It wasn’t the same. The Köln system is still there, it has automated stations where you drop off the and retrieve the luggage. From there it disappears off to an unseen underground storage system. The Dusseldorf machine was like a conventional vending machine with the goods on display, just much larger.
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Vending machines
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C J Snarzell
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When I was 20, I worked for Tibbett & Britten in a large distribution depot. I had a verbal warning issued for trying to vandalise a vending machine in the staff canteen.
It was one of the vending machines that has crisps, chocolate & cans of pop slotted inbetween metal coils. I purchased a bag of McCoy's crisps that conveniently got wedged precariously on the edge of the coil rather than drop into the container hatch at the bottom. I then tried to 'rock' the machine to loosen the crisps but was challenged by the shop floor jobsworth who decided to enhance his career prospects and report me.
Unfortunately, the week before I had experienced the same situation in which I tried to adopt a sensible approach and seek out the canteen manager who had the keys to the vending machines.
By the time we walked back to the canteen, in our absence, another warehouse worker had clearly seen my 'wedged' McCoy's crisps and decided to use the Fred Flintstone approach to earn himself a free bag. The Canteen Manager refused to give me another bag of crisps because - A) it would be a loss to his stock giving me a second bag & B) he thought I was trying it on when the 'wedged' evidence had gone.
Fast forward a week later and I was determine not to be left out of pocket for the pricely sum of 40p and I adopted the physical approach only to be b*****ked by my team leader.
From that day forth - I have never used a coil vending machine and I always remind myself of that occasion which is twenty years ago now. I'm sure it is now more than 40p for a bag of McCoy's too!!!
CJ
It was one of the vending machines that has crisps, chocolate & cans of pop slotted inbetween metal coils. I purchased a bag of McCoy's crisps that conveniently got wedged precariously on the edge of the coil rather than drop into the container hatch at the bottom. I then tried to 'rock' the machine to loosen the crisps but was challenged by the shop floor jobsworth who decided to enhance his career prospects and report me.
Unfortunately, the week before I had experienced the same situation in which I tried to adopt a sensible approach and seek out the canteen manager who had the keys to the vending machines.
By the time we walked back to the canteen, in our absence, another warehouse worker had clearly seen my 'wedged' McCoy's crisps and decided to use the Fred Flintstone approach to earn himself a free bag. The Canteen Manager refused to give me another bag of crisps because - A) it would be a loss to his stock giving me a second bag & B) he thought I was trying it on when the 'wedged' evidence had gone.
Fast forward a week later and I was determine not to be left out of pocket for the pricely sum of 40p and I adopted the physical approach only to be b*****ked by my team leader.
From that day forth - I have never used a coil vending machine and I always remind myself of that occasion which is twenty years ago now. I'm sure it is now more than 40p for a bag of McCoy's too!!!
CJ
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From a vending machine it would be at least a pound these days!
I once saw a colleague use his phone to cheat a vending machine. It had the beam to detect the items dropping down. He defeated it somehow, leading the machine to think the product had got stuck. It refunded the money and he got the product!
In Germany I have seen machines dispensing fairly high value stuff like phone chargers and memory cards. Presumably they have a smarter system than a light beam.
I think the growth of contactless payments will see a resurgence of vending machines for all sorts of things. Prepaid card vending systems are already common in schools etc.
py_megapixel
Established Member
Bletchleyite
Veteran Member
You could rig something that would charge a contactless transaction (which if fraudulent would be refunded) but I don't believe it's possible to swipe the card details in that manner any more than it is with Chip and PIN - breaches now are happening from the magstripe and from breaching online records of card details.
I see im always kinda worried using contactless pads at TVMs , vending machines or ramdon corner shops !
The pad, if they are unsupervised , can they be rigged? I know chip and pins can be.
py_megapixel
Established Member
Probably so. But I'd wager you're equally likely to have your card details stolen from an ATM, or even just by leaving your card somewhere by mistake.
I don't tend to use Contactless that much personally.
Bletchleyite
Veteran Member
You need not worry about using contactless, as if you report fraud it WILL be refunded, that was the deal the banks had to agree in return for stopping using the PIN for some transactions.
Contactless and chip transactions are encrypted and pretty secure, you can’t just intercept the card details during a transaction and go on a spree. The weakness is on magnetic stripes, if they can be read and cloned it only needs the pin to attempt fraudulent transactions. This is why cloned cards are often used in far away places where the mag stripe still rules. A few years ago somebody attempted to use my card in Indonesia, despite it still being with me in London. The bank refused the transactions so I lost nothing and just got a new card.
The pin is usually obtained by covert cameras or watching over shoulders. That is why I am cautious of using pin pads in open or unsupervised locations, I certainly wouldn’t use one on a vending machine although I will happily use contactless in the same setting.
The pin is usually obtained by covert cameras or watching over shoulders. That is why I am cautious of using pin pads in open or unsupervised locations, I certainly wouldn’t use one on a vending machine although I will happily use contactless in the same setting.
Yeah im cautious of using ATMs outside , i wll often go inside the bank to use one. Certainly dont use these ATMs in corner shops, dont trust them.
Honestly a situation like that at such a young age would almost be enough to make someone join the police in order to fight injustice in the world...
py_megapixel
Established Member
Not really off-topic at all, and I haven't heard that but it's something I've been wondering about them possibly doing...
I think it would be a bad idea personally, as I think people like the personal experience of getting a snack/drink from the catering staff rather than going to a machine... I know I'd be less likely to get up and walk along the train for "just another vending machine" than for a proper buffet car
Bletchleyite
Veteran Member
I would not buy on-train coffee if it was normal vending machine garbage. I'd be more than happy with a Costa machine with a contactless pad on it, though. Fresh (non-UHT) milk is an essential.
I dread to think what contraption they'd have to come up with to dispense coffee at a reasonable price which was safe to carry down the train. Presumably stone cold instant with powdered milk. Not that it would ever be running, because the turnaround times at the terminus wouldn't be long enough for somebody to unblock the powder clog in the milk chute
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