subject: Vending Machines Are Here To Stay [print this page] We all like to get our snack on from time to time, and vending machines allow us the opportunity to do wherever we may be. It may not be the best option when it comes to eating, but modern vending business are not shy of catering to the needs of the healthy conscious eaters just like they did for decades for the careless peckish types. It wasn't until the 1880's that automated vendors made their first appearance stateside, when the Thomas Adams Company manufactured the Tutti-Frutti gum dispensers and placed them in a bunch of New York trains stations, to great success.
People the world over, regardless of race, color, or creed, share a common bond; we all love stuff to be convenient and free from any sort of hard work. This is why fast food restaurants and remote controlled devices are so popular, while ordering stuff online has seen growth year on year even in the current economic environment.
Automated vendors are now in your cafeteria at work, lurking round every corner of the mall, waiting to dispense your daily newspaper, and even right by the front doors of major department stores; just when you think you've bought everything you need at the mega-mart, they remind you that you might just be a little thirsty after your shopping spree. I've always thought it odd that people sell seafood at roadside stands, but it's even more peculiar to get a live crab or lobster from an automated dispenser. The lobster one in particular does bring a wee bit of fun to the vending experience given that it is presented in the form of one of those claw grab games. It seems Americans have been fast at adapting the automats to the needs of the local people - there are now vending machines in California where you can pick up your medicine; just need someone to place a brownie dispenser beside it and watch the cash roll in.
Progress has been slow for vendor technology over the past 30 years, but we see more debit and credit cards slots being added, and many of the larger retail companies have made a shift to remote vending, where they can change prices, add discounts etc., without a technician having to physically go on the premises.
However old or new the vending machines are, they have one thing in common: it seems they still get the munchies and decide to ingest our coins with no intention of ever giving them back, or the product we ordered. My advice is simple if you want to avoid any or all of these mishaps; make yourself a sandwich or a pot of coffee and blame it on the economic downturn.
