"intelligent" vending machines

Cowboy hat By Jim Hightower - Sat., 1/1/00

Douglas Ivestor, the CEO of the Coca-Cola Company unexpectedly stepped down the other day. The rumors are flying about what sort of internecine struggles led the chief cola nut to give up his multi-million dollar cushy job, but I've been thinking about the diabolical legacy that Ivestor is leaving behind.

One of last innovations Mr. Ivestor unveiled before his departure is a sinister contraption: a vending machine that automatically raises the price on a can of Coke as the weather gets hotter. Ivestor said summer heat can increase one's desire for a cold drink, so "it is fair that it should be more expensive."

Surely there's a hot place in hell reserved for Douglas Ivestor and the marketing people who thought up this one. And if there's any justice, they'll be a nickel short when they stumble upon one of those "intelligent" vending machines down there



Filed Under: Common good