A self-serve chemist
By Judy Evans
@JudyEv (325755)
Rockingham, Australia
August 17, 2017 11:49am CST
It should be obvious really that every country will have many things that vary to some degree or other to what we are used to. But seeing stuff that is ‘new’ or ‘different’ is part of the fun of travelling through unfamiliar lands.
A few weeks ago we came across a self-serve bread dispenser. In Ireland we saw for the first time self-serve egg dispensers. The bread dispenser didn’t have a huge range but there were certainly some lovely choices available. You inserted the appropriate coins and out popped the bread products that you wanted.
So far I don’t have photos of any of these but a week or so we did get a photo of a self-serve chemist. The products were mundane is a way – no-one was going to be able to break it open and get a huge amount of paracetamols. The main portion was taken up with condoms and it seemed to me a really sensible idea to make these readily available at a self-serve outlet.
Speaking of condoms, I just love the fact – and I know I’ve mentioned it before – that they only start with large and then get bigger. Gotta pamper that male ego!!
17 people like this
11 responses
@xFiacre (12595)
• Ireland
17 Aug 17
@judyev Yes the little ones are labelled large I'm told and the average are labelled extra large just to help gents who .... well, you know. I don't like self service chemists - passers-by would see if you were buying anything rude, though the matronly servers in chemists are equally off-putting and tend to repeat your order in very loud voices - "That'll be £5 for your hemorrhoid cream sir" - just in case the little old lady on the other side of the street didn't hear.
5 people like this
@JudyEv (325755)
• Rockingham, Australia
21 Aug 17
I can just see a shop assistant doing this. How to create the cringe factor in one statement!
@JudyEv (325755)
• Rockingham, Australia
21 Aug 17
@LadyDuck My friend tried on some shorts once and they fitted her beautifully and looked really nice but she wouldn't buy them because they were a size 14 or whatever. She wouldn't buy anything over a size 12. It was just so silly. It didn't make her any smaller just because the label said 12 instead of 14.
1 person likes this
@PatZAnthony (14752)
• Charlotte, North Carolina
18 Aug 17
The funniest one we saw was the cupcake dispenser. Interesting and expensive too!
3 people like this
@PatZAnthony (14752)
• Charlotte, North Carolina
24 Aug 17
@JudyEv Thinking it was NYC or Washington DC!
Will have to look for it. What a silly yet clever idea. Someone was making money!
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (325755)
• Rockingham, Australia
25 Aug 17
@PatZAnthony Entrepreneurs just need to hit a nerve with people and everyone suddenly has to have whatever it is.
@JudyEv (325755)
• Rockingham, Australia
21 Aug 17
I always like to make people chuckle so I'm pleased I managed that. Have a great day Alfredo.
@sueznewz2 (10409)
• Alicante, Spain
18 Aug 17
ohhh I did not know this... ha ha ha... you learn something new everyday.... those poor fragile ego's ...
2 people like this
@JudyEv (325755)
• Rockingham, Australia
21 Aug 17
@Platespinner has labelled it well - vanity sizing! I thought it was pretty funny too.
1 person likes this
@JohnRoberts (109857)
• Los Angeles, California
17 Aug 17
I would not trust bread products being fresh.
3 people like this
@KrauseHome (36448)
• United States
22 Aug 17
Interesting ... Bread? Not sure how that will work, but yes men do have BIG egos Needing to be stoked
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (325755)
• Rockingham, Australia
22 Aug 17
I guess everyone needs a bit of stroking from time to time. 
@youless (112108)
• Guangzhou, China
18 Aug 17
A self-serve chemist machine sounds great, but I still prefer to buy medicines from the pharmacy because there are many choices there and I'd like to ask which works better for my situation. Here most self-serve machines are for drinks only, but I don't buy drinks from them because their price is higher. The small shops like 7-11 are everywhere and their price is better.
2 people like this
@snowy22315 (169940)
• United States
17 Aug 17
Hmm, I sort of thing if we had those self serve pharmacies here..people would be breaking in and trying to get high on the benadryl or something..Now, the self serve egg dispenser that is a novelty!
2 people like this
