By PEARL GWIN
Page Editor
I’ve noticed that within almost all of the lobbies at Amarillo College, there’s usually at least one vending machine. Whether someone needs a drink to help that math problem go down, a snack to ease the pain of an English assignment or you just need something sweet to get through the day, vending machines are a great way to kill a craving.
What I didn’t realize, until near the end of last year, was that every vending machine has different prices. I most often relax in Parcells Hall since there are so many places to sit, plenty of charging spots and, of course, vending machines on every floor. When I first began taking classes in Parcells, I would get a drink from the first floor. Convenient as it was, it began becoming less convenient after I started having classes on the fourth floor.
Now, I can’t say the same for any of the other buildings, but I do know now that the fourth floor machine sells many of the same snacks at a cheaper price than machines on other floors. Some items can be found for nearly $1.50 less, which is a bit odd to me to say the least. Don’t get me wrong, it’s been nice to have the extra money to get another drink later on in the day.
It’s not just Parcells Hall, almost all the different vending machines I have bought from have a small difference in price. All across campus there are vending machines in every corner, all of them having similar products. After finding that in one building there is such a difference in cost, it seems appropriate to worry about the other prices. It may be less convenient to go halfway across campus to get water for a dollar cheaper, but to me, it’s worth it.
It would be nice to have an average price they all stuck to. It would make finding a good drink in one building easier than going to every floor in search of the best price. All this to say, sometimes people have to pay for convenience, even with vending machines. It’s at least nice to know there’s always a cheaper option.
Leave a Reply