Walking around in dirty clothes? Malnourished from an inability to access the vending machines? “The Cash to Card machine ate my money” might be a legitimate excuse at PSU this year, but say good-bye to the hassle in the upcoming school year as Flex Cash will replace the Cash to Card system in the laundry room and on the vending machines. Our response to the transition – The Clock staff would like to thank whichever member of the Residential Life staff that jumped on the technology bandwagon that doesn’t screw residents over in the end. You are a wonderful, caring person, and forever a friend of this staff.
Here is a brief tale, not tall in any way, on why we dislike the Card to Cash system so much. A long, long time ago (one year to be exact), in a land far, far away (Pemigewausett Hall), one Clock staffer decided that three weeks was ample enough time to procrastinate in the doing of laundry. Said staffer, remembering about the lack of moolah on their card, trekked over the river and through the woods (down four flights of stairs to the common area) to the Cash to Card machine to load up. Due to the crazy amounts laundry to be done, crazy amounts of moolah was in order. Following the directions listed on the plastic placard on the front of the machine, the requested ID card was slid in. Next, the staffer inserted a very large amount of treasure (TEN DOLLARS!) into the machine. The scrolling of illegible symbols, possibly hieroglyphics, across the screen followed a few weird, crunching sounds.
The outcome you ask, dear readers – no moolah on the card! Where did it go? One could presume that Robin Hood swept in and stole from the poor to give to the rich, but no. That would be backwards. But what else could it be? The only other conclusion to draw is that the machine really did eat the money and it was never transferred to the card. Hence, there was a dirty, smelly PSU student wandering around campus.
A new name for these eating-poor-college-students-money machines would be in order if they were staying, but no! Thankfully, they are on their way out. The new system will allow Flex Cash to be used in the on campus laundry facilities and vending machines. The system for adding money will not change, and all additions can be made via the lovely men and women in the Mountain View Café. We cannot fully express the joyous glee we have experienced from the news of this upgrade and would like to formally thank Res-Life once again.