Image by Steven Dale.
Now here’s something I’ve never seen before.
Apparently Vienna’s newspaper industry is made up of incredibly trusting folk. In theAustrian capital on-street newspaper boxes are nothing more than open plastic bags strapped to lampposts.
Readers are asked to insert their payment into a padlocked black bank. On the banks one often finds a message thanking readers for their honesty.
I have no doubt this system works or else these low-tech vending machines wouldn’t be so ubiquitous throughout the city.
The question I have is this: How do they work? Are people really that honest?
5 Comments
I know this for sure, this will never happen in Canada/US.. but that’s a moot point cuz no one under the age of 60 reads a newspaper in paper form n e more
I’d think people are more honest than you think. There will be a few thieves, but there’s both a social pressure not to steal (since these are in public places) and an indirect benefit even if they are stolen – most of the income in newspapers are from advertisements. A stolen paper is still putting eyeballs on ads, and probably new eyeballs that wouldn’t have paid for that paper if they had to.
I knew from an editor that also distributes its newspaper this way, that the cost is already covered by ads. They simply don’t care if people put some coins in there or not – but are thankful if so. 🙂 Obviously only a small number of newspapers are sold this way.
Good point, Markus.
Hello Steven !
I am from Austria. This system does’nt work, but it works §:o).
It is completely calculated, losses are also calculated. If these people pay or not, does not matter. The „free“/payable sunday newspaper edition produces strong reader loyalty.