Japan Vending Machines To Automatically Offer Free Food If Earthquakes Hit (theguardian.com) 45
An anonymous reader quotes a report from The Guardian: Japan has extended its natural disaster preparations to vending machines, which will offer free food and drink in the event of a major earthquake or typhoon. Two machines have been installed in the western coastal city of Ako, located in a region that seismologists say is vulnerable to a powerful earthquake that is expected to hit the country's central and south-west pacific coast in the next few decades. The machines, which contain about 300 bottles and cans of soft drinks and 150 emergency food items, including nutritional supplements, have been installed near buildings that have been designated as evacuation shelters.
They are designed to "unlock" and make their contents available free of charge in the event of a heavy rain warning, or an evacuation order after a quake of an upper five or higher on the Japanese seismic intensity scale of seven, according to the Mainichi Shimbun. Their contents must be paid for the rest of the time, the newspaper added. The manufacturer, Earth Corp, which has a factory in the city, says the machines are the first of their kind in Japan, one of the world's most seismically active countries, and where increasingly powerful typhoons have caused widespread flooding and landslides in recent years. "We would like to install [the machines] throughout the country," a company representative told the Mainichi. A city official said: "We expect that the stockpile will lead to the safety and security of our residents." Earlier this year, a vending machine with a radio that will automatically issue emergency broadcasts was set up in a park in Tokyo. "The radio will be activated by earthquakes registering 5 or higher on the Japanese intensity scale, and transmit evacuation and other vital information from a local community radio station," reports the Guardian.
They are designed to "unlock" and make their contents available free of charge in the event of a heavy rain warning, or an evacuation order after a quake of an upper five or higher on the Japanese seismic intensity scale of seven, according to the Mainichi Shimbun. Their contents must be paid for the rest of the time, the newspaper added. The manufacturer, Earth Corp, which has a factory in the city, says the machines are the first of their kind in Japan, one of the world's most seismically active countries, and where increasingly powerful typhoons have caused widespread flooding and landslides in recent years. "We would like to install [the machines] throughout the country," a company representative told the Mainichi. A city official said: "We expect that the stockpile will lead to the safety and security of our residents." Earlier this year, a vending machine with a radio that will automatically issue emergency broadcasts was set up in a park in Tokyo. "The radio will be activated by earthquakes registering 5 or higher on the Japanese intensity scale, and transmit evacuation and other vital information from a local community radio station," reports the Guardian.
Already available in other countries (Score:1)
Oh yeah, there were also "free" TVs in stores.
Seriously, maybe vending machine operators in other countries and their insurers might prefer to have this option to reduce the odds of looters smashing the machine.
Looters might still smash the machines though...
Re: Already available in other countries (Score:4, Insightful)
You're... you're not very familiar with Japanese society, are you? Very low crime. Heck, very low /littering/.
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According to many accounts, Hiroshima were not Decisive into Japan's surrender and it was more the soviet entering the war. Germany was already defeated and the war would have been over regardless of the use of the bombs.
The fact you are celebrating 150k dead, especially since it likely at best only sped up the outcome by a few weeks is really sad... particularly if you count the innocent civilians and repercussions to this day (atomic cloud went global and everything is slightly radioactive to this day wor
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Way to bring up an issue with the US ally Japanese that is 70 years out of date. Do you harbor resentment toward the British for burning down our capital in the war of 1812 as well?
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Do you harbor resentment toward the British for burning down our capital in the war of 1812 as well?
Capitol building, not capital city, big difference :) Rather restrained, given that you invaded Canada.
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I am fully aware of the history involved and thank you for correcting my inappropriate use of language. Please go away now.
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Re: Already available in other countries (Score:2)
Japan is much more restrained. Yes they have their self centered assholes too but not enough that everything has to be bolted down, welded shut, put in thick metal cages, and otherwise big baby proofed.
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Tragedy of the commons will hit. (Score:1)
Noble idea, but I guarantee you the first person who comes across the machine will take all they can. And the next person will do the same.
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Hardly. The Japanese will line up, get one each, and be saved the next day. Except for those that will die in the tsunami if one hits, or in the fires, if they happen to live in a block with a lot of old housing grandfathered from obeying quake safety laws.
and what exactly is the point of this? (Score:2)
Seriously what does this comment have to do with anything?
Re: and what exactly is the point of this? (Score:2)
Good idea (Score:5, Funny)
Hopefully the panties will be dispensed for free in such times of need
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Why even need panties? Don't wear them. :)
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Why even need panties? Don't wear them. :)
Who said anything about wearing them
This is a great idea for Japan (Score:3)
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In the US, you just back into it with your pickup truck. If that doesn't work, you chain it to your pickup and drive away.
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Yeah, imagine this, a building full of lardballs jumping about. Building codes never accounted for that.
If done in America (Score:2)
I'm sure the designers would be aware of these hacks and make the machine rely on a signal from America's EAS, as well as an armored cable leading to a seismometer that is out of reach from people looking for free grub.
It woukd be easier to do a 5 finger discount from your local mart, especially in areas where the ability to procecute shoplifting is hamstrung.
Give it 1 month and some enterprising a-hole (Score:2)
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The boxen will most likely be getting a signal from the earthquake warning system to turn on this free dispenser mode.
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Which ones? I was in Kobe in February '95 and in Ibaraki in March '11.
Re: Give it 1 month and some enterprising a-hole (Score:2)
Radio. This is why when a large scale disaster strikes, you see ham radio operators come in to assist.
Ham will work when cell phone service and even emergency services' trunked radio gets knocked offline by a major disaster
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Here in the US? No doubt. Hell... if vending machine operators were as trusting when locating and stocking them here as they are in Japan, I'm pretty sure our local scum wouldn't even bother with simulating an earthquake. They'd just push them over and break in with pry-bars. Or they'd bring a truck and steal the whole machine.
Japan, though, has significantly fewer criminally-selfish antisocial assholes than we do.
No answering to the Coca-Cola company? (Score:3)
Cool!
Obligatory video clip from Dr. Strangelove:
https://youtu.be/DUAK7t3Lf8s [youtu.be]
All vending machines do this. (Score:3)
Re: All vending machines do this. (Score:2)
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In the US... (Score:2, Funny)
Earthquake!! (Score:2)
But (Score:3)
Will it still work when the power is out?
Re:But (Score:4, Insightful)
They have actually had these for some years now. I've seen a few and as well as vending drinks and food, they claim they will let people charge their phones and offer wifi too.
They have backup batteries and some have solar panels, so they will work for a while even with loss of grid power.
Re: But (Score:2)
And when that fails, a nice heavy rock does the trick.
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I hope this comes to the US (Score:2)
So when your candy bar gets suck in those damn turning metal spiral things, shaking it would get you your candy bar and a whole lot more.
Though in reality, I expect that these things would rely on a signal from Japan's earthquake early warning system and a local seismometer (as backup) that isn't inside the machine itself.