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!
