Oakland Airport Wait? Try a Free On-Demand Short Story on Eco-Friendly Paper

Put down your phone and find a seat. It’s time to print out a free short story and read it while you wait for your flight.

Last month, Oakland International Airport unveiled two short-story dispensers for passengers in both its terminals. It’s a first for a California airport, and a good distraction from the airport’s dining program overhaul still underway.

The airport worked with French tech company Short Édition to create the dispensers, which allow passengers to choose one-, three- and 5-minute reads by more than 9,000 authors on-demand. They offer a variety of genres, from children’s stories to romance. In its first three weeks, they’ve dispensed 2,000 stories to children and adult travelers.

According to a press release, once the story length is selected, a printed papyrus-like sheet unfurls on eco-friendly paper with no waste, no ink and no cartridge. The entire exchange is free and takes less than a minute.

———

©2019 the San Jose Mercury News (San Jose, Calif.)

Visit the San Jose Mercury News (San Jose, Calif.) at www.mercurynews.com

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

Sign up for our eNewsletters
Get the latest news and updates