Our Office Vending Machine Turned into a Fun COVID-19 Game
Our office vending machine become a star shortly after the COVID-19 lockdown was enforced in New York state.
For many of us, we haven't seen most of our co-workers (except on Zoom conference calls) since March 20, 2020 when Governor Andrew Cuomo issued the PAUSE mandate for the Empire State. Every business and worker that wasn't deemed essential was forced to close in order to quell the spread of the Coronavirus.
As broadcasters, we've been the only ones allowed in our building. No sales people. No consultants. No vending machine operators. And so, it became clear to me on March 24 that our supply of snacks at work might not outlast the quarantine.
That's when I decided to snap a picture of our vending machine and launch a game called "Last Snack Standing." I posted the pic on Facebook and challenged people to guess which snack would be the final one purchased. Here's what the machine looked like on March 24, 2020:
I've posted regular updates and scores of people have followed the drama of "Last Snack Standing," proving that we Americans feel passionate about our junk food. Folks have made predictions and left hundreds of comments...
-Funyuns have the best chance of getting stuck in the spiral and not dropping
-My money is on that 'ribs' thing in the upper right corner
-Come oooooon, beef sticks. Bring it home.
-Oh, no, A3 is gone!
-C2 is hanging in there
-The Nature's Valley Granola Bar is in it to win it
Now, we're approaching "the final four." As of May 11, here's where we're at (try not to be disturbed by my ghostly reflection in the near-empty machine):
As we've battled through this pandemic, it's obvious that we are absolutely starved for entertainment. Movie theaters are closed. There are no more sports to watch. So, we're relying on Netflix and a mindless vending machine game to keep us going. I guess it says a lot about us.
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