Metal Reviews

Do they have these yet where you live? Basically, most of the supermarkets around here have three or four self-check out lanes, where you can ring in your own items! These things kick ass if you're smart and there's no one in front of you.

The steps are simple:

1. Scan your discount card if you have one.
2. Scan item.
3. Put item in bagging area (and leave it there, asshole!).
4. Repeat step 2 and 3 until all items are scanned.
5. Pay.

Fucking SIMPLE!! Yet about 80% of the time you have fucking morons sitting there confused as this machine audibly says things like, "ITEM REMOVED FROM BAGGING AREA, PLEASE RETURN ITEM" or "UNAUTHORIZED ITEM IN BAGGING AREA"...OVER AND OVER AND OVER AGAIN!! Eventually the machine locks out, a red light comes on and they have to wait until a manager comes over and clears it...if they even fucking see it! What is wrong with these people? It tells you what you're doing wrong at least three fucking times before it locks you out! Yet people stare at it like WTF? Bitches putting their pocketbooks in the bagging area and they can't understand why this machine is saying "UNAUTHORIZED ITEM IN BAGGING AREA"???? You dumb bitch! Other people taking things from the bagging area before they've paid and it says "ITEM REMOVED FROM BAGGING AREA, PLEASE RETURN ITEM" and they have no fucking clue! WTF?, indeed! They've even added a button that says SKIP BAGGING and these stupid fucks will stare at that button and not press it!! How fucking hard is it to follow SIMPLE instructions. :evil:

These things are awesome if you want to get through the line quick with a few items and know what you're doing. I'm not even going to discuss the assholes that roll up with 900 fucking items in the carriage. :(

haha!
we don't have that here... old fashioned method: you fill the bags yourself!!

That would probably be me, I'm an incomopetent bumbling idiot.

What can I say, some people are idiots and better not be left alone with an electical appliance without guidance.

Kathy is 100% right. in fact i say we take it a step further and use some good old RETROACTIVE ABORTION on these people.

the fnac stores here in portugal already have these (for cd's and books only, though) and they're easy to use and much faster than the normal check out points.

except those are jobs that doesn't exist anymore and that sucks... especially when unemployment is high.
I have the same thing at the supermarket near my house and I used it once or twice (easy, that's not complicated anyhow and quite quick actually when, yeah Ken, you're right, there's not a "clearly disabled" person preceeding you in the queue) before realising the social implication it had and the logic in the mind of people who promoted this kind of automaton. now I don't and won't use it anymore. :evil:

NP
Pearl Jam "Vs." (and it's not a bad album, just kind of similar to en and not as good as...)

You wonder, if they arent smart enough to use a checkout, which millions of brain damaged teenagers do all the time in after school jobs and whatnot, What jobs do these people actually do?

this kind
:?:

Nothing. They just resist job killing in their own way.

That was a rhetorical question, these people are stupid.

not as stupid as those who decide an automaton is a nice and cheap way to replace a human being though... :roll:

by that line of thought, robots in factories etc. would be killing jobs.

either way,
-labour costs = + profits = more taxes paid = more money for the unemployed.

this automation is a necessary evil, i guess.

Another way to look at it......

Bah, nonsense. Robots are way cooler than humans!

Haha, I hear you, Eyesore. These things are great. When they first came out, they had a few issues, yes, but since then they've really gotten the bugs worked out (unless it's a brand new store and they haven't keyed in all the items / codes yet)...

I usually find that people avoid them in the stores around here. There are a few people that use them, and there are a few people that I see giving them a try for the first time, but they're often empty unless every other line has at least 3 people. That's probably when it's at it's worst because you do get a lot of idiots then.

I don't really care how many items I have though, I'll use it almost everytime. I've gotten so frustrated at how poor of a job people do bagging my groceries and other items that I'd rather just do it all myself. I would much rather stand at the self checkout with 30 or so items and know that everything is done right than go through the hassle of re-bagging everything, including a smashed loaf of bread...

So what do you think about people who stroll up to the express lane with a cart full of stuff? :evil:

-Tyrion

Sorry for the double post...

@Stefan,

Sure, if you've got a supermarket in your area that actually hires and trains a decent staff that wants to do a good job, it's nice to support them. At places like that, or a place I go to for the first time, I'll often give them the benefit of the doubt. Some of these places, of course, don't have automated checkouts. That's the store's choice, the same as hiring quality people and training them to do their job well is the store's choice.

It's unfortunate when an automated checkout yields a better, faster job than a human, but you know what? That's not the machine's fault, and if people took more pride in their work and their hiring and training processes, it wouldn't be an issue. I know, I worked in a supermarket for over a year, and it's a discussion I had with the store director on one or two occasions.

The people who want to do a good job will still be there. The jobs you're hurting are unskilled ones that are taken by those who are incompetent in the first place. It's a bit of a knot in that you have all these incompetent, unskilled workers (how many times do you see idiot teens in places like this?) who are hired because they are incompetent and unskilled (and therefore, cheaper labor - although I debate whether it works out that way in the long run), an already dismal and still rapidly declining education system, and all these political agendas that push equal opportunity and mediocrity as they actually seem to encourage employers to hire and maintain low quality employees instead of ones that actually do a good job. ... But when there's a machine, there still has to be someone who designs and builds it, someone who markets it, someone who programs the software for it, someone who maintains it, etc. I'd rather have that than some 15 year old jack-off with a job, who's too busy checking out my girlfriend and the two girls next in line than to actually do his job with any skill or care, let alone say, "Thanks for coming in" or, "Have a nice night". :roll:

-Tyrion

in my view making room fior the unskilled should be every government/company's priority (the others make room for themselves)... it seems we disagree... :roll:

Sorry to derail this topic for a moment, but...

So someone should be given a chance, whether they've earned it or not? I think there are jobs out there for people who are less skilled and capable than others. If they truly have good intentions and a solid work ethic, there will (or should be) a place for them. Why? Because people like that are not easy to find, and they're becoming even less so.

Why? Because some people think that because a person needs a job or because they're "disadvantaged" (which is often manipulated to mean anything) they're entitled to preferential treatment. ... If that is how you feel, then yes, we very much disagree.

It's the government's / people's job to make sure that we can provide a quality education for people both young and old (instead, they seem to be doing the opposite). The resources should be there for people to learn and excel if they truly desire to. A company's job is to earn a profit, hire and train quality employees, and provide a good service.

As a taxpayer and a person who has an interest in the present and future condition(s) of our society, I have no interest in supporting previously mentioned jack-off, nor do I have any interest in supporting a government or political agenda that encourages him to remain employeed over someone who might actually earn their paycheck.

*EDIT* - Your comment just pisses me off more and more as I think about it...



And you'd better hope they continue to desire to do so despite the efforts and intentions of people who think like you. Because without them, there's nothing for anyone except for a day of wearing animal skins and hunting for food. ... Oh, and maybe a little sex too so that we can continue to carry on such rewarding traditions. :roll:

Or did I miss something when you said a system of both people who have earned their positions and people who have not earned them is better than a system where everyone has achieved and earned their way?

-Tyrion

Fucking YES!!!! They've had these in the local Tesco's for a while, and I love them. Completely simple, easy to use, and still you get some fucking cretin messing it up. I use them every time if I can.

Stefan, if you really want to get into a debate, how's about the unbelievable amount of profit that supermarkets make from ripping off farmers? Having to go to one at all is a necessary evil, but if there was an alternative I'd use it. You'd make more of an impact that way than by not using a machine (OMG teh machines are taking over!!!!!!!!!!!11111).

I remember they had a similar thing in Safeways bout....i don't know maybe 10 years ago. But it only lasted for about 6 months untill they had to stop because it was just so easy to steal, i mean you could just not scan shit through and then walk out, they were just asking to be robbed blind!