By Andrew Liszewski
Brilliant! The only thing worse than a rainy day is having to carry around a wet umbrella when you get inside. I usually carry a plastic bag so I can stash it in my messenger bag, but that leaves you with a wet plastic bag to deal with as well. The problem appears to be a minor issue in Japan though, where you can find these clever umbrella bag dispensers.
The dispensers can accommodate tall or compact umbrellas, and when you get inside you simply collapse and insert your wet umbrella where it will be encased in a waterproof bag via a set of old-fashioned springs and levers. No electricity needed. And so you don’t have to deal with removing a soggy bag when it’s time to head back out into the deluge, the machines take care of that for you as well. Check out the following video to see one of them in action.
With a price tag of about $1,800 plus the cost of replacement bags it might not be an economical solution for every company, but the worry of someone getting hurt and litigious after slipping on a wet floor might just make it a worthy investment.
[ Japan Trends – Umbrella bagger dispenses, collects on rainy day ]
