Do you have the cell phone credit chips yet? Here in Japan, they say soon the vending machines will be able to automatically deduct the right amount from your credit chip just by having the cell phone in the near vicinity of the machine - and no one even seems to consider that other people might have less benign uses for a "near pass" credit drain? I know the tech is already in use in some stores.

So you won't know what the machine is charging, but it will do it automagically with just a wave of your cell phone. Why do I have visions of the old bazaar beggars smiling as they stuff merchandise into your hand while emptying your pockets with the other hand? Except that digital smiles are harder to see.