Note: this idea is about charity, but does not include ribbons IN ANY WAY. (That should be good for a couple of buns to start with).

Anyway.

I was waiting to get on a flight back to the UK yesterday, and next to our queue there was a big charity box for all your unused Euro coins. Nobody went up to it for ages, but when one person popped some coins in the box, there was a sudden flurry of 'chink' and 'clunk' noises, as a host of other people popped their coins in. (I didn't; my doctor says I am naturally inclined to Evil, being the son of a dentist an' all).

Obviously peer pressure is at work. But I wonder how many people _saw_ someone else put the money in, and how many just heard the 'chink' of falling coins? So the idea is this: to record the noise of coins dropping, and have a little gadget which played it back every so often. A more sophisticated version could have proximity sensors which played the sound as people approached it. Hopefully this will act as a little gentle pressure on people to give more.

It also has a market for buskers: a good busker could set it to 'chink' regularly, then incorporate it into the music like a little percussion instrument. Do that often enough and you can start selling it to New-Age types as a lucky 'money cymbal'.

[marked for deletion] boring.
-- moomintroll, Jul 26 2005

This may be why the Salvation Army rings bells when they're collecting on the streets (in the US).
-- DrCurry, Jul 26 2005


Presumably yes - also why street collectors shake their buckets, I guess. But both are mere shadows of the real thing ;)
-- moomintroll, Jul 26 2005


I suspect this would work quite well.
-- wagster, Jul 26 2005


The lack of ribbons gave you 1/4 of a bun, and so did the 'lucky money cymbal'. The other half is a) because you can't give fractions of buns (although it is the halfbakery) and b) because you acnolege (sorry I can't be bothered to respell that) that dentists are inherrently (sorry again) evil.
-- dbmag9, Jul 26 2005


Hmm... And LiveAid? Are you saying musicians are just some cultural upchuck in the incessant race to veil our true impeti?
-- daseva, Jul 26 2005


I say +
-- DesertFox, Jul 26 2005


This same device would be useful for slot machines. Periodically it would make a torrent of "chinks", simulating a big win and cascade of coin. The Euro donation thing might also use the torrent noise effect. Perhaps some might be moved to give all they have to the poor.
-- bungston, Jul 26 2005


Evertime I go to the casino I can't lie down for the next day without hearing: "DING DING DING, chuga chuga chuga, chikity chikity, benga benga benga DING chupa chupa chupa DING chupa chupa cupa", and the like. Anyway, it makes me feel kinda giddy.
-- daseva, Jul 26 2005


On the plus side, I am reminded of Pachinko machines, which I loved in my youth.

On the negative, I think of Wawa convenience markets with the incessant talking/chiming cash registers. (wawa is a lenape[delaware] indian word for goose)
-- moPuddin, Jul 29 2005


<might be made up>I think it's now illegal in the UK to 'shake your tin' when you're fund raising as it's deemed to be harassment</might be made up>.

or something like that.
-- neilp, Jul 29 2005



random, halfbakery