The notion of paying for water enrages me!!

Is say evian supposed to bottle and transport the water for free? Even water from a tap costs money in the form of water rates, your paying for the water to be treated and the maintenance of the pipes which transports it to your house. If you want free water then go and drink from the local canal or something.

soda is more valuable...than water?

god, i hate fat people talk.

just jokin :)

Well, water is a lot more refreshing than soda. Granted that soda has more flavor but it doesn't nourish your body quite like water.

Water fountains are sort of yucky. I'd rather bring some water from home in a canteen.

Water. It is the one thing that all of us need most to survive. Yet we do not look after this most precious resource. In many places, availability of good, clean, potable water is already a major problem, and it's becoming worse every day. We have very short memories. We often do not learn from our mistakes. There was once a great civilisation. They built amazing water works to supply every home and building with a good, clean supply of running water. But they made one mistake. They used lead (plumbum) for plumbing, and ended up poisoning themselves. These people were the Romans, for who we owe much of our modern civilisation to. We now are using more and more plastics in our water distribution systems. These plastics are contaminating more and more of the water column, because most are buoyant or neutrally buoyant. Although plastics break down slowly, they still break down into smaller and smaller pieces, to a molecular level, where they will remain, until they are broken down back to elemental carbon by high heat (not likely to be found underground).

First world problem

We have three vending machines in my building at work. Two of them sell drinks. Most of the drinks are energy drinks (no good for me) or standard drinks that are also full of caffeine (Coke, Dr. Pepper, Irn-Bru). Of the thirty or so energy drinks sold (who knew there were so many), there was one slot for fresh orange juice and one for fresh apple juice. It was Fair Trade stuff but, even if it wasn't, I like fruit juice. A lot. Despite how much I like it, I still alternated between fruit juice and water (until they stopped stocking fruit juice). Water doesn't have sugar in it, or acid, or a calorific content, and it is refreshing. It is spring water, chilled, and tastes nice. The tap water at work is not potable and we don't have fountains in this country.

I understand what you're saying but water is the most valuable drink in the vending machine to me. Healthwise, anyway, nothing is better for my kidneys, brain, skin, blood and teeth.

It really doesn't matter what you buy in a vending machine, you're still getting fucked without the common courtesy of a reach around. Buying water in a vending machine is like paying to take a dump, or like buying a mac computer. people know there's a more cost efficient computer that works just as great as any other mac out there but people want to buy a shiny overpriced box. That's what water is, buying a typical product that has a fancy look to it.

Yeah, when you think it's only piss and rain

i falls from the sky how can they charge so much for it?

A lot of people in the world don't even have access to water. Or they have to walk miles and miles to get it.

Every time I turn on the faucet I think about that. I don't mind paying my water bill. At least I have water. I know that isn't the normal American mindset, so I don't even ask.

Water fountains in public are something I only use at the gym to refill my water bottle when working out. You know why? Because other than in the gym I'm afraid of the kids that spit in them, and put their mouths and grubby hands on the nozzles and it's just gross. And their parents don't care. If I'm in the mall I will buy from a vending machine or go thirsty.

yes and i feel the same way if water is not in a bran name bottle and a resturaunt is offering water then it should b free especially cuz they are most likley getting it from a bathroom sink

Slightly stupid, ya I can see that. The fact that you use words as strong as ENRAGE to describe this is a little extreme don't you think? You aren't forced to buy the water!

I'd rather have bottled water.

Bottle water is a ripoff and the brainchild of the "corporations"!

I refuse to pay to go on the beach. Dude, I live here. I ain't paying. Similar?

I definitely agree that people should just use the water fountain!!!grrr! Stop polluting our planet!!! But you're not actually paying for the water, your paying for the packaging and name. Plus even with soda, it's maybe a few cents more valuable. Only difference is sugar and carbonation and food coloring.

The water is in there for any idiot who wants to pay that much for water.

Sadly, many people do. And THAT is why vending machines still exist. At my work, we have a break room with a soda vending machine inside, and the price of a can of Pepsi is a whole DOLLAR. A DOLLAR.

I've heard about jerk kids spitting on the nozzles to those fountains. Big ol' loogies. Gross.

Starbucks gives it out free AND it's really good. Doesn't taste like nickels.

THANK YOU! Having to pay $1.25-$1.50 for water at a damn vending machine irritates the hell out of me as well! I always bring a plastic bottle and fill up when I need to at the fountain.