In a world like ours, everything is done quickly. Customers demand products at such a fast rate today that even places like fast food can deliver their items slowly. I was at taco bell last night, and it took the workers 5 WHOLE minutes to prepare my order of 2 burritos and nachos. I began to become frustrated and I nearly became angry. I had to check myself, and this made me wonder, "What are we coming to?"
The push to deliver items quickly has birthed what I call a modern marvel- vending machines. You can practically get anything from these rectangular shaped supermarkets these days, and if you live in Japan, your world just might revolve around these machines. In the US, as far as I know, you can get anything from snacks (chips, cookies, etc.) to chewing gum and ice cream. In Japan, however, the selection ranges from and includes snacks, neck ties, cigarettes, condoms, and even cars. How nifty, but there's a catch.
I've never been to Japan, but I know that here in the States, God bless it, companies have taken advantage of the convenience and quick service that vending machines provide by jacking up the prices of their items. This is especially true at Oglethorpe University. I don't know why a bag of chips should ever cost a whole dollar or why peanuts should cost 85 cents. When I visited Emory University, located 12-18minutes away from OU, the prices of chips were 50 cents! What a gip!
This definitely stifles any consumer incentive to use vending machines at all!
Anyway, my little rant is over.
I'd like to end on a good note and say there is one good thing about vending machines- especially REALLY old ones. The good thing is that they're really old. That means that you're more likely to get more "bang for your buck". Last summer as I drove back from History Fair, our group stopped at a rest stop. I paid 50 cents for a bag of bugles, and I got 3 bags! Talk about a gift from above.
Viewers, have you ever received such amazing luck?
What's the most interesting thing you're received from a vending machine, and where did you buy it?
Thanks for reading!
5 comments:
Vending machines in the states have some of those other items you mentioned too. At the Johns Hopkins library there is a vending machine with all school supplies in it, pencils, erasers, staples, etc. I don't remember where I was, but one time I paid for one soda, got 3 and then pressed the coin return and got all my money back. That was pretty sweet. In 8th grade, two boys and I were in charge of refilling our cafeteria's vending machines. That was pretty fun.
Whoa!
I thought only Irish folk get such amazing luck, Cass. That's crazy. I did not know that JHU was up on the vending machine scene. I guess all cutting edge Universities are, huh?
You forgot the girls' panties they have in vending machines in Japan. Did you tell me about that or someone else? I just heard it...
I like how you can talk about things like vending machines in this here blog. It makes things interesting. YOU'RE interesting. ^ ^
Actually, I'm a quarter Irish :) Yep, JHU is up there with the rest of em!
Girls for the most part are certainly attentive, emotional, observant and involved. However, we are well capable of becoming cold, calculating and conniving (note the alliteration...the product of one's ridiculous love of English). I'm sure the penis wielding audience is well aware of the skills possessed by those with a vagina. From my point of view all, all types of females--from the sluts to the socially inept, the self centered to the extroverts and the athletes to the posers--only want one thing. Success and recognition. Whether within their field (for those driven by competition) or within a social realm, we only want to be recognized to some degree. Even the reclusive have the desire. Everyone knows when some one is a socially inept shut it, and even if one does not accept the status, it become something of a term with which they identify. They may become (or may already be) content with their standing in society. The same is true for the sluts. Girls hate sluts. Even other sluts. But the hatred is recognition. Like dogs who bark too much, acknowledging and scolding will only enforce the behavior, much like scoffing at the slut doing a lap dance to some random guy enforces that behavior. It's what they want. It's what we all want. Recognition, acknowledgment. Selfish? Perhaps. But in a world ruled by men maybe that's all we can do. I don't believe that though. I think we do it because we like it; because we love how it feels. Even when the "talk" is negative...it's still talk. And talk means that maybe, just maybe, someone important will recognize us for more than what we seem to be.
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