Weird Stuff You Can Get From Vending Machines

The new pizza-dispensing ATM at Xavier University may be the greatest vending machine of all time. That made me wonder -- what other weird or wonderful items could I get from a machine? I took a (digital) journey around the world to bring you the latest in vending machine technology. So, how about a machine that dispenses...

First Aid

The pizza machine was developed in France, but this device is all-American. In fact, it was conceived by a 14-year-old in Alabama after noticing how hard it was to find a bandage at baseball games and amusement parks. He's received $100,000 in investments, created a working model, and has orders from Six Flags. ABC News says the machine dispenses treatments for "cuts, sunburns, bee stings, and blisters," along with "individual supplies like bandages, gauze pads, and rubber gloves." And the creator, Tyler Rosenthal, is probably going to be rich while he's still in high school, which should be fun to watch.

Cupcakes

image via Orlando Sentinel

Bakery Sprinkles has opened the first ATMs that dispense fresh cupcakes 24 hours a day. You can find these miraculous machines all around the country, from Arizona to New York. They're attached to Sprinkles bakeries, so the cupcakes don't have to travel to get to you. They're made fresh throughout the day, including by "the last employee who leaves at night."

Bicycle Parts

image via Pop-Up City

So you're riding your bike around Brooklyn and you get hit by a taxi. Or a pedestrian. Or a police car. The point is, something is going to hit you (this is based on personal experience). The nearest bike shop is far away, or it's closed. Bikestock, based in New York, has the answer -- an ATM for bike repairs. The machine dispenses tools, patch kits, tubes, locks, and rain ponchos. You can also grab a protein bar or a drink to send you on your way to get hit by someone new.

Books

image via Mental Floss

This is a cool idea, but what makes it kinda kooky is that you don't get to choose the book; what comes out is a random selection from the discount bin at The Monkey's Paw, a bookstore in Toronto. "Every book a surprise," the Biblio-Mat promises, but if you don't like the book, you've just wasted $2. I guess Canadians are just too nice to complain or ask for their money back.

Socks

image via Hongkiat

You're power-walking to the big meeting where you'll give a killer presentation that will get you that promotion when you realize -- you're not wearing socks! The "I Hate Monday" sock ATM to the rescue. This South Korean machine dispenses socks and leggings for around $5. Your career advancement is secured! But then you look down and discover you also need...

Shoes

image via HypeBeast

You really did screw up this morning, huh? Now that you've got your handsome socks in Seoul, make a quick trip to London to the Onitsuka Tiger shoe vending machine. These Japanese sneakers were made famous by the move Kill Bill, where the Bride wears yellow ones to match her jumpsuit. It looks like all the shoes in the Onitsuka machine are white, but you can make that work at the office, right? The meeting's about to start!

Dog Food

image via Earthporm

This food is not for human consumption, but it's OK because the machine doesn't take money. A company in Istanbul created these ATMs to help with the city's 150,000 stray dogs (and unknown number of stray cats). Just deposit a plastic bottle in the machine and a serving of dog food comes out at dog-level for any hungry canines. The deposit payment on the bottle covers the food, so the machine pays for itself. There's even a water bowl so you can donate the last sips from your bottle before donating it.

Marijuana

image via 24 Hours

First, a few warnings: These two machines are only in Vancouver, and they're located in the building of the BC Pain Society, which requires a doctor's prescription for membership. But all that aside -- pot in a machine! There's the usual stuff, along with hash, oils, and extracts. Even though it's in Canada and there's the medical requirement, apparently this is still technically illegal. However, the spokesman for the Vancouver Police Department says "We have a priority-based approach to policing and, generally, this is a low priority." Sounds good to me.

Women's Panties

image via Tech In Asia

Japan definitely has machines that sell panties. And they're definitely for women. What's not so definite is whether they're used. Tech In Asia did its own investigation and found that, while it's possible there were machines that sold soiled underwear in the past, a new law makes the buying and selling of undergarments from people under 18 illegal. So now you're just, you know, buying regular women's underwear out of a machine in Tokyo...which might make you feel silly.