You press the call button with some frustration. The screen chimes, “An associate will be with you shortly. We thank you for your patience.” You find a side of the structure that’s somewhat sheltered from the wind, not expecting much.
It feels like a while due to your wet boots and the cold weather, but relatively soon you hear a vehicle approaching. A pickup truck pulls into the parking lot, illuminating the falling snow as its high beams sweep the site. Engine still running, the door opens, and someone steps out. “Problem with the machine?” he yells, over the engine noise and the wind and to cover the distance. “Yeah! It had an error message.” “Ok. Well, lemme reset it.”
He approaches, wearing work clothes and sweatshirt with a reflective vest, hood pulled up to avoid the cold. You step aside as they reach the machine. He presses a few buttons on the machine, then pulls out a plain card and swipes it. The screen displays a loading spiral, which swirls around for a few minutes.
He looks around the lot as the machine resets. “Hey. You’ve got no car.” “I’m staying at the state park for the weekend, I was out hiking and got lost. Sorry to make you come out all this way.” He shrugs. “Not a problem. This piece of shit machine always does this. Hey, look, I can give you a lift back to the park entrance. Seems like you’re done hiking.” “Sure. I really appreciate it.” The machine pings again, properly reset. “Go ahead and check out again.” You scan your purchases and pay, and it works. You head for the truck.