National Vending Machine Day, March 7

The M&M's !!! Get the M&M's up up there!! Stupid cat! I guess we'll have to settle for beef jerky again....

I remember, and long for, the days when you opened the cooler, took out your favorite soda and put a nickel on the counter.

Not I suspect they are all part of the IoT.

(He said, as he wrote this reply on his smart phone)

Today's version of the chest cooler with the GLASS bottles of soda. Remember six ounce Cokes?

And yes, there's an irony when one rails against technology while using it as a means to express the railing. That's OK. If humans were consistent the world would be a big bore.

There is much I don't like about these invasive machines.

This technology, "estimates a customer's age, gender and income."

Income????

So, while I'm looking at an artificial image of the product, the machine estimates my age, gender and income and stores it?

I'm unconvinced that facial recognition is not, or will not be, used by this NSA of vending machines.

(Now on my laptop)

National Vending Machine day? I hope this is at most frequent decennial.

Vending machines don't seem to be among the 365 most important things to which we ought dedicate a day. It certainly doesn't have the same importance as mothers, fathers, laborers, veterans, fallen veterans, or active service members. It seems a shame to suggest it might be similarly worthy of special rememberance.

Vending machines are today's commercial no-arm 'slot machines' -- you put your money IN and push a button to see IF you won your prize...unfortunately usually not.

Car vending machine: https://insights.globalspec.com/article/5217/video-the-supercar-vending-machine

There's a Carvana in Tempe Az.

Car "dealers" don't deal anymore.

We looked at a one year old XXX car a few months ago. The sales manager had the audacity to tell me that the asking price was the same price they paid for that vehicle.

I was amazed that he thought people were that dumb.

The building we were in must have cost $5 million to build.

We don't call them stealerships for nothing.

When you look at how state laws are set up, it's a wonder they haven't been challenged for what is essentially racketeering.

I would be perfectly happy to sign the new car paperwork in an office trailer on a dirt parking lot. I'm not looking for the 'buying experience'. The last thing I want from my car dealer is a freaking manicure.

That and the day old donuts to go along with the 6 oz bottles of purified tap water.

National Vending Machine Day!? Now that is ironic. It seems that the vending machine contract at work just lapsed, again. All of the vending machines in my division are now empty. I regularly bring my own snacks, for multiple reasons, so this has very little impact on me but of all days...

... Trade stimulator, auto-mat, vending machine... I'll take any of them over a 15-minute wait at the steak n shake drive-thru!

... When I was a youth it was walk in and grab a Coke from the refrigerated chest cooler ..nod at the barber as you left a quarter on the counter. If you were an adult you could grab a beer and grab a seat in the back room.

Pretty much the same deal with the janitor at school.

but you could also walk into the teachers lounge and use their old-school Coke machine that also gave out bottles 4 a quarter.

Lots of vending memories will have to go get something later.

Oh.. $2 for a cut. But not from a vending machine.

The Japanese have adopted vending machines in a big way. Some street sidewalks are chock-a-block vending machines offering just about everything...

https://www.businessinsider.com/why-so-many-vending-machines-in-japan-2017-1

Two things that have always amazed me about vending machines in Japan are:

1. The variety of things you can purchase in vending machines there (rice, grilled meat, umbrellas, noodles, bras, books, bait, and pornography are just a few things that come to mind)
2. Seeing them in remote locations. Like a lone vending machine along the roads running through rice fields