[Sheap]

Actually, I prefer the self-serve checkout. I do understand that the stores are doing this to cut costs at the expense of the customer. But I find that I am almost as fast as a cashier at scanning my items, and I can scan and bag in one motion (rather than having to do them separately) so that is actually faster.

Invariably when I wait in a regular checkout line, someone in front of me is a moron and holds up the show for ages. This happens even more often with self-serve checkout, but when it happens it only reduces throughput by 25% instead of 100%.

Finally since the self-service checkout is restricted in the number of items you can bring through, and many people are reluctant to use them, and because the line leads to four checkouts instead of one, the lines are much shorter and move faster. Which is important to me, not because my time is exceptionally valuable, but because I really, really hate waiting in line.

On the other hand, I do agree with Arryn that self-serve gasoline is an absolute necessity of life. I am simply glad that New Jersey is a small state that I don't live in. There are many reasons for this, but among them is that when I have to drive through it, I can fill up beforehand and not have to wait in their gas lines. It's like the oil embargo, all over again.

[ July 12, 2004, 17:59: Message edited by: Sheap ]