If you've ever shopped at Woolworths, you've probably walked past the strange-looking vacuum tubes that are located at the checkout counters.

But do you know how these vacuum sucky things actually operate? Or even what they’re for? We didn’t!

Well, one store worker took the liberty of showing us!

A Woolworths employee named Noah Townley uploaded a post on Woolworths’ official account in response to a user’s question, which read ‘How do those tube things next to you work? And where does it go?’

The video starts with him in front of the said ‘tube things’ with a capsule in hand.

‘Hi, I’m here at Woolworths to show you how our vacuum sucky things work,’ he began, but not before immediately realising what he named the tubes.

Woolies employee Noah explained how to operate the store’s ‘vacuum sucky things’ in a recent TikTok post on the official Woolworths account. Image Credit: TikTok/@woolworths_au

‘Yeah, there needs to be a better name, surely. Does anyone have a dictionary?’

He’s quick on his feet, considering what he termed the tubes next.

‘These magical vacuum teleportation devices send cash to a secure location,’ he explained.

All a team member has to do, according to Noah, is place the capsule inside the tube and press the ‘OK’ button on the number pad.

‘And then… it’s gone,’ he said after the tub went up with a rather satisfying swish.

Many social media users who came across Woolworths' video flocked to the comments section to share their remarks.

Of course, a few were able to correctly identify the name of the tubes.

‘It’s called a Lamson tube system,’ the top reply read. ‘We use them in the hospital.’

‘Ah! So not “vacuum sucky thing”. Thanks for sharing,’ Noah replied.

But the user relented, and said: ‘I guess “vacuum sucky thing” also works, everyone will surely know what you mean.’

Source: TikTok/@woolworths_au​

‘A PTS — pneumatic tube system,’ another added, which appears to be another correct name for Woolies’ “vacuum sucky thing”.

Other names such as ‘sucky hole thingo’, ‘pickup chute’, and ‘air vacuum transportation device 9000’ were also mentioned in the comments.

Some users who were familiar with the pneumatic tubes also said they simply placed the capsules in the tubes.

‘We don’t even press OK,’ one added, which another user followed up with ‘Me either, you just hold it there for a second and it’ll take it.’

Key Takeaways

• A Woolworths employee has revealed how their vacuum cash tubes (pneumatic tube system) work.
  
• Noah demonstrated his explanation by placing a small tube filled with cash inside the vacuum.
  
• Many flocked to the comments of the post to share their amusement with the tool.
  
• Others though took the cue from Noah and suggested funny names, including ‘air vacuum transportation device 9000’ and ‘sucky hole thingo’.
  
• Some meanwhile explained that the tubes are necessary in stores like Woolies as a security measure to keep registers from having too much money in the till.

And lastly, on a more serious note, some users explained why the feature was necessary for some settings.

‘For safety reasons,’ one user explained. ‘(Cashiers) can’t keep more than a certain amount in the till at all times. Convenient way of sending it to the safe.’

Another user who claimed to be a former Woolies employee added: ‘And to also order change for the register!’

According to the website of Lamson, pneumatic tubes using vacuum technology have been around since the early 1900s. At present, aside from healthcare and retail settings, they’re also used in the entertainment sector to transport chips and money in casinos.

On the topic of Woolworths, here are some recent stories we have about the retail giant:

• 'Outrageous': Woolworths employee sparks debate after revealing the truth behind this 'secret' trolley hook
• Get ready, Woolworths is bringing back a beloved collectables range!
• Woolworths shopper’s revolting find in her salad sparks outrage

So, what are your thoughts on Woolies’ pneumatic tubes, a.k.a ‘vacuum sucky things’? Do you know of other places where the feature could be found? Can you think of a better name for it?

Share your opinions and comments below!

Source: YouTube/Lamson​

 

[elaine41]

When I started work as a 15 y.o. working in a large department store, this was the way money was sent from the department to the cash desk (place where all cash & dockets went & from which change was sent back to the dept.) There were no cash registers in these stores & customers would wait for their change to return to them a few minutes later.

 

[Suzanne rose]

I thought everyone knew what these were used for

 

[Julie1946]

If you've ever shopped at Woolworths, you've probably walked past the strange-looking vacuum tubes that are located at the checkout counters.

But do you know how these vacuum sucky things actually operate? Or even what they’re for? We didn’t!

Well, one store worker took the liberty of showing us!

A Woolworths employee named Noah Townley uploaded a post on Woolworths’ official account in response to a user’s question, which read ‘How do those tube things next to you work? And where does it go?’

The video starts with him in front of the said ‘tube things’ with a capsule in hand.

‘Hi, I’m here at Woolworths to show you how our vacuum sucky things work,’ he began, but not before immediately realising what he named the tubes.

View attachment 12896

Woolies employee Noah explained how to operate the store’s ‘vacuum sucky things’ in a recent TikTok post on the official Woolworths account. Image Credit: TikTok/@woolworths_au

‘Yeah, there needs to be a better name, surely. Does anyone have a dictionary?’

He’s quick on his feet, considering what he termed the tubes next.

‘These magical vacuum teleportation devices send cash to a secure location,’ he explained.

All a team member has to do, according to Noah, is place the capsule inside the tube and press the ‘OK’ button on the number pad.

‘And then… it’s gone,’ he said after the tub went up with a rather satisfying swish.

Many social media users who came across Woolworths' video flocked to the comments section to share their remarks.

Of course, a few were able to correctly identify the name of the tubes.

‘It’s called a Lamson tube system,’ the top reply read. ‘We use them in the hospital.’

‘Ah! So not “vacuum sucky thing”. Thanks for sharing,’ Noah replied.

But the user relented, and said: ‘I guess “vacuum sucky thing” also works, everyone will surely know what you mean.’

Source: TikTok/@woolworths_au​

‘A PTS — pneumatic tube system,’ another added, which appears to be another correct name for Woolies’ “vacuum sucky thing”.

Other names such as ‘sucky hole thingo’, ‘pickup chute’, and ‘air vacuum transportation device 9000’ were also mentioned in the comments.

Some users who were familiar with the pneumatic tubes also said they simply placed the capsules in the tubes.

‘We don’t even press OK,’ one added, which another user followed up with ‘Me either, you just hold it there for a second and it’ll take it.’

Key Takeaways

• A Woolworths employee has revealed how their vacuum cash tubes (pneumatic tube system) work.
• Noah demonstrated his explanation by placing a small tube filled with cash inside the vacuum.
• Many flocked to the comments of the post to share their amusement with the tool.
• Others though took the cue from Noah and suggested funny names, including ‘air vacuum transportation device 9000’ and ‘sucky hole thingo’.
• Some meanwhile explained that the tubes are necessary in stores like Woolies as a security measure to keep registers from having too much money in the till.

And lastly, on a more serious note, some users explained why the feature was necessary for some settings.

‘For safety reasons,’ one user explained. ‘(Cashiers) can’t keep more than a certain amount in the till at all times. Convenient way of sending it to the safe.’

Another user who claimed to be a former Woolies employee added: ‘And to also order change for the register!’

According to the website of Lamson, pneumatic tubes using vacuum technology have been around since the early 1900s. At present, aside from healthcare and retail settings, they’re also used in the entertainment sector to transport chips and money in casinos.

On the topic of Woolworths, here are some recent stories we have about the retail giant:

• 'Outrageous': Woolworths employee sparks debate after revealing the truth behind this 'secret' trolley hook
• Get ready, Woolworths is bringing back a beloved collectables range!
• Woolworths shopper’s revolting find in her salad sparks outrage

So, what are your thoughts on Woolies’ pneumatic tubes, a.k.a ‘vacuum sucky things’? Do you know of other places where the feature could be found? Can you think of a better name for it?

Share your opinions and comments below!

Source: YouTube/Lamson​

T

 

[Julie1946]

When I was growing up We had a shop in South Melbourne that used a vacuum system to send money from the counter up to the office, we were always spellbound by its speed and it was a highlight of shopping there, such fun we had as kids, loved my childhood

 

[Thecheesequeen]

These systems were used when I was growing up in the fifties and sixties. I thought they were well and truly obsolete! And my two nearest WW stores don’t have them.

 

[HeatherS]

If you've ever shopped at Woolworths, you've probably walked past the strange-looking vacuum tubes that are located at the checkout counters.

But do you know how these vacuum sucky things actually operate? Or even what they’re for? We didn’t!

Well, one store worker took the liberty of showing us!

A Woolworths employee named Noah Townley uploaded a post on Woolworths’ official account in response to a user’s question, which read ‘How do those tube things next to you work? And where does it go?’

The video starts with him in front of the said ‘tube things’ with a capsule in hand.

‘Hi, I’m here at Woolworths to show you how our vacuum sucky things work,’ he began, but not before immediately realising what he named the tubes.

View attachment 12896

Woolies employee Noah explained how to operate the store’s ‘vacuum sucky things’ in a recent TikTok post on the official Woolworths account. Image Credit: TikTok/@woolworths_au

‘Yeah, there needs to be a better name, surely. Does anyone have a dictionary?’

He’s quick on his feet, considering what he termed the tubes next.

‘These magical vacuum teleportation devices send cash to a secure location,’ he explained.

All a team member has to do, according to Noah, is place the capsule inside the tube and press the ‘OK’ button on the number pad.

‘And then… it’s gone,’ he said after the tub went up with a rather satisfying swish.

Many social media users who came across Woolworths' video flocked to the comments section to share their remarks.

Of course, a few were able to correctly identify the name of the tubes.

‘It’s called a Lamson tube system,’ the top reply read. ‘We use them in the hospital.’

‘Ah! So not “vacuum sucky thing”. Thanks for sharing,’ Noah replied.

But the user relented, and said: ‘I guess “vacuum sucky thing” also works, everyone will surely know what you mean.’

Source: TikTok/@woolworths_au​

‘A PTS — pneumatic tube system,’ another added, which appears to be another correct name for Woolies’ “vacuum sucky thing”.

Other names such as ‘sucky hole thingo’, ‘pickup chute’, and ‘air vacuum transportation device 9000’ were also mentioned in the comments.

Some users who were familiar with the pneumatic tubes also said they simply placed the capsules in the tubes.

‘We don’t even press OK,’ one added, which another user followed up with ‘Me either, you just hold it there for a second and it’ll take it.’

Key Takeaways

• A Woolworths employee has revealed how their vacuum cash tubes (pneumatic tube system) work.
• Noah demonstrated his explanation by placing a small tube filled with cash inside the vacuum.
• Many flocked to the comments of the post to share their amusement with the tool.
• Others though took the cue from Noah and suggested funny names, including ‘air vacuum transportation device 9000’ and ‘sucky hole thingo’.
• Some meanwhile explained that the tubes are necessary in stores like Woolies as a security measure to keep registers from having too much money in the till.

And lastly, on a more serious note, some users explained why the feature was necessary for some settings.

‘For safety reasons,’ one user explained. ‘(Cashiers) can’t keep more than a certain amount in the till at all times. Convenient way of sending it to the safe.’

Another user who claimed to be a former Woolies employee added: ‘And to also order change for the register!’

According to the website of Lamson, pneumatic tubes using vacuum technology have been around since the early 1900s. At present, aside from healthcare and retail settings, they’re also used in the entertainment sector to transport chips and money in casinos.

On the topic of Woolworths, here are some recent stories we have about the retail giant:

• 'Outrageous': Woolworths employee sparks debate after revealing the truth behind this 'secret' trolley hook
• Get ready, Woolworths is bringing back a beloved collectables range!
• Woolworths shopper’s revolting find in her salad sparks outrage

So, what are your thoughts on Woolies’ pneumatic tubes, a.k.a ‘vacuum sucky things’? Do you know of other places where the feature could be found? Can you think of a better name for it?

Share your opinions and comments below!

Source: YouTube/Lamson​

There was a store in Geelong many, many years ago, I think it was called Issings and they used a system like the sucky tubes to send money to an upstairs secure location. The tubes went up and then across the ceiling of the store, it was fun to watch this when I was a child.

 

[JehazFNQ]

I wonder if they break down as often as I’ve heard the hospital ones do?

 

[Llyrad]

Nothing new, these were in use when I was 15, lots of years ago now.

 

[Liz]

Every large department store when I was a kid had these, it used to be fascinating watching they go around the ceilings of the stores and disappear from the counters to the offices. I am going back at least 60 years.

 

[Eveanngra37@gmail]

If you've ever shopped at Woolworths, you've probably walked past the strange-looking vacuum tubes that are located at the checkout counters.

But do you know how these vacuum sucky things actually operate? Or even what they’re for? We didn’t!

Well, one store worker took the liberty of showing us!

A Woolworths employee named Noah Townley uploaded a post on Woolworths’ official account in response to a user’s question, which read ‘How do those tube things next to you work? And where does it go?’

The video starts with him in front of the said ‘tube things’ with a capsule in hand.

‘Hi, I’m here at Woolworths to show you how our vacuum sucky things work,’ he began, but not before immediately realising what he named the tubes.

View attachment 12896

Woolies employee Noah explained how to operate the store’s ‘vacuum sucky things’ in a recent TikTok post on the official Woolworths account. Image Credit: TikTok/@woolworths_au

‘Yeah, there needs to be a better name, surely. Does anyone have a dictionary?’

He’s quick on his feet, considering what he termed the tubes next.

‘These magical vacuum teleportation devices send cash to a secure location,’ he explained.

All a team member has to do, according to Noah, is place the capsule inside the tube and press the ‘OK’ button on the number pad.

‘And then… it’s gone,’ he said after the tub went up with a rather satisfying swish.

Many social media users who came across Woolworths' video flocked to the comments section to share their remarks.

Of course, a few were able to correctly identify the name of the tubes.

‘It’s called a Lamson tube system,’ the top reply read. ‘We use them in the hospital.’

‘Ah! So not “vacuum sucky thing”. Thanks for sharing,’ Noah replied.

But the user relented, and said: ‘I guess “vacuum sucky thing” also works, everyone will surely know what you mean.’

Source: TikTok/@woolworths_au​

‘A PTS — pneumatic tube system,’ another added, which appears to be another correct name for Woolies’ “vacuum sucky thing”.

Other names such as ‘sucky hole thingo’, ‘pickup chute’, and ‘air vacuum transportation device 9000’ were also mentioned in the comments.

Some users who were familiar with the pneumatic tubes also said they simply placed the capsules in the tubes.

‘We don’t even press OK,’ one added, which another user followed up with ‘Me either, you just hold it there for a second and it’ll take it.’

Key Takeaways

• A Woolworths employee has revealed how their vacuum cash tubes (pneumatic tube system) work.
• Noah demonstrated his explanation by placing a small tube filled with cash inside the vacuum.
• Many flocked to the comments of the post to share their amusement with the tool.
• Others though took the cue from Noah and suggested funny names, including ‘air vacuum transportation device 9000’ and ‘sucky hole thingo’.
• Some meanwhile explained that the tubes are necessary in stores like Woolies as a security measure to keep registers from having too much money in the till.

And lastly, on a more serious note, some users explained why the feature was necessary for some settings.

‘For safety reasons,’ one user explained. ‘(Cashiers) can’t keep more than a certain amount in the till at all times. Convenient way of sending it to the safe.’

Another user who claimed to be a former Woolies employee added: ‘And to also order change for the register!’

According to the website of Lamson, pneumatic tubes using vacuum technology have been around since the early 1900s. At present, aside from healthcare and retail settings, they’re also used in the entertainment sector to transport chips and money in casinos.

On the topic of Woolworths, here are some recent stories we have about the retail giant:

• 'Outrageous': Woolworths employee sparks debate after revealing the truth behind this 'secret' trolley hook
• Get ready, Woolworths is bringing back a beloved collectables range!
• Woolworths shopper’s revolting find in her salad sparks outrage

So, what are your thoughts on Woolies’ pneumatic tubes, a.k.a ‘vacuum sucky things’? Do you know of other places where the feature could be found? Can you think of a better name for it?

Share your opinions and comments below!

Source: YouTube/Lamson​

 

[Eveanngra37@gmail]

I can remember those in Boans Perth 60,70 years ago. The money would whoosh off and your change would come back. Also some other stores had them.

 

[Mindygirl12022]

Every large department store when I was a kid had these, it used to be fascinating watching they go around the ceilings of the stores and disappear from the counters to the offices. I am going back at least 60 years.

Yes me too, I used to watch these things zip around the ceiling, it always fascinated me.

 

[Eveanngra37@gmail]

One way for the sales people not to have a till on the counter to watch over.

 

[Janet g]

These systems were used when I was growing up in the fifties and sixties. I thought they were well and truly obsolete! And my two nearest WW stores don’t have them.

Mine either cheesequeen

 

[Judibing]

I remember those kinds of thing in some shops in the forties and fifties. Fascinated me. My mum would hand over the money which the assistant then put into a tube and with a swish it would travel through a system of pipes which were quite visible through the store. A moment or two later, with another swish, the container would arrive back at the counter, the assistant would take out the change and hand it to my mum, together with the neatly paper-wrapped parcel and off we would go.

 

[ElleJay]

My Mum used to work with these in a general store in a Victorian country town in the late 1940s. Mum used to work upstairs sending down people's change and also their banking.
I remember seeing them in a few department stores, particularly going with my Nan to her health insurance (might have been Manchester Unity?) in Port Phillip Arcade in Melbourne in the 1960s/70s. I was fascinated to watch the paperwork go whizzing upstairs and then your refund would come down a few minutes later.

 

[Nana Zorak]

I too remember going to stores in London when I was young & seeing this system in use. At least you got the right change, unlike the ones on the tills today who mostly can't count change back to you but rely on the till to tell them the correct change to give. Progress isn't always progress.

 

[Jest]

i am 83 and i remember these being used in department stores when i would have been 6-7. old hat returned for use. well i never!! mind you this was in NZ

 

[DavidEsplin]

When old technology can simultaneously be really cool and totally suck.