# Bonus from the snack machine: what to do? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [October 16, 2013, 5:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bonus-from-the-snack-machine-what-to-do/671415 "2013-10-16T17:47:06Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![MeanOldLady](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/meanoldlady/32/10737_2.png) [@MeanOldLady](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MeanOldLady)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2013, 5:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bonus-from-the-snack-machine-what-to-do/671415/41 "2013-10-17T17:14:31Z")
I need to know who voted “Call the vending machine company” and if that person was being serious. ---
**Author:** ![msmith537](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d9b06d/32.png) [@msmith537](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/msmith537)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2013, 6:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bonus-from-the-snack-machine-what-to-do/671415/42 "2013-10-17T18:04:55Z")
You guys actually put money into vending machines instead of just smashing them open and taking what you want? Losers. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2013, 6:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bonus-from-the-snack-machine-what-to-do/671415/43 "2013-10-17T18:15:16Z")
> [@kayaker](#): > > Now MOL, get outa my head. Shoulda kept my mouth shut; she got out, leaving a vacuum. ---
**Author:** ![TBG](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c89c15/32.png) [@TBG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TBG)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2013, 11:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bonus-from-the-snack-machine-what-to-do/671415/44 "2013-10-17T23:35:41Z")
The only correct thing to do is stand by the vending machine until it’s next restocked then explain the situation to whoever is doing that. Hope you brought lunch! ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2013, 6:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bonus-from-the-snack-machine-what-to-do/671415/45 "2013-10-18T06:11:19Z")
Take it, and drop some coins in a charity collection box somewhere. If you leave it, either someone else gets it for nothing, or someone else throws it away. ---
**Author:** ![drewtwo99](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d07c76/32.png) [@drewtwo99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drewtwo99)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2013, 8:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bonus-from-the-snack-machine-what-to-do/671415/46 "2013-10-18T08:29:37Z")
My first course of action would be to form an exploratory committee to determine all possible courses of action for what to do about the errant vending machine. After an exhaustive list of all possible actions has been determined, each will be considered by their own committees consisting of no fewer than 10 democrats, 10 republicans, and 10 independents. I will make sure that all racial minorities, genders, and sexual identities and orientations are proportionately represented (based on expensive demographic information we will obtain on the location of the vending machine and all likely customers). It gets a lot more complicated from there, so I’ll just leave it at that. ---
**Author:** ![handsomeharry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e9c0ed/32.png) [@handsomeharry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handsomeharry)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2013, 9:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bonus-from-the-snack-machine-what-to-do/671415/47 "2013-10-18T09:09:33Z")
> [@DCnDC](#): > > I was just at the snack vending machine. I put my dollar in, made my selection, watched the coil spin, and instead of my bag of chips dropping, it’s left hanging at the end of the coil. Fuck! I gave the machine a little shake and it remained stuck. > > So, figuring I’ll probably want a bag of chips again tomorrow (or some other point in the future), I went ahead and slid another dollar in and made the same selection. The coil spins, the first bag drops, and of course the second bag is left hanging. Fuck! Again, I give the machine a shove, and this time the bag drops, along with a Mr. Goodbar from a lower coil in the machine. > > I take the 2 bags of chips I paid for. But what to do with the “free” Mr. Goodbar? > > More to the point (seeing that I already took it), what would _you_ do with the free Mr. Goodbar? > > a) Take it. The next person to come along is just going to take it anyway. Plus, don’t they owe you for pain and suffering? > > b) Leave it. You didn’t pay for it, so you have no right to it, no matter what the next person does. > > c) Pay it forward: give it away. > > d) Be good. Call the vending machine company. > > e) Something else. I’d put an ad in the newspaper. With all of the competition from the free ads sources, the ad shouldn’t cost more than 30 or 40 dollars, and it would reach a wider audience. ---
**Author:** ![PunditLisa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/4af34b/32.png) [@PunditLisa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PunditLisa)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2013, 10:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bonus-from-the-snack-machine-what-to-do/671415/48 "2013-10-18T10:57:16Z")
Take it. Eat it. Give it away. Throw it away. It doesn’t matter. We all know the risks of using vending machines. Sometimes you get what you paid for, most times you don’t. Sometimes, the machine rejects your dollar, even after you iron it a hundred times with your hand. Other times it’ll gladly accept your two quarters and a dime, but will refuse to acknowledge or return them. Other times, in your low-blood sugar haze, you’ll press the “5” instead of the “7” and end up with stale chewing gum instead of Peanut M&Ms; Still other times, the M&Ms are pushed thisclose to the ledge, but refuses to make the final leap – even when you pound on the machine and yell, “Jump, motherfucker, jump!” P.S. That’s why you’ll never see ME buying an iPad from an airport vending machine! ---
**Author:** ![jabiru](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/bbce88/32.png) [@jabiru](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jabiru)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2013, 12:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bonus-from-the-snack-machine-what-to-do/671415/49 "2013-10-18T12:43:15Z")
> [@Sudden\_Kestrel](#): > > I’d take the candy. It all evens out over your lifetime. > > Besides, Mr. Goodbars are tasty. No it doesn’t. I think I’ve scored an unpaid for chocolate or packet of chips once or twice at most in my life. I’ve been screwed out of my dollar (or 50cents or 2/6) many, many more times. For that reason alone, I’d take it. ---
**Author:** ![Kenm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/bc79bd/32.png) [@Kenm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kenm)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2013, 2:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bonus-from-the-snack-machine-what-to-do/671415/50 "2013-10-18T14:59:38Z")
> [@PunditLisa](#): > > P.S. That’s why you’ll never see ME buying an iPad from an airport vending machine! But you can buy an airport vending machine from an iPad. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bonus-from-the-snack-machine-what-to-do/671415.md?page=2)