Half a croissant, on a plate, with a sign in front of it saying '50c'
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Energy Vendors

 Vini, Vendi, Vici
  (+7, -2)
(+7, -2) 		  [vote for,
against]

Imagine the situation. You are runing through New Yorks Central Park, listening to your mini-disc player. The music stops. The mini-disc players battery's are dead. Luckily, there is an energy vendor just across the street. You buy some lovely triple A batterys from him, and can continue to listen to your music as you jog.

You are an important businessman. You are working on a proposal on your laptop out in the fresh crisp air of Boston Common. Disaster strikes. Your battery gets closer and closer to draining. It would take you hours to recharge the battery. Luckily, there is an energy vendor near by. He sells you some new battery's for your laptop, and you get your proposal in on time.

Not only does the energy vendor sell a spectrum of battery types, but also light energy in the form of glow-sticks, and chemical energy in the form of lighter fluid. All in all, he sells you energy quickly and efficiently on the street corner.

—[ sctld ], Jun 30 2002

Battery Vending Machine http://www.halfbake...20vending_20machine
Very similar [FarmerJohn, Jun 30 2002]

Bread and Butter Vendors http://www.halfbake..._20Butter_20Vendors
Saveloy's idea that led to my annotation [kaz, Jun 30 2002]

[link]






       I prefer the personal touch John.
—[ sctld ], Jun 30 2002
   

       excuse me, I need to lie down.
—po, Jun 30 2002
   

       There's plenty of people selling batteries in New York.
—bookworm, Jun 30 2002
   

       Will the energy vendor sell chemical energy in the form of food? (possibly bread and butter)
—kaz, Jun 30 2002
   

       Sounds like McDonald's with a couple of cell-phone chargers thrown in.
—polartomato, Jun 30 2002
   

       Somehow I don't think this is a viable business model. How many people would the vendor sell batteries to per day? And how many people would the vendor really sell batteries to if you adjusted the price of the batteries to accord with the figure you first thought of?   

       Based on the fact that even big cities don't have any specialised battery shops, and batteries are always sold as small sidelines by other merchants, this is almost in WIBNI territory (wouldn't it be nice if there was always someone around selling batteries when mine ran out?)
—pottedstu, Jul 01 2002
   

       At the beach, I noticed a girl walking up to people & opening up her bag. Sometimes people would give her money and they'd get something in return. My partner thought we should call the cops since she might be selling drugs, but I thought it best not to waste a cop's time. So I left our spot, went down to the vicinity - laid down a towel, turned the radio on and listened to some John Lee Hooker and was annoyed when my battery started running down. Within minutes, the girl was there & she made me an offer I couldn't refuse.
She sells C Cells by the Seashore.
—thumbwax, Jul 01 2002
   

       [ sctld ]/pottedstu: as bookworm notes, there are plenty of people doing just this in NYC, so clearly it is a viable business model for some. Mostly on the subway, tho, rather than Central Park (which is a poor place to sell anything but cold drinks).
—DrCurry, Jul 01 2002
   

       Interesting.. Some schools do similar things with their laptop program. I have heard of a school which issues laptops and then you can go to laptop charging stations and pickup a fresh battery and drop yours off. If only ALL laptops had standardized batteries!
—SeltzerH02, Apr 18 2007
   

       Energy Venders that REALLY save :   

       myutilitybrokers.com/geopros   

       as fast as your state qualifies commercial electric especially paperless billing eft's for comm electric or ccd ONLY seeing 13% to 17% with from 100,000 to 120 Million KWH INVOICING !!   

       Residential electric opened in PA last month and more states ~ end of July GAS ! Just type in account for getting a top - to- top 1% highest davings as fast as you enter your gas acct and name on the account !! WOW We saved over 40/ month in the first entry !!!
—GTJon, Jun 25 2010
   

       also see teamccm.com/geopros   

       for consumer savings since 2005 commercially and 2008 residentially !
—GTJon, Jun 25 2010
   
      
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