Queues for crisp banknotes do justice to the zodiac sign

Long queues befitting the upcoming zodiac Year of the Snake formed at ATMs islandwide on Jan 14 as office workers and seniors alike arrived to withdraw "hongbao notes" on the first day of issue.

- Carmen Sin and Zachary Lim

More than 125 machines began dispensing crisp banknotes - both new and used - to be stuffed in red packets for Chinese New Year (CNY), which begins on Jan 29.

By midday in central Toa Payoh, waiting times extended to well over an hour at the POSB pop-up ATM, while OCBC and UOB machines nearby drew lunch-hour crowds of some 50 people, despite the drizzle.

At Keat Hong Community Club and selected OCBC branches, elderly customers sat in neat rows of chairs prepared for the annual rush.

Few seemed to mind, though.

Retiree Helen Su, 80, who had stood in line for some two hours, said the long wait is an annual affair. She has been withdrawing fresh notes for many years now as a "symbol of new beginnings".

She said: "E-hongbao are a big no for me. It's a loss of the tradition of paying respect to your elders, and (the young) won't feel a need to bai nian", referring to the CNY custom of visiting friends' and relatives' homes.