On a recent trip down the Oregon-Washington coast, we stopped in Montesano, WA for gas. Its population is just shy of 4,000, so it's definitely in tiny-town category. While using the restroom at their Chevron station, I noted that I could buy condoms from the vending machine. I chuckled at the time because the two options were:
1. Rough Rider (with nubs, for extra pleasure!)
2. Various flavored condoms (which I imagine you'd only use for blowjobs).
My estimation was that these were applicable exactly for the hooker scenario: even short-term flings rarely involve condoms for oral, and, well, you might want a little extra stimulation with a well-worn lady of the night. And nothing says hooker like a small-town gas station, I think?
Anecdotes about condom particulars aside, what would non-prostitute condom purchasing look like? Why would someone go into a gas station bathroom to make the purchase when they could just buy one of the regular options that are probably available on the shelf? If the person is a regular condom user, they probably buy in larger bulk from the grocery store, Costco, or Amazon (where prices are much lower, say, 25c a pop instead of the 75c required by the vending machine). Ordering online even mitigates the potential embarrassment of buying them (which is funny, it should come with a high five cuz you're gonna get some, and in a safer manner!). Even if you didn't plan on needing one and had to get one on short notice, I don't think the gas station restroom is the place you'd think to go? And I think most people aren't that embarrassed by buying them and wouldn't need the privacy of the bathroom to make their purchase. Unless ... it were for use with someone they just met outside at the pump, while the attendant was watching.
So, yes, I think the vending machines in the bathroom are exactly intended for the hooker scenario.
Maybe this was obvious all along.
Fun fact: while researching bulk pricing on costco.com, I discovered condoms qualify for use with flexible spending accounts!
1. Rough Rider (with nubs, for extra pleasure!)
2. Various flavored condoms (which I imagine you'd only use for blowjobs).
My estimation was that these were applicable exactly for the hooker scenario: even short-term flings rarely involve condoms for oral, and, well, you might want a little extra stimulation with a well-worn lady of the night. And nothing says hooker like a small-town gas station, I think?
Anecdotes about condom particulars aside, what would non-prostitute condom purchasing look like? Why would someone go into a gas station bathroom to make the purchase when they could just buy one of the regular options that are probably available on the shelf? If the person is a regular condom user, they probably buy in larger bulk from the grocery store, Costco, or Amazon (where prices are much lower, say, 25c a pop instead of the 75c required by the vending machine). Ordering online even mitigates the potential embarrassment of buying them (which is funny, it should come with a high five cuz you're gonna get some, and in a safer manner!). Even if you didn't plan on needing one and had to get one on short notice, I don't think the gas station restroom is the place you'd think to go? And I think most people aren't that embarrassed by buying them and wouldn't need the privacy of the bathroom to make their purchase. Unless ... it were for use with someone they just met outside at the pump, while the attendant was watching.
So, yes, I think the vending machines in the bathroom are exactly intended for the hooker scenario.
Maybe this was obvious all along.
Fun fact: while researching bulk pricing on costco.com, I discovered condoms qualify for use with flexible spending accounts!
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