.
(I know this wasn't nearly cogent enough for the full rainbow treatment, but screw it: the more you know!)
Of course, finance always finds a way to get around those pesky religious edicts. It's a burgeoning sector of the financial industry, as well as being totally hilarious.
Wait, how does this prevent usury? Isn't "I'll give you one gold bar today if you pay me back two gold bars tomorrow" still in play here?
I'm sorry, but I prefer to carry my pocket change in bearer bonds.
I'm fairly certain Nermal is there too.
Gold coins will class up hooker transactions – they're so much more gifty than cash.
I miss the days when you could use share certificates.
Sneaky anarcho-capitalists…