SHOW ME THE MONEY

Last night before the world cup game I realized my Euro situation was lacking so it was time to go re-stock. I went off in search of an ATM machine. I was feeling afraid to ask anyone on the street because (obviously) I think that would just be a bad idea. Then I saw 2 police officers so I asked them

"excuse me, where can I find an ATM?"

they both looked at each other and at me then directed me down to one of the metro centers underground (where I had just come from) ... and I thought to myself about what was down there :

Thats basically what it looks like down there, so that couldn't have been right. I asked them agian but this time said " a machine to get Euro's from" and showed them a card that looked like a credit card. Then there was a moment of realization and they said 50 meters up on the left. They said somthing about the mix up and their public transit but I couldn't completely understand. I thanked them and eventually found what I had been looking for.

Today out of curiosity I googled it (its the American way) and apparently here ATM stands for Azienda Transporti Milanesi ..which IS milan's public transit station. So they thought I wanted to buy a metro ticket and therefore they were giving me PERFECT directions I had just asked for the wrong place. Here an 'ATM' for money is called a 'Bancomat'. I feel like I must have missed some big memo or chapter in the travel books about that one but now I know.