Man – getting a brazilian

Sydney March 2014 (5 images)

Is this something you would only see in Australia?

Thongs (flip flops) for sale. Inside a vending machine. Inside a shopping centre. In the middle of Sydney’s CBD.

I was walking through this shopping centre when I saw the vending machine. I stopped in amazement. What? Why? Who? There is even a size guide on the floor in front of the machine. I took the photo. I found a nice spot and stood there for several minutes but no-one obliged. I walked away. I needed a coffee.

I came back this way 15 minutes later. Pastry in my left hand. Coffee in my right hand. Camera around the neck.

I broke the cardinal rule of candid photography and wasn’t prepared for the unexpected.

I suddenly saw him. There was a guy standing there looking at the machine. I stopped. My eyes opened a bit wider. My pulse started to race.

He bent down and took off one shoe. I started to gulp down the pastry.

He put his foot on the size chart. I almost ran to the nearest bin and threw away the rubbish and the rest of the coffee. Wiping my hands on my shirt, I quickly returned to the position I had previously reconnoitred. He was swiping the machine with his credit card.

decisions decisions decisions

choice made

watching the machine in action

collecting the prize

I suppose there must be a demand for this sort of thing. Perhaps city people are prone to getting a sudden desire for a change of footwear in the middle of the day. Maybe they need to buy that last minute birthday present.

This has been a photo story about a man getting a brazilian – pair of thongs (flip flops). I apologise if you thought this post was about something else.

I walked away. I bought a replacement coffee.