For those of you who do not use "self-checkouts" in retail stores, I have a question for you.

[madinmaryland]

Do you use the following automated devices, and if so, then why?

--ATM Machines - in order to save the jobs of bank tellers?

--Self serve gasoline pumps - To save the jobs of the gasoline pump attendants?

--Do you refuse to order take-out unless it is delivered to you, in order to save the job of the delivery man or to save the jobs of the wait staff of the restaurant?

Just curious.

Edited to add my answers:

I use self-checkout when available (not very many of them here) Our grocery store does not have them and they try hard to keep enough checkout lanes open that we can move through quickly.

ATM machines - If I have an ATM card, I use it.
Self-serve gasoline - Yes. (there are no station in the area that will pump it for you). When in New Jersey, you have to have an attendant pump it for you.
Take-out - We order take out and pick it up. Can't afford the additional charge and tip.

[NRaleighLiberal]

1. well done. odd day here at DU... (full moon?)

[Blue_In_AK]

2. Answers

1. I do not use ATM machines.

2. I only pump my own gas because we don't have any pump attendants in Anchorage. I think it's a shame that these jobs are no longer available for high school kids.

3. I don't do takeout. If I have to go to a restaurant to pick up my food, I'll sit down and eat it there. If someone delivers it to me at home, I'll give them a tip.


I don't do these things on principle - it's just the way I am.

[DJ13]

3. Lets just fire everyone, it would be cheaper

[tblue]

4. No, no, and no. I just can't get the darn thing to work without asking for help,

which kinda defeats the purpose and is frankly a waste of time.

Not trying to make a political statement. But it will be strange to go shopping and have no people there.

[pnwmom]

5. ATM machines -- hardly ever use them. Less than once a year.

Self-serve gasoline pumps -- avoid whenever possible -- unfortunately, it usually isn't.

Don't know good takeout places here that deliver.

I like the old ways -- with people.

[SoCalDem]

43. I use my debit card AT stores,but never at an ATM

I would pay EXTRA to NOT have to pump gas, but there are no full-serve stations left around here

and we eat in restaurants..never order delivered food:) (and we tip 20% too so :P..)

[PDJane]

6. I don't use a self checkout,

because my hands won't move as quickly as the checkouts demand, and the repetitive motion gives my poor arthritic thumbs a severe hassle.

I do use ATM machines, but that's because I wish to avoid the lines at the teller.

I don't drive.

I don't order take out unless it's delivered........why would I want to carry my meal around? Isn't the convenience why you order take out in the first place?

[endeavourniche]

19. Check out

They put self check outs in Walmart and one grocery store here. They lasted less than a year. The lines were long and it ended up that a clerk had to be at every checkout anyway. The people here just could not get it. I'm trying not to say anything bad about my new town folk but maybe some of the cliches or stereotypes about the south are true. Know what I mean?

[PDJane]

22. Well, yeah........

I get how they work. If I didn't drop stuff so often, they'd be fine, although I've noticed that you still have to be very aware of what the prices are, or you get overcharged.

[taterguy]

7. I don't use self-checkouts because the ones in my store require you to use the store's plastic bags

I use ATMs if I need money when the banks are closed.

I don't know of any gas stations in my area that offer full-service.

I plead guilty on question #3

[PretzelWarrior]

12. do they physically grab your balls if you try to use your own reusable

bags? How can self checkout possibly force you to use paper or plastic?

[taterguy]

20. Machine won't work if you don't use their bags

You have to call an attendant over and spend more time then you would standing in a line with a cashier.

[walldude]

35. THey fixed that in my local grocer..

you just put your bags on the scales before starting the check out. Works fine.

Edit: Plus they pay a nickel for every plastic bag you bring back!

[Brickbat]

8. I haven't looked at the other thread, but I'm assuming from your questions it's about employment.

I don't use the self-checkouts because our grocery stores are union and there's no reason for me to take away someone's job. I feel very, very strongly about that.

I pump my own gas, because we do not have attendants here.

I order takeout from one place, a pizza place where the majority of the time I eat in. Even when I take out, I tip.

I don't use ATMs because I almost never use cash.

You could say I'm consistent, I guess. :shrug:

[gratuitous]

9. I don't pump my own gas

But then, in Oregon, we don't have that option. The times I have traveled out of state, I haven't observed a surfeit of folks standing around waiting to pump gas, so since time is usually a primary consideration, I pump my own gas, even though I don't like it. ATMs have already taken the jobs of tellers, so that's kind of a moot point; I'm not usually at a regular bank branch while it's open anyway. On the rare occasions when I afford myself the luxury of take out, I usually go pick it up, as the local Chinese restaurants charge extra for home delivery, because they don't have drivers on call. They would have to pull a staff person off his or her regular duties.

Were you heading toward some point with these questions? If not, I hope your curiosity has been satisfied. If so, perhaps you should be a little more up front about your intentions.

[Atman]

69. The ATM/Teller argument is total nonsense.

I've never seen a bank that has fewer tellers because they have ATMs (NOT "ATM machines", btw...the "M" already stands for machine). I go into the branch, there are still tellers. I've yet to see a bank wherein the tellers disappeared because of an ATM. It's a bullshit argument. What SHOULD piss you off about ATMs is that they were supposed to make banking cheaper because of the reduced need for tellers...but the tellers are still there, and now you're charged $3.00 to use the ATM. Did you get charged for using the teller in the past? Nope. But now that you have an automated system, the teller-less transaction costs you $3.00, but you can walk inside and do the same transaction for free. It's fucking bullshit.

.

[yankeeinlouisiana]

10. I use

ATM Machines when the bank is closed;
There are no full-serve gas stations by me; and
I tend to be lazy and prefer my take out delivered.

I rarely use the self-checkout lines and have taught my children why we should not use them.

[PretzelWarrior]

11. I don't use ATM. I print my own money. OOPS.

was that my out loud voice?

[madinmaryland]

28. Huh? I though money grew on trees?

:wtf:

That's the way my wife treats it.

:hide:

[paulsby]

13. we should also encourage more oil spills

after all, all these petty safety concerns and double hulled ships have put otter scrubbers out of work!

[treestar]

14. I just figure that whoever runs the ATM has a job

Somebody has to keep track of the data, maintain the machines, someone designed the machines and upgrades them. All of those jobs are better than pumping gas and sitting behind a bank counter.

The banks still have tellers though, so it looks like the dreaded ATM did not displace them.

The grocery counter line - I go to the human if possible. I hate those things. Voiceover people who make those robot-like statements for them are happy though. Without them, they'd be out of a job, or have to work bagging groceries.

[alphafemale]

15. I only avoid "self-checkouts" in certain stores.

Ones where every item must be placed in certain "weighing area" before being placed in the cart.

That is really more trouble than it's worth.

For the most part I LOVE the self check-outs though.

I also wonder if all these human-checkout purists also never shop online. Think of all those retail sales jobs lost!!!

[Touchdown]

87. It's not "Check out purist" but union purist.

I know i'm using union always when I shop online. Target/Best Buy/Barnes & Noble all have non-union low wage earners (I don't do Wal-Mart, and wouldn't even if the internet didn't exist). There are some Border's Book stores that are union, but I don't know which ones. Costco is also hit and miss with unions in their stores. King Soopers and Safeway are union, so I don't do Target for food, and try to avoid Target entirely. I will buy my camera equipment from a local camera shop, because I know the guys who work there, they know what they're talking about and they are on commission.

Delivery from online stores ensures that I'm using union labor... at least for delivery. The Post Office is union, and UPS is union. All I have to do is avoid clicking the FedEx box. I imagine if I looked hard enough, some online merchants may have warehouse workers who are union as well.

I also like to talk to someone when I give them my money. It puts a face on your money drain, and makes me feel better about parting with it. I always use the checkout girls/boys. Hell, I'm happy they took the salad bars out and my waiters make my salads now. I like to pay people to do things. Not machines. Not do it myself. I just wish there was a Chinese Laundry near me, so I wouldn't have to wash my clothes.

I use ATMs because I work swing shift, and the banks are closed by the time I take a shower. There's also an ATM from my Credit Union right in my workplace.

I eat out or get delivery. Rarely do I ever take out. If there is a money jar at the counter, I put at least $1 in there always.

So I got a question for you. When will it end? When will it be too much for you? Self Checkouts are here, so that's not it. How about robots fixing your car? Cafes with vending machines only? Fly your own plane?

[alphafemale]

103. Good for you. But I live in the South.

If I waited until I could check out food through a checkout line staffed by a unionized employee I'd starve to death.

[Saturday]

16. gasoline pump attendants????

Self service took their jobs looooong ago.

[Ruby the Liberal]

30. Actually, self-service is against the law in New Jersey

[madinmaryland]

33. Do you know why? I always hated having to stop for gas in NJ.

I can't remember if I ever got an answer for that. Just curious.

Thanks!

[Ruby the Liberal]

38. I was told it is a safety issue?

[FormerDittoHead]

54. Some association of station owners to prevent the 'gas-only' stations from taking over.

Maybe I'm showing my age, but back in the day, there were "service stations" where you not only bought gas, but you could get your car serviced as well.

The owners of those stations figured if self-service was allowed, big chains ("Merit") would come in, undercut their price by not having to hire mechanics, etc., and the service stations would all but go out of business.

It hasn't stopped the big chains from moving in, however, there IS a "full service" gas station up the road from me.

I should also point out that for some reason, our gas is always cheaper than it is in PA, which I've seen charges SEVENTY FIVE CENTS A GALLON MORE in order to pump the gas for you.

[MissB]

60. Same thing in Oregon, btw.

Still don't know why.

[Angry Dragon]

62. I heard that in Oregon it was to lessen the chance of fires

[madinmaryland]

67. That's what I had heard the reason for it was in NJ, also.

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

106. There are a number of reasons.

Less chance of fire, less chance of crime as people leave their car unattended, less spills, less fumes...

and more jobs.

[sandnsea]

109. No. It's all about jobs, always has been

Any other excuse they give is just that, an excuse. Oddly enough, our gas is no higher than California where we get our fuel from. So much for them not being able to make money and hire people.

[JerseygirlCT]

89. I love that about my home state.

Hate pumping gas.

[SammyWinstonJack]

17. I don't have a choice in using self-service gas pumps and my bank charges me if I go inside.

:shrug: I don't eat out, so not an issue for me there. I use self-check out sometimes, but it can be embarrassing and I really don't like it. And I do think that it might be eliminating jobs and I wonder why the prices aren't reduced and why I need to do the work, as a shopper? :shrug:

[lame54]

18. you assume there is only one reason to not use them

[Broken_Hero]

21. hmm, interesting

discussions today.

I do not use "self checkout lines" at any store, well I lie, I have used them roughly 4 times my whole life.

I very rarely use ATM machines, this year I believe I have only used them twice, and both in early October of this year.

Self Service gas stations, I haven't seen a gas attendant at any gas station in decades, so yes I do pump my own gas.

I haven't ordered take out in 6 yrs or better, there is no delivery for that sort of thing in my current area.

[tularetom]

23. I don't use the self checkouts and I try to avoid ATM's

But just try and find a gas station attendant anywhere in CA.

And ordering a pizza or Chinese food or anything else is an impossibility for us since we live 30 miles at least from the nearest place that delivers.

[Zywiec]

24. I never dial any phone number directly

I always call the operator to connect me.

:eyes:

This reminds me of the thread months ago about not returning the shopping cart, but leaving it outside for someone to bring inside as part of their job.

DU always provides comic relief at the end of a hard day.

[madinmaryland]

71. Why do you hate the phone operators! They are part of the CWA.

:D

[Deep13]

25. False equivalency, false dilemma.

Doing some things that might reduce labor demand does not mean I should do more things that reduce labor demand. That's the false dilemma. It ignores "shades of grey."

I use the ATM so I can do simple transactions when the bank is closed. That's why they were invented. Also, I don't expect the bank will be putting a teller in the gas station any time soon. Besides, unlike grocers in a lot of places, banks have never been unionized, so using an ATM is not a hit on organized labor.

Um, gas pump attendants? What are those? Except for NJ and I think one other state, there's no such thing as full serve anymore. Yeah, there are a few exceptions notable because of their rarity.

Delivery has always been the exception rather than the rule, especially away from the city. At the office, the restaurant is literally a five-minute walk from here. It would be kind of dumb to ask them to deliver it.

[PretzelWarrior]

32. but the same arguments were used against ATMS. tellers lose their jobs

it could lead to identity theft. all manner of fear and smear in the name of halting a technological advance that surely has made my life WAY THE HELL easier.

[madinmaryland]

26. ** Edited OP to add my answers **

[GodlessBiker]

27. This is like the old Abbott & Costello routine about not using mustard and putting people...

...who make mustard out of work.

You want to put people who produce ATM machines out of work?

[madinmaryland]

31. I've been through that before..

What seems to get forgotten in the fooferaw is that there are people who design, build, install, and service these machines. Whether it be a gas pump, ATM, or self-service checkout machines, the machines do create jobs.

[martymar64]

99. But those jobs created are outnumbered by the jobs they destroy

That's the problem.

[Ruby the Liberal]

29. Are there full service pumps outside of New Jersey?

[Greyhound]

34. ATM - Not when a teller is an alternative.

Pumping gas is not an option. I think there is a place with full service about 40 miles away, but they charge $.50 p/gal premium. OTOH, Oregon requires your gas to be pumped and their prices are less than many other western states.

Like the gas, delivery is not an option, but I tip servers in cash.

[Gidney N Cloyd]

36. Self-checkout is a pain in the ass. Especially with large items.

Job-wise it's probably a wash. I just think it's sucky customer service, especially when, as you struggle to run an armload of one by two's through the checker at Home Depot or something, you look up and there are two shiftless proctors standing and watching you fumble.

[dysfunctional press]

53. i've never had any problems with it...

even with bulky items.
and every time i've gone to home depot- the person monitoring the self-checkouts checks you out themselves if you're the only customer. and lately, i usually am.

[GoCubsGo]

37. I only use self-checkout if the lines are too long...

Or, if I'm in Kroger and have less than 15 items. They have a limit. I tend to use self-checkout there because the cashiers tend to be snotty, and I don't want to put up with that. I bring my own bags, and some of them bitch because they're canvas bags that don't stand up. Boo fucking hoo.

[KamaAina]

39. PSA: It's ATM, not "ATM machine".

ATM stands for automated teller machine.

Same with "PIN number". </rant>

edit: I'm reporting the lot of you to the Department of Redundancy Department. :P

[madinmaryland]

73. There is always one Grammar Natsi in the house!

:hi:

[martymar64]

100. That's why avoid abbreviations, it's just another way to dumb down society with unnecessary jargon

I don't say ATM when "cash machine" works just as well. I blame marketers for trying to jargonize and abbreviate everything in sight. They suck.

[Cessna Invesco Palin]

40. I just prefer not to use the self-checkout machines.

And it's nothing to do with saving anyone's job. I just don't like the particular customer experience of using those machines.

[Fumesucker]

41. Automatic Teller Machine.. Adding "Machine" on the end of ATM is redundant..

I seldom use an ATM since I do most of my banking online, it's much cheaper on gas that way.

I haven't seen a pump jockey in at least a decade so I pump gas when I buy it.

I haven't done take out in at least a couple of years but I tip the wait staff when I have in the past.

And I avoid the self checkout unless I'm really in a hurry and it would take a lot longer to go through the line which happens maybe twice a year.

Edited for speling.

[damntexdem]

42. Stupid questions. Not at all parallel issues.

And try to find a gas station where one has the OPTION of an attendant, even at a premium.

Oh wait, I know where one can do that! Mexico, where there are still attendants and the stations do not want motorists to pump their own gas.

[PretzelWarrior]

48. move to Oregon or New Jersey if that's your thang! I hate it

not being able to immediately pump my own gas when I pull up to a pump during busy time. Gotta wait for the guy to get over there. then he puts it on auto pump. then wait for a while after it auto shuts off for him to come back to my car, etc. It's just STOOOOPID.

Often they act rude, add nothing of value, and are a waste of my time.

[depakid]

52. Wow- that's the EXACT OPPOSITE of my experience

I like not having stinking gas on my hands- I like having restrooms and services at gas stations as opposed to glass booths with dozens of pumps.

Also, no one's ever been rude to me- not even. Perhaps it's your attitude with the attendants that's bringing about that response.

Oh, and despite better service- Oregon prices are still lower than Washington State.

[ipaint]

44. If I had a choice I would go to a service station that hires people to pump gas.

That is no longer a choice.

Don't use ATM machines.

I cook all my meals but when I had the money to order take out I always had it delivered and included a generous tip.


If a business needs cashiers to check paying customers out they can hire and pay them. I don't work for free.

[Obamanaut]

45. I've started leaving my shopping cart in the parking lot so the guy

who gathers them will have work to do and thus keep his job.

[Luminous Animal]

46. I'll answer.

One of the reasons why I do not like to use the self-checkout at grocery stores is because the counter does not get wiped down. In my grocery store, the cashier wipes the counter checking out a customer who bought meat of fish. Another reason, is when there is a problem (wrong price - item won't scan - ) it can take longer for the problem to be resolved.

I do not like self-service pumps. I don't like the smell of gasoline on my clothes. I do not like avoiding getting the filthy water on my clothes when I wash my windows and I don't like putting the air in my own tires.

I prefer not to use an ATM machine when my own bank is not in the neighborhood. I don't like paying the "interest" charge (that is, the charge disguised as a fee).

Take out wasn't contrived as a way to fire employees; but rather as a way to expand business which results in the hiring of additional employees.

Oh, and I tip 5%-10% on take-out. Someone had to take my order, put it together, & process the payment.

[TexasObserver]

47. I have a question for you.

Do you understand the difference between (1) having a choice between using a cashier and using a self check machine, and (2) not having a choice between using an ATM or using a bank teller (since most ATMs are located where tellers are not)?

ATM machines are designed to get money to people in places where there are no tellers currently available, or the ones which are must be reached by driving past them.

[madinmaryland]

74. Ok.

The reason I added ATM's is that I withdraw money during the day and I choose to use the ATM rather than standing in line for 15 minutes in the teller line.

You?

[TexasObserver]

81. Let me parse this a little better.

I understand the convenience argument for automated processes, even those at Mega Mart which provide check out for customers. Some customers would prefer that. I really don't mind them using it, but I prefer to see workers getting paid to be cashiers.

[madinmaryland]

85. Ok. OTOH...

You say "but I prefer to see workers getting paid to be cashiers."

I would prefer to see those same people designing, building, installing, maintaining, and even upgrading (yes that might end up being Microsoft), the machines; rather than running cans of green beans over a scanner.

[elocs]

49. What I wonder is, why does someone else's choice bother you so much

that you must create a thread about it? :shrug:

If you like using self-checkout, then use them. If you don't, don't. I don't understand why anyone is required to justify their choices about it.

I don't use them because I usually pay cash and one time I did try and use one at Kmart the machine would not read an item the 4 times I tried it and I had to get a person to help anyways.

I use ATM cards and pay at the pump, but I do not and will not use self-checkout in stores and I see nothing inconsistent about that, just my choice.

[anigbrowl]

58. It's in response to someone saying they're 'machines of the devil'

probably still near the top of the GD page.

[elocs]

64. Missed that, but I don't look on individual forum pages, just surf the Latest Threads. n/t

[notesdev]

50. Hello assumption central

I don't use the self-checkout because it's not a reliable device, two out of three times I use it there's a problem so I don't use it if I can help it. I also watch the price of things as they are rung up so I can ask the person ringing it up to resolve the error before paying for it. Can't do those things with a machine.

For an ATM or gas pump, the transaction is completely mechanical, it's not the same type of transaction as buying something in a store.

[madinmaryland]

68. The self checkouts that I have used are essentially the same thing

as the regular checkout. It's easier to keep track of the items at the self checkout than have to watch and see if the checker scans it correctly and if it actually reads correctly.

:shrug:

[dysfunctional press]

51. don't forget those poor elevator operators...

the stairs are always available for those people who don't want to live with the guilt of using an automatic one, and keeping the operators out of work.

[madinmaryland]

70. Heh! Good one!

I work on a lot of construction sites, so I actually do get to use the elevators with operators!

[dysfunctional press]

104. my dad was an operating engineer- local 150 in chicago...

he ran cranes for years- but when he got older, it was outside and then inside elevator duty on the high-rise jobsites.

[gmoney]

55. FWIW, here's my scorecard:

Self-check out at grocery/Meijer -- depends on how much stuff I have and what the shortest line is. Decision based on self-interest, I guess. I prefer having a cashier ring me up whenever possible, and do somewhat resent being put to work without any sort of discount. I used to be a cashier at a grocery, and enjoyed doing it most of the time, but that was in high-school, and I'm glad I'm not still doing it almost 30 years later. I don't think it will completely replace cashiers anytime soon, although it probably has cost some jobs along the way.

Self-serve gas stations -- there's a small chain called "Swifty" here that pumps your gas for you (no self-serve), and generally has the lowest price in town, plus you get a 5¢ a gallon discount for cash. I go there whenever practical, as I prefer not smelling like gasoline afterwards, and I like driving past the Exxon and Shell station to get there, although I'm not sure where Swifty gets its gasoline. I generally tip the attendant a buck or two, which they seem to really appreciate. I'm not sure of any other stations in town that offer full-service as a regular option, except in the case of disabled customers.

I stopped getting pizza delivered due to the deals on carry-out (about 1/4 or 1/3 of the price of the same pizza delivered).

My library went to self-checkout, and basically eliminated having the staff check out books. It would be extremely easy to steal stuff (I've managed to miss an item once or twice along the way) but I guess there's not a lot of resale value in old library books and materials. The library is being forced to cut staff, so in a way, the automation has probably helped save some higher level jobs, since it frees up the overhead that would have gone to employing entry-level people.

[underseasurveyor]

56. I don't use self check outs....... because

they really are more of a bother to use but mostly it's because I prefer talking to real people. Hello, how are you today?

I take cash into the gas station attendant and say hello.

If I order take out I go pick it up myself and I always give a tip. Oh and I say hello.

And I don't use ATM's because they can't hold a conversation but I do enjoy occasionally going into my local bank and saying hello. They're so nice there:-)

So:wtf:

I like and prefer the human element.

[deaniac21]

57. You don't have an audience at the atm. Gosh, so MUCH pressure.

[noamnety]

59. Female here.

I don't use ATM's, I feel safer walking into a bank than being alone at a bank machine.

Self serve gasoline pumps - That's all we have around here. One local station instituted a "come out and greet you" policy. I stopped going there. I wasn't comfortable with a strange man approaching me in an empty parking lot. Apparently nobody liked it, they ended up dropping that shit.

I don't do food delivery. I don't want to allow strangers access to my house. One of my friends was working a shift at dominoes when his coworker went to deliver a pizza - the coworker was murdered by the person he was delivering to. My friend almost died in that incident, police ended up finding the entire staff tied up in the deep freezer after the murderer came in wearing the dead delivery guy's uniform - only because another off duty coworker at dominoes happened to go past the store and realized things didn't look right, and alerted police. (I would never take a job doing deliveries regardless of gender.)

[madinmaryland]

76. I appreciate your answers.

You are consistent about your reasons and you do things truly for a safety reason.

Thank you.

[quiller4]

61. I refuse to use self-check out at groceries, I use my debit card at stores but I park

and go in to the teller at my bank to make deposits and withdrawals. There are no attendant gas stations in my area. Until the last one turned self-serve I drove across town to patronize it. We don't do take-out food at all so that doesn't apply.

[CrispyQ]

63. I do what's convenient.

If the checkers were nicer & the baggers knew how to bag I might be more inclined to avoid the self-checkout. I don't think King Soopers even trains their baggers anymore. I've seen them grab my soft produce & stick it in the bottom of the bag. WTF? Often times the checkers don't even acknowledge you. They start your order while the preivous customer is still finishing up & you're still in front of the checkstand. Sometimes they send the next customer's order down the belt while my items have still not been bagged. Fuck 'em. If they want to keep their jobs, they should learn to do it well, instead of poorly. Sometimes I think it's Soopers strategy to not train their employees, so you're more inclined to go through self-checkout, but then I realize they don't train simply cuz it costs money.

I use the ATM 95% of the time.

I haven't seen a full service gas station in over a decade, but I would happily pay more for that service!

When I order take out, I always include at least a 10% tip & 20% if eating at the restaurant.

[Thickasabrick]

65. Self Checkouts are anti-employee. Don't use them. Only take

delivered pizza (love my pizza boy), and use the drive up teller (live person) to get/deposit money. I have heard they were going to start charging for using a live teller so I might stop when that happens.

The only kind of gas pumps we have are self service.

[pipi_k]

66. I have Social Anxiety Disorder, so when things started being automated...

it was like a dream come true for me.

I would no longer have to deal with people most of the time.


In fact, being able to order stuff online is really neat. Last week I ordered something from Walgreens I use all the time. I didn't have to drive 20 miles into town to get it. I didn't end up spending more than I would have on other things I really don't need except that I think I want it.

And the only one I had to deal with was the UPS guy. No coughing crowds spewing germs around in their flying snot.

Automation...the Internet...

yay!!!!

:party:

[Krakowiak]

102. I second this

For those of us with social anxiety, even little things like supermarket checkouts can make going to the store very difficult.

[dixiegrrrrl]

72. No, no, and no.

ATM----
Faster and easier to get cash back from debit purchase at Food Store.
I don't like being photographed while managing my money.

I use the local gas station where they pump your gas, check your oil, check tires, and wash your windows.
For free, with any amount of gas. Run by same guy for past 50 or more years, and everyone
"knows" to get gas there to keep him in business.

The rare times we use take out, we go get it. There is only one place that delivers here.
Usually we avoid anything but the Chinese place for take out, use that when we have company or it is just too damn hot to cook.
We live in "Mayberry" and it is great.

[Lerkfish]

75. my local kroger uses mentally challenged bagpersons

for that reason I never use the self-checkout. If everyone did, where would they work?

[ChiciB1]

77. I Don't Use Them Because They Screw Up When I Try To Weigh

my bananas!! Can't tell you the horror stories! After four different times trying to weigh "my bananas" I said SCREW IT!

I stand in line now, and make sure they weigh "my bananas" CORRECTLY!!

[Cleita]

78. Well my take on it is that

my gas bill never went down when I had to pump my own gas, but some young men were out of jobs. Also, gas is cheaper in Oregon where they do pump your gas than in California where you have to pump your own. I doubt if my grocery bill will go down if I check myself out, but some union paid workers will be out of jobs. The only ATM I used is in the checkout at the supermarket. The only take out I get, I drive through for, however, out here in the boonies we don't have a lot of food delivery services.

[DRoseDARs]

79. I don't use the Internet for anything because it takes jobs from stores, librarians and newspapers.

Since Neo-luddism is the theme of the day... :shrug: ;)

[marmar]

80. I use the selfcheckout about half the time, but truthfully, they're slower......

...... When I'm feeling particularly antisocial, I use them.

[Sinistrous]

82. I would use the self checkers if they put a mute button on them.

I really hate being talked to by a machine.

[alittlelark]

83. I rarely go to stores that have them.

I have used them a few times - try buying a bottle of wine in one.


The flasher goes off for 1-10 minutes until someone shows up to validate your ID.



Perhaps because of my zip code stores assume I and my fellow shoppers are honest - but it would be nice to have a human being overseeing the scene.




PS - if you want to rip one of these systems off - go to a 'good' zip code. There will be NO ONE anywhere.

[Trekologer]

84. As someone who worked on self checkout terminals

They do not replace workers. The ratio of self checkout terminals to live cashier registers as far as productivity goes is about 4 to 1. In other words, one live cashier does the work of 4 self checkouts. Plus they need someone to man them at all times. Plus they take more effort for back-office operations (read: higher paid employees who count out the till).

[gleaner]

86. I don't use ...

self check outs. I don't even think we have them where I live. I don't use ATM machines because I do all my banking on line and then pay with a debit card. The bank chain which acquired my account from my preferred bank chain probably have ATMs which would bite my hand off at the wrist.

I don't use self serve gasoline because I have MS and the state has wisely decided that I should not drive. I use partly subsidized taxis and beg rides from my brother.

I don't eat take out because I am also diabetic and I can only eat the "healthy" foods these days. That means I have to cook it or have an occasional T.V. dinner, but not too often. Salt, fat and sugar are to be avoided.

You have no idea how much I miss chocolate. Real chocolate has not passed my lips since the Diabetes was diagnosed in 1993. Diabetic candy is good too, but it is usually sweetened with Mannitol which has a profound laxative effect and is therefore an excellent form of portion control.

Yes, OP and all others who asked, the moon is full. An excellent time to go out and bay at it. It makes a pleasing noise and relieves tension. I'll be out there myself tonight.

[DatManFromNawlins]

88. Why do you hate paper manufacturing employees?

Using these electronicky bulletin boards when there are perfectly good sheets of paper to post onto perfectly good bulletin boards. The nerve of you people.

[Chan790]

90. Okay...

I tend to not use ATMs either. I get my cash from debit transactions and I'll VISA-front a friend in return for the cash; in a pinch, I'd probably use the teller window...an intelligent human is less aggro than a dumb machine.

Well, I don't drive so don't buy gas...I did make my friend stop on the NJ Tpke. for gas instead of waiting until we got to Aberdeen for that very reason though. I do typically make use of the station attendants in both Metro and MTA stations rather than the electric ticketing kiosks for the same reason I shun ATMs.

I generally don't eat take-out foods because they're gross. I want real food...I'll either order it someplace nice or cook it myself. It is the only benefit of growing up in a restaurant kitchen...I can cook like a motherf%^king fiend and I don't think of dinner for less than 12 people as any sort of work at all.

[Demonaut]

91. I always tip even when I pick it up

waiter's rely on the tips as a good portion of their income

[ccinamon]

92. I don't use self-ck outs 'cuz the machines are slower than the ones

manned by employees. I can get out of the store faster using a person than those self ck-out machines.

[Feron]

93. Oh FFS.

I prefer checkouts with a cashier because it makes the experience a lot more pleasant.

At the very least, I don't have to find or flag down a person if there is an error.

[madinmaryland]

101. Unless I am in a department store where the employees have a vested interest

in the sale, nearly all cashiers in stores have no interest in me as a customer.

It's just a "job" for them and they really don't give a rat's ass who I am.

Keep the "oh for fuck's sake" to yourself.

[Nikki Stone1]

94. I like to go to a person at the store and the bank--I'd like them to remain employed

It's sort of a "there but for the grace of God go I" kind of thing.

As far as gas is concerned, I go to the local station with the cheapest gas and that doesn't have anything but self serve. I hear that in New Jersey, however, they have people pump your gas by law. Is that true?

[dysfunctional press]

107. and of course you'd never ever pay a bill online either, right...?

better to phone it in(to a live person) or mail a check, so that people can keep their jobs.

and instead of sending emails- i'm sure that you send only actual letters, so that the post office can keep employing sorters & deliverers.

[Raine]

95. Because the ones in stores

only half-ass work and (OK I'll admit it) I don't like looking like a fool when I can't work the damn thing. :yoiks: My reasons are my own, why really does anyone else care? :shrug:

[Roland99]

96. What's an ATM Machine? You mean an.... ATM?

You don't have to say Automated Teller Machine Machine, ya know?

[martymar64]

97. Here, you have to go thru regular checkout if you're buying beer or wine

Plus, I would rather deal with a real person and not a machine. Real people need to make a living!

[fujiyama]

98. I use ATMs when I need cash, but I usually use a debit card or credit card for shopping

and I use the automatic U-Scan machines at times, though if I'm buying any alcoholic beverage it's easier to go to a human. I prefer the human except if there's a line; usually the U-Scan is quicker. However, I'd really prefer smaller stores altogether like Trader Joes, where I felt the selection and quality was better and they didn't have U-Scans. I don't have one nearby where I'm living now.

MI only has self serve. Having someone pump the gas would be nice when it's cold or precipitating.

And I do like carry out, but I still leave a tip.

[dysfunctional press]

105. what about farm equipment...?

look at all the good corn-husking jobs that have been taken away by combines, for instance.

all that machinery is the work of the devil himself.

[dysfunctional press]

108. do they send emails or pay bills online?

the post office is losing a lot of business, and is laying people off.

people need to mail letters and payments thru the post office to save those jobs.

[951-Riverside]

110. I refuse to bag my own groceries, use soda vending machines, pay with credit/debit cards...

research information online (gotta support the local library), use elevators that don't have an attendant, buy fruits/vegetables that was harvested by machine, pump my own gas (California resident) and when I buy anything from best buy I have the geek squad install it.

:sarcasm: