In an effort to have a quick lunch, I hit the vending machine. Yummy, right?

It's a fair vending machine, with fair vending machine stuff in it; salads, sandwiches, soups. Not great, but 20-30 minutes faster than running out to the nearest place. I spun the selector around, looking for something not horribly lacking in nutrition. The one salad they had in there was covered in cold fried chicken, so I passed. I spotted a simple cold-cut sandwich, for two-bucks, with a slice of salami-looking meat and another of cheese-like food between thinly sliced wheat-bread-colored bread. Could do worse, didn't look like much better in there. That, some Cheetos and a diet soda; what every developer eats for lunch. So a two-dollar sandwich, and less than that again for the crisps and soda, not bad for a time-saver.

In the wallet, though, just a couple of twenties. Next to the vending machine is a change machine that takes twenties, and I've used it in the past. It spits out about sixteen dollar coins and a fight-worthy fist full of quarters for the other four bucks. Then you get to spend time feeding the machine, and carry the rest around bulging and jingling in your pocket. I always try to get rid of the quarters first...to reduce the bulk.

I also noticed that the sandwich machine took twenties. I paused, but then figured the worst that would happen is that it, too, would give me a wad of change to bulge and jingle in my pocket. I put in my twenty, noticed it recognized on the display, slid the door open for my two-buck sandwich. The machine kindly spit out a triple-serving of five-dollar bills.

I waited for a couple of singles or a flush of coins out the dispenser, but it never came. My two-dollar sandwich cost me five dollars because the vending machine ripped me off.

I guess there's a benefit to taking that jingling change after all.