The new local CT has a bunch of those newfangled self-checkout things. I generally use those when available as they seem faster than the alternative.
Yesterday I was there picking up a bread maker. When I started the checkout process, the attendant for the self-checkout stalls was patiently trying to explain something to the woman at the stall next to mine. Whatever. I scanned the breadmaker box and obediently placed it on the platform at the side of the self-checkout machine. So far so good. Keep in mind that I’ve had problems with these machines before, but usually the reason is obvious. Once a machine gagged on an item I was buying because it was flagged as a hazardous chemical. Thanks to 9/11 no doubt.
Anyway, things were chugging along and then the machine suddenly stopped and said “WAIT FOR ATTENDANT”. No indication of what the problem was. At this point I looked over at the attendant, but she was still wrangling with the woman in the next stall. Clearly she wouldn’t be able to help me until she finished with this person. So I started to pay attention to the conversation. Apparently, the woman couldn’t understand what was happening with her transaction when she tried to use her Canadian Tire money. Here’s how it works, and believe me it ain’t rocket science: you scan your items, the machine totals it all up, then asks if you have any CT money. If you do, you enter the amount. The amount you enter reduces your total. This was what the attendant kept repeating to the woman in the next stall, but she started getting mad and flailing around as if someone was trying to put one over on her. I lowered my head to my cart and started gently banging my head. People in the next line noticed too and I watched one woman start to form helpful words; but presumably she figured out that there was no getting through to this woman and didn’t bother.
Suddenly my machine woke up and my checkout process continued. Yay! So I carried on and was almost finished when just as suddenly it stopped again: WAIT FOR ATTENDANT. Argh! I glanced over at the attendant, who shot me a sympathetic look and continued to try to reassure the clueless woman that she was not being ripped off. I resumed my head-banging. Ms. Clueless finally threw up her hands, declared that “it doesn’t make any sense” and decided to ignore her doubts and move on. At that point my machine once again revived and I completed my transaction. Phew!
On my way past the attendant, I asked if she knew why my machine had stopped twice yet recovered each time apparently on its own. She told me, quietly, that she knew exactly why this had happened: because The Clueless Wonder’s rather large rear end, in all her flailing, had impinged upon the machine I was using and caused its scale to register weights not in alignment with the items I had purchased. So THAT’S why they make you put your items on the little platform!
I do not enjoy making fun of people with physical issues, especially not in public. That’s just not how I roll. But believe me, if I had known that this ignorant, enormously overweight woman was holding up my progress both because she was incredibly stupid AND because her fat behind was interfering with the machine, I would have politely invited her to move her fat, ignorant ass out of the way.
The one time “Move your fat ass!” was actually appropriate and you couldn’t do it. Life is SO unfair.
I have a policy of not using the self checkout, for three reasons:
1)I would be replacing the work done for pay by human beings, including, until recently, nephew Keith.
2)Haven’t noticed any price reduction to compensate me for doing work previously done by store employees.
3)I’d rather deal with human beings than machines, all things being equal.
drfilk:
1) Luddite! Also, who will find jobs for the poor slobs who make the machines if you put them out of work by hiring people to do the work of their machines?
2) I suppose you don’t use bank machines either?
3) You stopped liking motorcycles?
As a matter of fact, Dr. Filk does not use bank machines. To his point, it’s always a good idea to see if how you’re behaving lines up with what you say you think.
I think the REAL reason is that you cannot flirt with a checkout machine, although given the unhung pervs among us, that is probably not far away.
To answer Jeff in the accustomed format:
1)General Ludd rules! Anyway, which store replaced a cash drawer & abacus with a do-it-yourself checkout?
2)”what never? Well, hardly ever.” And I never use the do-it-yourself library checkout.
3)If I could ride a human being around town…