For Taiwanese (Americans too) it might look strange seeing vending machines for cigarettes on the sidewalk. But in Germany this has been reality for a long time, so in the old times basically everybody could buy cigarettes (though it always has been illegal for minors to buy and smoke cigarettes). But just a couple of days ago, I found out that there are new vending machines for cigarettes - these vending machines require that you proof that you are old enough to buy cigarettes. If you want to buy cigarettes you have to swipe your ID card or your drivers licence through a little sensor and in this way the vending machine can check if you are old enough.
The Vending Machine - with a note that smoking can be deadly right below the ad for Pall Mall
And here you swipe your ID or your drivers licence.
A true story about a friend - after a party she went to get some cigarettes. These new vending machines had just been installed, so she was not familiar with these machinese. So she gets to a machine and pushes the buttons to get her brand of cigarettes when the machine requests an age confirmation. She glances around then gets closer to the machine and whispers: "42"
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