For more than a month, the vending machines have been missing from my office building’s dining area. My co-workers and I were alarmed because we didn’t know when the machines would be brought back, or even, if they would be.
I cringed working late at night knowing that no refreshments could be had conveniently, which normally were just a staircase away. While I, like many consumers, have taken to bringing their beverages of choice from home, if I happened to desire another drink or forgot one that day, I was out of luck. Then, late one night in December, I saw the illuminated vending machines’ reflected in my office building’s windows. The machines were back with the same beverages, but new graphics decorated their exteriors. “Ice Cold Drinks,” one machine glistened with its $1 bill acceptor all a glow. “Merry Christmas,” I thought, and I looked closely and saw that the drinks were a nickel more.