Licorice squared

I hate candy machines... Don't get me wrong: I do not hate the candy in the machines, I hate the machines around the candy...



I was feling a strong need to eat licorice, so I got away from my desk and went down to the first floor. Next to the cantine where the candy machines are located. Filled with anticipation I choose a nice back of coin shaped licorice, paid for it, and watched the big spiral turn. The bag of licorice slides forward, the spriral continues spinning, the bag slides even further, the spiral spins some more, the bag slides forward...

[ you already know what's coming next, don't you..? ]

...and then the spiral stops turning. Normally this is the moment the candy of your choice plunches in a dramatic fashion to the bottom of the machine, right in the collection tray, where candy eager fingers can reach it...

But my licorice decides to hang precariously over the candy cliff, still half caught in the spiral of death...

Grrrr...

	Identical twins...

Now you've got two three choices: (1) Leave candyless, (2) buy the same product again and pray that his time the second product doesn't suffer the same fate as the first, or (3) make the machine pay for its mistake by giving it a big shake, hoping it will release your price from its iron grip.

[ plus of course any additional bonus items... ]



But this machine is boxed in by two other machines and has been bolted down to prevent anyone that wants to do just that: rock the machine... Since the first option was no option (we are talking about candy, remember), I chose for option two. Just for a moment it got exciting again. The first (original) bag of licorice dropped almost immediately when the spiral started spinning again. But the second bag elevated the tension by clinging on to the spiral for half a second.

Luckily gravity did what it was supposed to do, and pulled down the second bag, which fell with a very satifying "Plunk" in the collection tray.

[ and with two bags, I'm loaded with licorice now... ]