The Scum of Self-Checkouts

If I keep perspective, it's really a tiny, non-issue, yet it still got to me just a little in the moment. I just had the experience, and would like to get it off my chest to move on with the day.

I walk to a store. Time 3mins.

I acquire my items. Time 1min

I enter the self-checkout line. Time 5mins

There was 4 lanes, one closed down. Each had a person occupying, I was first in line. Some clueless girl with wandering eyes either tries to play off as if I wasn't there and cut in front of the only person in line, else truly was that clueless.

"Are you in line". eyes wandering still, looks up for a brief moment to nod head. "So am I". Steps in front of her. WTF?

Each person in these self-checkouts is incompetent. Their speed is at least 1/4 my own. I'm watching each person confused for reasons that are beyond my comprehension. There's no "please see attendant". on any screen, but one is looking around the store and stopped entirely. WTF? The second is having issues understanding you need to scan where the barcode can be read. She's experiencing insanity. I'm curious how long this could possibly go on. The third is fumbling in her bag, can't figure out how to get out monies, seems as if she's waiting for someone to say, "for the love of god, I'll pay for that for you, just GFTO". Not me.

Now back to the first, it was her husband. They make sure to kiss before he scans a case of soda. The girl who cut me off, yea so two lanes opened nearly at the same time. She stepped in front of me to take the first a fraction of a second before the second opened up. Can you believe this crap? It really happened. I scan my two items, stick in cash already prepared, and am out within 15 secs. That bitch is still there.

Man, it really was nothing, but at the same time I kept thinging things like what speed most people are truly processing at, how self-absorbed they really are, inconsiderate, what implications this has for society as a whole. I know this is one damned event, and I just need someone to open the door for me within the next 48 hours or so to restore my faith in humanity, but damned, that tiny experience had a not-so tiny impact on me.

Stupid people.

originally posted by: pl3bscheese
If I keep perspective, it's really a tiny, non-issue, yet it still got to me just a little in the moment. I just had the experience, and would like to get it off my chest to move on with the day.

I walk to a store. Time 3mins.

I acquire my items. Time 1min

I enter the self-checkout line. Time 5mins

There was 4 lanes, one closed down. Each had a person occupying, I was first in line. Some clueless girl with wandering eyes either tries to play off as if I wasn't there and cut in front of the only person in line, else truly was that clueless.

"Are you in line". eyes wandering still, looks up for a brief moment to nod head. "So am I". Steps in front of her. WTF?

Each person in these self-checkouts is incompetent. Their speed is at least 1/4 my own. I'm watching each person confused for reasons that are beyond my comprehension. There's no "please see attendant". on any screen, but one is looking around the store and stopped entirely. WTF? The second is having issues understanding you need to scan where the barcode can be read. She's experiencing insanity. I'm curious how long this could possibly go on. The third is fumbling in her bag, can't figure out how to get out monies, seems as if she's waiting for someone to say, "for the love of god, I'll pay for that for you, just GFTO". Not me.

Now back to the first, it was her husband. They make sure to kiss before he scans a case of soda. The girl who cut me off, yea so two lanes opened nearly at the same time. She stepped in front of me to take the first a fraction of a second before the second opened up. Can you believe this crap? It really happened. I scan my two items, stick in cash already prepared, and am out within 15 secs. That bitch is still there.

Man, it really was nothing, but at the same time I kept thinging things like what speed most people are truly processing at, how self-absorbed they really are, inconsiderate, what implications this has for society as a whole. I know this is one damned event, and I just need someone to open the door for me within the next 48 hours or so to restore my faith in humanity, but damned, that tiny experience had a not-so tiny impact on me.

Stupid people.

disconnect from your computer. go outside. find an ice cream shop and buy a cone. give it to the first little kid you see. take a moment to appreciate the look on their face, and acknowledge the role you played in that. feel the power you have to make someone smile and realize how important that is, because smiles are contagious.

or just keep bitching on a conspiracy forum about how unfair life is.

your choice.

I think we have enough obese little ones walking around.

No thank you.

a reply to: pl3bscheese

Without useless self service staff you could not buy steak from the counter and run it through as onions.

Huzzah for the self service checkout.

originally posted by: pl3bscheese
I think we have enough obese little ones walking around.

No thank you.

nothing can make you happy if you choose to be unhappy.

and obesity is a far more attractive quality than surliness.

fat bottom girls, they make the rockin' world go round.

a reply to: pl3bscheese

Queuing. I hate people that don't respect a queue. It is an Institution in my books. There are rules and set behaviours. Everyone knows these. It is just ego if you ignore them, "I am more important than you, because the media validates my existence with reality TV shows and Z list celebrities"

Also, if you can't scan product through yourself, one, I am sorry about your job prospects if this simple tax befuddles you, and two, go to a professional and do it!

I feel your pain.

Manners, they cost nothing.

a reply to: MrsNonSpecific

this is what convenience does to people. people get used to having things go their way the first time and they take it for granted. it breeds a sense of...entitlement.

seems we have a few of those around here.

I don't like self-checkouts and refuse to use them.

They are all part of the Globalist conspiracy!

a reply to: TzarChasm

This has nothing to do with "convenience". Quit trolling my thread with nonsense.

originally posted by: pl3bscheese
a reply to: TzarChasm

This has nothing to do with "convenience". Quit trolling my thread with nonsense.

oh i am being quite sincere with you. my impression is that your attitude is more an impediment than the shoppers you encountered. and you dont seem to have left it at the login portal either.

Now back to the first, it was her husband. They make sure to kiss before he scans a case of soda. The girl who cut me off, yea so two lanes opened nearly at the same time. She stepped in front of me to take the first a fraction of a second before the second opened up. Can you believe this crap? It really happened. I scan my two items, stick in cash already prepared, and am out within 15 secs. That bitch is still there.

it sounds to me as though you were vexed by the sheer audacity that the universe itself wouldnt simply bend the laws of physics to make your shopping expedition as smooth as possible. i cant sympathize with that.

a reply to: pl3bscheese

This is not YOUR thread. And that is not YOUR store. That is not YOUR checkout. That is YOUR brain. It is apparently having trouble recognizing that this is not YOUR world. Grow UP!

My husband will not use the self checkout as the more they are used the less jobs of checkers. I agree with him, if we don't use the convenient self scanners we can keep more people working and the big business will get less profit by disposing of real people.

a reply to: pl3bscheese

Oh sweet Jeebus yes! A Million times YES!

Ignore TzarChasm I say. It isn't surly to express a rant. Even I as a person who espouses the idea of "why let it bother you" understands that venting is a fine idea.

The problem I have with the entirety of self checkout is two fold; one admittedly selfish and the other a massive sign of continuing disrespect.

To get the selfish side over with first...I like the self-checkout when I have a small batch of items and usually no alcohol (mostly due to the wait of someone having to check my age and correct the computer. Even so in this case I hate to be the guy holding someone up. If I come in and have only a bottle of wine to buy and see just one person behind me with a small amount of items, I'll usually say "go ahead" just because it takes longer to verify age and checkout

BUT...like you, I am a wizard at self-checkout. I am extremely efficient, even with produce codes. I make it my point to be in, done, out as fast as I can. Yes it is selfish. No I am not saying I am the god of speed and accuracy. But for the love of all that is holy GET MOVING on the lane. If for no other reason...what about the people holding just two heavy items. And I don't want to hear the whole "put it down and pick it back up" BS. For some that makes it harder. Point is get a move on. End your stupid cellphone call and get to it.

Now that I have relieved myself of my own selfishness...let me support your argument from the non-selfish side

It may seem crude and pointless to complain about people who can't queue but the whole things amounts to a lack of respect from the general population to others in that same population.

I always see three things in a self-checkout queue that piss me off

I will order them in increasing amounts of induced frustration

1. This one bothers me quite a bit. A person is in self-check lane 1 and encounters and error. Meanwhile in lane 2, another error occurs. The assistant moves to lane 1 as lane 1 hit the error first. Then the jackass in 2 huffs aloud and gets all pissy at the fact that lane 1 was cared for first...you know...in order

2. This one bothers me quite a bit more...the line cutters. Usually in the small self-checkout lanes there is a wide open area to start a queue for multiple lanes. But people just start cutting. OP handled this fine

3. But this is the big one I just loathe and I see it all the time. In my Meijer, their are two types of checkout. Long scan belts (meaning you can have a whole boatload of groceries and plenty of place to put them...and the 12 items or less line with enough space on the weight to hold maybe 15-25 pounds of bulky stuff. It NEVER FAILS...some idiot will get tired of waiting for the longer line and take their WHOLE BASKET crammed full of 70 items and take up the 12 or less line.

Look I get it...if you are waiting and have 14 items...eh who cares. 15...whatever...but when you have a whole cart full of stuff that equals 50. 60. 70 scans....you are an a-hole if you take the 12 items or less line...period. One time it was two brother who looked like they could care less. No kidding...2...not 1...2 carts of probably a solid hundred items...took up the ONLY working 12 items or less line. What did the assistant clerk do? nothing...sat there.

So yeah while the selfish part is all on me, the other three are just signs of continuing disrespect for others IMO

Spot on OP

a reply to: soulpowertothendegree

Sorry I still cannot multireply...some issue I am having

so to the following...

soulpowertothendegree, Tompdx3, TzarChasm

I understand it may sound foolish, but it's about a lack of respect. Yeah I admit I am way too in a hurry, hence my first example labelled as selfish. But otherwise, it's all about respect. People want OP to show respect for people who don't respect others. It's a fine ideal but when you have people cut you off, ignore rules, and disrespect others, are we to just sort of be ok with it?

"Well this person cut me off, doesn't care about the 12 items or less rule and has a cart load of 50 things, and is talking on the cell and holding up others...but it's ok. I am just a cog in the gear-box. I shouldn't complain. People should be totally allowed to act like they are more important."

The speed thing...again as mentioned may be selfish. But line cutters and people who have no concern over others' time and space are disrespectful

a reply to: pl3bscheese

Hahaha..

People be is are dumb y dummmms..

It's all good in the hood.

Just expect it, and laugh about them with your friend you walked their with. That's my game. They're not your job to fix.

I actually just got back from walking to the store. I had a stupid check out dude. Wished I had gone through self checkout.
At least then I get to smash my own bread if I so choose..

Lol.

Have a good rest of your day now though. Glad the air has been cleared, until next time. I don't do anything in a hurry. Things take as long as they will take. Stress free going with it. I don't fight the world, unless I see a way of teaching. Then I'll take the stress if it can potentially be worth it.

Sometimes it's as simple as giving someone a goofy look, like wth are you doing.. And that leads to a question and I answer them. Then they smile and stop looking like they are in dire need of a personal assistant to explain what words on a screen mean to them..

originally posted by: TzarChasm

originally posted by: pl3bscheese
I think we have enough obese little ones walking around.

No thank you.

nothing can make you happy if you choose to be unhappy.

and obesity is a far more attractive quality than surliness.

fat bottom girls, they make the rockin' world go round.

No, fat bottom girls just increase the potential for planetary wobble and subsequent crustal displacement.

Cheers - Dave

a reply to: Reverbs

haha, thanks. I'm good, like a said tiny issue, it just kinda went macro-perspective for a moment and it got me mildly off-balanced.

I forgot my own saying here. crazy. hairless. apes.

a reply to: pl3bscheese

I have hair dude.. Not sure which apes you know?

"Life moves pretty fast, if you don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it"

Farris Bueller.


People need to stop sweating the small stuff it's no good for you.