https://www.techdirt.com/articles/20210420/19062946646/captive-markets-are-just-hostages-why-your-mcdonalds-never-seems-to-have-functioning-shake-machine.shtml > McDonald's shake/ice cream machines are notoriously flaky. The most common response to requests for ice cream are sullen statements that the machine is down. It's so much a part of popular culture, an enterprising individual crafted a bot that lets people know which machines are up and which machines are going to be a waste of their time. > To be sure, the shake/ice cream device used in almost every McDonalds is a complicated piece of machinery. Not only does it need to provide two different kinds of ice cream-related products from the same machine, but it must do it while operated by employees whose fast food careers can be measured in days, if not hours.