BATROPOLITAN DIARY. [Oops! This post originally appeared prematurely. It's staying here, but in a revised form.--Dept. of Corrections Corrections] A mother was driving her son. Approaching a local gas station, she gasped at the rising prices and then commented upon a large sign that had long puzzled her.

"What does ATM stand for?" she asked.

"Automated Teller Machine," answered her son. "But considering the prices on those gasoline pumps, perhaps it actually means Automated Taking Machines!"

The mother burst out laughing. "You ought to send that in!" she exclaimed as her car swerved into oncoming traffic.