Metal Reviews

One of capitalism's few "pros" is the fact that successful businesses generate employment and thus help people off state dependence. They have a responsibility towards their workers and towards the state in which those workers live, but instead they choose to waive this in favour of lower expenses and a minute increase in efficiency. Even the last part is debateable: I know a lot of people that aren't retarded but still struggle with check out machines. The elderly, for example.

The same thing is happening everywhere, not just in supermarkets. I've lost count of the number of times that only 3 out of 10 ticket booths have been open at Leeds Train station at rush hour in the morning, because the other 7 have been laid off to make room for machines, which because they are run by the same people that run the trains, don't work.



Of course there should be, but unfortunately these places are being eroded by creations such as the automated checkout machine. People lose their work ethics as a result of being treated with contempt by their employers.

Is being replaced by a machine being treated with contempt? Or would you still have people hand-weaving sheets by hand? You can't stop progress, and to be fair we are only speaking of supermarket checkouts and ticket offices here. The reason they don't work isn't because of the integral flaw in machines, but British uselessness. It's not as if people are being fazed out completely, and if the machines work better...?

Hmm, the difference between waiting weeks for a sheet and waiting 30 seconds at a checkout is too great to make the comparison valid. People losing their jobs to save you less than 1 minute isn't progress...

Are people really losing their jobs? There doesn't seem to be a lessening in the checkout people, and all that's relaly happened is made a clear division between those prepared to use such checkouts and those not. It's not like they're being paid per person served...

Ultimately, I hate supermarkets, but they're a necessary evil. The same's true for computerized checkouts. A few teenagers without weekend jobs will just have to look elsewhere, and if that's all that is lost, I really couldn't give a damn.

Right, people do avoid them, but there are those other people that the curiosity factor just gets to them and they have to keep trying. I saw one lady once go into one lane, fuck up, and then go into another and fuck up again, then move to a regular lane! I wanted to shove a banana up her nostril!

One problem with bringing a lot of items is the fact that the bagging area isn't always that big. Some only have two small slots for bags. Yet, there are those people that'll roll up with a carriage overflowing with items! Where are the items going to go, buddy? Hahaha. That's a disaster waiting to happen.

I love them, but when the store is busy those things are a nightmare. They've just put them in the Walmart by my house...HOLY SHIT!! It's horrible. Walmart sucks checking out anyway because they have 25 check out lanes and there's like 3 cashiers on at a time...MAX! So, the self-check out lanes are like donut to an Ethiopian to the customers in the store, except these turds are morons. Hahaha.

I don't know for sure, but I'd be surprised if not. I mentioned the trains- part of the reason for all the recent strikes was job losses caused by computerised replacements.



Well, I see the "necessary evil" thing as a defeatist attitude. I'm not taking the high ground, because I use supermarkets just as much as anyone else (everyday for lunch). The fact is, though, that we are quickly heading towards (we've arguably arrived in some places) a world where everything we buy is going to be provided by a very tiny group of people. Independent stores are being swept away, and city centre high streets are totally identical. Individual entrepreneurs are going to struggle more and more. Supermarkets aren't essential, they just have so much power that people are beginning to think they are.

Anyhow, checkouts I go to aren't staffed by teenagers, they're staffed by middle aged women mostly, and they're not just doing it at weekends. For most of them it's a vital source of income.

What happened to the comedy?!?! :(

Fair enough to your last point.

Do you know how much profit Tesco's make a day? It's definately in the millions, and it's fucking disgusting, but what can we do? Even those eco-terrorist wankers who fill trolleys up then leave them in the aisles aren't harming them. Supermarkets are taking over, and there's nothing we can do.

Actually, as long as you wait for it to register the last item you put in the bag, you can remove the bag entirely and put it back in your cart. ... Obviously when I have a significant number of items, I prefer the automatic lanes that have a small belt, if they're available. That way I can set everything up and organize before starting.

It's amazing though when you go to a regular lane, and you place everything on the conveyor belt in a very organized, logical manner, and then watch the people working there completely fuck it up.

No, I don't care whether those people keep their jobs or not.



Agreed on Wal-Mart and their minimal staffing.



I very much doubt it, and there's generally an extra person working in the area of the automatic lanes just to keep an eye on the customers who are using them and also to assist with any difficulties.



I could argue that if such a situation is in fact occuring, that it's largely because there are less and less educated, motivated, and competent people out there to actually provide. Meanwhile, we have more and more people who are uneducated, incompetent, and lazy that are breeding and begging for more and more handouts.

People who appreciate quality and value will get the best that they can afford or are willing to spend. That's why I still see local bakeries, comic book stores, and other such places mixed in with bigger, more widespread businesses all the time.

It's the acceptance and promotion of mediocrity that's the problem here, and giving the incompetent, unsuccessful people more and more chances and exemptions is part of the problem.



Generally, this depends on where you go and when you go. People that are there because they do their job well and with pride (no matter how much they really don't want to be there on the inside) are people that I want to support. That's why I often drive, and you know the price of gas these days, 50 miles out of the way to go to a particular restaurant (even though the same place has a location 5 miles away from my residence) in another city. I like the staff they have there and the job they do, and I want to support them. It's a better experience for me, and it's worth it to keep them in business and show my appreciation. We both win.

But like I said, I couldn't care less about most teenagers and other less than impressive employees that are frequently found in these kinds of places.

-Tyrion

So yay for small businesses but fuck the enviroment, right?

Considering that my college degree is in natural resources, you can make one of two conclusions.

1 - I got a really shitty education
2 - I pick and choose how I can best contribute to a clean environment

My work day is spent outside in the woods, rain or shine, with me doing a job that I really enjoy and am passionate about. I could consider myself lucky (and to some degree, I do), but I've earned my position. I do seem to put up with a lot of shit from the (either incompetent or lazy - I'm not sure which yet) payroll department, but I'll spare you those details.

There are a variety of ways in which I contribute to keeping the environment cleaner than the average person, though I don't really feel a need to cite them all. Most recently, I've decided against several kinds / types of vehicles for my next purchase (my last one was totalled by some little girl without a license who ran a red light), and am trying to come up with something that will be as economical as possible. For now, my girlfriend and I share one car and keep our driving to a minimum. She takes a bus to school and back each day, which she'll probably continue to do even after I find a new car. ...

Btw, how much electricity do you think I consume / make use of during a typical workday while being out in the woods counting trees?

And anyway, I it's not like I go to this restaurant every other day (we actually cook most of our own meals), but it's something we enjoy doing once every two or three weeks, and we typically combine it with a few other stops in that city to make the trip a little more efficiient.

And no, I'm not, an environmentalist, and I typically don't like their ridiculous, uneducated attitudes either (though they aren't all that way, of course)

-Tyrion.

Not really getting at you there, just pointing it out. Though I suppose once the corporations have taken over there won't even be an enviroment any more.

I didn't entirely think you were, as you and I have exhibited some similar thoughts in this thread, I think. However, if it wasn't you, someone would have pointed that out or thought it at the very least, particularly when it's obvious I'm a capitalist...

Without an environment, without resources, it's going to be pretty difficult for us to maintain our production and way of living. It's best if people figure this kind of thing out now, and attempt to live and work in a way that's sustainable.

I tend to think that our efforts in this country have been largely to continue to support existing companies instead of progressing (I'm really talking about our sources of energy and our consumption). The current administration, though they'd like to tell you they're concerned and working on new things, really isn't doing very much. Had we really wanted cars that run on something other than gasoline, or just get 100 miles to the gallon, we'd have them already. Hopefully, we can turn things around... better late than never.

...

And Eyesore, I still want to hear what you have to say about people who bring carts full of items to the express lane.

I so fucking hate that, and I hated it when I worked as a cashier too. What really irritated me was that my manager told us to just check them out normally and not say anything. Of course, when your customer doesn't speak English, it wouldn't do any good anyway. :roll: But some people would just ignore you anyway, or look right at the signs and then go ahead and proceed. They're special, I'm sure, and I was oh so glad to give them the opportunity to use my express lane despite their either incompetence or apathy (or both) instead of kicking them out of the store.

Along those lines here's a link/funny story you might find interesting. http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060505/ap_on_fe_st/buffet_debacle_2

-Tyrion

I don't think you could argue that at all, and the neo-liberal angle of "if small businesspeople fail it must be because they are lazy and stupid" just isn't good enough anymore. There is no such thing as a fair competition between Tesco or Asda and an independent trader, no matter how dedicated and intelligent that trader may be. The way forward is increased state control of market forces in my view, but I'm afraid people would see that as being too close to "helping the disadvantaged".



People that appreciate value will go to a chain store, because they are so rich they can afford to sell a proportion of their products at a loss simply to get people through their doors. The point is that an independent trader can't afford to offer value in the current economic climate. As for quality, there are millions of people that simply can't afford to choose that over low prices.



The promotion of mediocrity certainly is a problem, but I fail to see how it causes corporate market dominance. Surely it is a result of it?

I think he meant the employees and not the entrepeneurs when he talked about incompetent/lazy people.

And yes, it's harder and harder for small businesses to prosper, since at least from the price angle, it's damn near impossible to beat the large chains. they buy huge amounts at smaller prices/unit, and so they can sell cheaper (=more) too.

As for the specialized shops, i think it's just that, they corner a business for that place and beat the large stores. but i rarely see "general" shops succeed in a place with a large supermarket or similar places.

Self-Checkout rules. At least with the Self-Checkout I don't have to wait in a line for 30 minutes while some cheap bag haggles with the casiher over the price of something in an effort to save $2.

hahaha, i thought this was supposed to be a humouros thread!

I had just read a story about how men have to feel themselves to check they don't have testicular cancer on a regular basis. When I saw the thread I thought that was what it was about. Wierd...