AHTD has been spending a lot of money to upgrade their Interstate rest areas into "self service" info centers with info kiosks. Of course, no of it is working yet though the new restroom are clean with the latest "conveniences" like self-flushing commodes.
There used to be a small vending area outside for snacks and soft drinks, but those have been moved inside. In the latest technological upgrade, the vending machines have been equipped with credit card swipes in case you don't have $2.75 in cash for the vending machine. There are no water fountains, so I opted to try to get a bottle of water from the vending machine with no success. Contacting AHTD, I was told the credit card scanners don't work because they can't send a signal through the metal roof.
No one though of this?
Well, OK, it's not totally AHTD's fault since it's an independent vendor who owns the machines. Still, I'm surprised no one considered this.
Quote from: US71 on July 21, 2017, 09:59:12 AM
...There are no water fountains....
All rest areas should have water fountains. I'm not going to spend $2.75 for a 20oz soda when I can probably exit at a nearby town and get something much cheaper at a Love's or Valero.
Seriously?! The rest areas have NO water fountains? What idiot thought that that was a good idea?
Quote from: compdude787 on July 21, 2017, 11:22:55 AM
Seriously?! The rest areas have NO water fountains? What idiot thought that that was a good idea?
The idiot that decided to save the state and its taxpayers thousands of dollars on water fountains used mostly by out-of-state travelers when a bottle of water could be purchased instead.
Water fountains cost thousands of dollars? I'm thinking maybe a few hundred. And since water is $2/1000 gallons, I doubt the expense of keeping it running is worth consideration. Neither of those expenses are comparable to a rest area renovation budget with seven figures.
Water fountains should've been included
Quote from: bjrush on July 21, 2017, 01:14:04 PM
Water fountains cost thousands of dollars? I'm thinking maybe a few hundred. And since water is $2/1000 gallons, I doubt the expense of keeping it running is worth consideration. Neither of those expenses are comparable to a rest area renovation budget with seven figures.
$400+
Quote from: US71 on July 21, 2017, 06:55:05 PM
Quote from: bjrush on July 21, 2017, 01:14:04 PM
Water fountains cost thousands of dollars? I'm thinking maybe a few hundred. And since water is $2/1000 gallons, I doubt the expense of keeping it running is worth consideration. Neither of those expenses are comparable to a rest area renovation budget with seven figures.
$400+
And that is for a stripped down version.
http://www.restroomdirect.com/elkay.aspx?utm_source=bing&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=MFR:%20Elkay&utm_term=+elkay%20+water%20+fountains&utm_content=elkay%20water%20fountains
However, that is not an excuse for AHTD to put at least one in each rest area.