The singleminded adventures of hcs

hcs

Active member
I needed to print out a few things for school, so I decided to head over to the campus computer lab, which is open 24 hours. I was also thirsty, so I decided to purchase a tasty beverage from the vending machines located there. I had no cash, however, only $1 in change (3 quarters, 3 nickels, 1 dime) that I had picked up over the course of the week, 25 cents short of the price of a 20 oz soda. My roommates were asleep so I couldn't bother them for money... so I decided to see if the ATM in the credit union drive through was indeed open 24 hours. It was, so I withdrew $40, grudgingly paying the $1.25 service charge (ironically the same price as the soda I wanted), realizing too late that it gave me two twenties, which no vending machine on earth takes.
So I arrive at the lab, make my printouts, then go over to the vending machines. I find a dime in the change slot of one, and another dime under the same machine. I also find 3 pennies, but these are worthless to such machines. So I put my $1.20 into the machine, to verify my count and hold it until I can find another 5 cents. Nothing is found. So I decide to get my change back, maybe look somewhere else for at least a nickel. The damned thing only gives me back $1 (3 quarters, 2 dimes, and a nickel). So now I'm back where I started.
I then get up the nerve to ask someone for change of a $20. Forunately someone had it (though I wound up with a lot of quarters, apparently she has been running a bake sale).
With my Pepsi in hand I proceeded to this other lab to do my work (I didn't want to return to my dorm, since I'd disturb my roommates, and the main lab is monitored and they don't let you eat or drink in it). There are 5 connected buldings that make up the engineering complex at Rutgers (Fiber Optics, Ceramics, The Engineering Building (really 4 buildings in itself), Hill Center for the Mathematical Sciences, and CoRE (Computing Research and Education, where I have my new job)). Supposedly all of these buildings are locked at 4:00 AM, but my experience has shown that they always forget to lock at least one door. The left door at the top of the handicapped ramp at one entrance to the engineering building was unlocked, so I walked in there and over to Hill, where the Computer Science labs are. Here I opened the door to a lab that is always left unlocked (the door has an electronic lock, but you have to push it closed to get the lock to engage and no one ever does), though I have a card to access it anyway. I turned on the lights, hooked my iPod up to the speakers on a machine, and started typing this up. Now maybe I can get to work, having thus unburdened myself.

Ah, almost forgot, I also found a dime on my way to this lab :)<P ID="edit"><FONT class="small">Edited by hcs on 03/09/06 05:05 AM.</FONT></P>
 
> $1 in change (3 quarters, 3 nickels, 1
> dime) that I had picked up over the course of the week, 25
> cents short of the price of a 20 oz soda.

Which is why I never buy anything smaller than a 2-liter bottle.

Why pay $1.25 for a 20 oz. when you can get 2 liters for $1.20 (or sometimes even under a buck if they're on sale). I would say vending machines are ripoffs -- but they're not really. 20 oz. bottles cost that much in store, too. I still don't understand why anyone would buy them when they're sitting right next to the cheaper, bigger 2 liters.
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They're colder.
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> They're colder.

Huh?

> And more portable.

True. But seeing as how I go through a 20 oz in like 5 seconds, portability becomes moot. It goes in the trash about 2 minutes after I buy it.

Besides, in high school I didn't have much of a problem carrying around a 2-liter in my backpack (stacked upright next to my books).

> And cause less diabetes.

Huh?

Even if you only drink 20 oz out of the 2-liter bottle and throw the rest away -- you still payed less for the 2-liter, making it worth the purchase.
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> > They're colder.
>
> Huh?

Well firstly, show me a vending machine that has 2 liter bottles of soda.

But my point was that I can go to a supermarket and 8/10 gas stations and buy a 2 liter bottle of coke/pepsi for like a dollar...or a 20 oz. for more money. The 20 oz is cold, the 2 liter is not. Generally speaking, people like their soda cold.

This is all moot because I do agree with you, in theory. I always buy the 2 liter bottles when I go food shopping because they are cheaper and they have more soda. But when I'm at work or driving in my car and I need a drink, I spend a lil more and get less soda that is instantly drinkable in a portable size.
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> But when
> I'm at work or driving in my car and I need a drink, I spend
> a lil more and get less soda that is instantly drinkable in
> a portable size.

When I'm feeling thrifty, I'll buy a six pack of whatever bottled soda from the grocery store, refrigerate them, and then take one with me when I leave the apartment. It's cheaper than vending machines and still cold (for a while, anyway).
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> Well firstly, show me a vending machine that has 2 liter bottles of soda.

This is the point. Had it been daytime (rather than 4 AM) I would have gone to a store and used a credit card to get whatever (or more likely gone to the dining hall and gotten all-you-can-eat-and-drink-which-I-already-paid-for-this-semester). But it was late/early, and only the robot vendors were open. When will those bastards start taking credit cards. And not stealing 20 hard earned cents.
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