Here's your change, idiot!

Nick and I ran across a machine with a real bad attitude the other day. Now, before I tell you about it, I should just say that in some ways I can hardly blame it. The machine was in a group of machines labeled "Balanced Choice". Also, the machine was clearly labeled on the side as a bottled water vending machine. So, you can just imagine that here is this machine, thinking it is going to sell pure, fresh, bottled water in the "Balanced Choice" department, but then its true fate became obvious. This particular machine was not full of water, but instead was full of soda pop and "juice" (think flavored corn syrup). This obviously had it somewhat disillusioned with its job.

Back to the story. Nick decided he was going to purchase one of the drinks from this particular machine so he put a dollar bill into the slot and pushed the appropriate selection buttons. At this point, the machine slid his dollar bill back out and flashed "$1.40" on its display as if tapping its foot on the floor. I think it probably longed for eyes it could roll at that point.

Nick, realizing his mistake, then put 2 dollar bills into the slot and pushed the appropriate selection buttons once again. The machine threw the soda bottle down into the dispenser and literally spit 60 cents out onto the floor for Nick to gather up. "Here's your change, idiot!", the machine thought to itself. "Not only do you think that soda and corn syrup are balanced choices, but you can't even read or count."

We haven't gone back to that machine since then to see if it is in a better mood. Maybe we should. Maybe it needs a friend.