Pennsylvania Introduces Wine Vending Machines Complete With Breathalyzer
For residents of a state with some of the most restrictive liquor laws in the United States, installing a boozy vending machine in Pennsylvania grocery stores is a pretty big deal.
In Pennsylvania, alcohol can only be purchased in state-owned stores; private, licensed convenience stores can sell up to two six-packs of beer per customer.
Until now. The state opened some kiosks in private supermarkets, including these automatic, remotely-manned wine dispensers. About the size of four large refrigerators, these machines keep the wines at room temperature. Consumers select a wine from a touch screen, swipe their ID, blow into an alcohol sensor, and look into a surveillance camera. A state employee in Harrisburg remotely verifies their identity and that the consumer isn't drunk.
According to state officials, the process takes about 20 seconds. It also saves them time and money, in that they can have the state employees check ID and sobriety from a centralized location, instead of having several employees based in each kiosk. This also gives consumers the option of picking up wine in the same place as the rest of their groceries.
While some consumers appreciate the convenience, many wine aficionados consider the process to be a little on the invasive side.
"The process is cumbersome and assumes the worst in Pennsylvania's wine consumers