SELF CHECK-OUT LAUGHTER

Is Tech Getting A Little Ahead of Itself Right Now?

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Whoever said there’s no such thing as a stupid question never looked carefully at a standardized test.

Alfie Kohn.

Is it simply Britain that has these annoying self-checkouts that ask stupid questions once you have paid the gizmo through it’s slot thingy or, flashed at the scanner (no folks, not you literally flashing at it, no…your iPhone.)

Is there a point to this, I hear you ask?

I thought about this daft question when driving back from the supermarket earlier today, so yes, I have to get this off my chest.

Here’s the scenario:

You are walking into the supermarket and pass the security guard at the entrance.

Nothing wrong with you say… it’s good to know he’s there right?

You scan your items you’ve chosen from the shelves, and trolleyed them along on those infernal wobbly trolley wheels, to get to the self-scan.

Once scanned and paid, what does the electronic gizmo put up on the screen for you to read, lo and behold, these exciting words:

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Faced with these choices, you may think:

• no I don’t want a receipt because I already have a trashcan of crumpled-up paper at home, and I want to save more trees from being chopped done by not printing it or,
• yes I do want a receipt, remembering that there is a security guard at that entrance/exit who will want to see proof of purchase, if that crazy scanner hasn't cancelled that electronic tag on any item you’ve bought

Bearing this in mind, you are obviously going to click the ‘yes’ button… right? This happened only the other day, as we walked out of the store and the alarms rang out at the exit barriers, flashing red lights starting up, making us look Bonny & Clyde after robbing the local bank.

Then the security guard approached saying, “can I see your receipt Sir?”

So there you have it.

Always get the receipt for what you have just bought.

Which leaves me with just one pertinent question to ask.

“Why on Earth do those infernal techy things even bother with giving you an option when it comes to having the receipt, if you known you will most likely need it as evidence of you having paid?”

So, Jan Sebastian 🖐👩‍🦰, do you reckon this constitutes a rant then?

Thanks for listening…

Jonathan D. Townend, RMN. Top Writer in Space.