Saturday, March 24, 2018

Slice of Life, Day 24-- "A Snow Day Self-Checkout Disaster"

My dad and I share one thing in common on snow days; as soon as it looks impossible to get out, we remember an errand that must be taken care of immediately. One year when I was a kid, this ended with our rust orange truck stuck in a foot of snow going uphill 2 blocks from home. Lucky for us, a lady lived on the corner who called my (annoyed) mom to come get us and then gave us hot chocolate while we waited.

Today it ended, not in a snow problem, but a self-checkout problem.

We've had a history of problems with these machines. I usually avoid them. But it's Spring Break, snowy, the cart is full of snow day junk food, and my parents are visiting. What could go wrong?

Um. Everything.

The game plan was to quickly do in a few minutes what would take a trained checkout person more time by using the 2- person team approach. I handed him things and he scanned.

Efficient. Organized.

Before we could even get in a rhythm, the machine-lady was yelling at me to scan my Kroger card. As I fished it out of my purse and scanned it, she started in on something else.

"Please place your items in the bagging area," she ordered, as we quickly moved things around to accommodate her mysterious bagging area rules.

"Please wait for assistance," she accused. We hung out heads and waited for the real lady to come help. Lights flashed above our heads.

I wondered to myself, "Why do these machines have the power to make me feel like a shoplifter?"

The disaster seemed to be averted, except for the fact that it literally happened 6 more times. The real lady just started to hover over us in anticipation of needing to enter the mystery code to make the machine-lady quiet down.

Finally, it was time to pay. And, again, we needed assistance. We'd missed a button in the hurry to get out of the store.

Classic.

My dad and I had different exit strategies. I zoomed that cart around as quickly as possible, head down, and eyes on the door. My dad, however, went back and thanked the (real) lady 2 times, explaining he was from out of town and appreciated her patience.

Me...I was just hoping she'd forget my face by the time I need bread again...

-Sigh- Snow day errands never end well!

5 comments:

  1. I do self-check sometimes, usually only in the early morning when there is no other choice, but I hate it! And I always have experiences similar to yours. The woman who monitors self-check in our Krogers knows me by name!

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  2. So I was feeling sorry for myself having to endure rain...I cannot imagine snow right now...especially on a Saturday! I loved your line about feeling like a shoplifter when in the self-checkout line and things go awry. Been there done that!

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  3. Is it just me or does the Kroger machine lady always seem rude? The workers always seem nice. But I dread the machines. Like you I've had my run-ins with them and every single time the lights go off and all eyes are on me. I just want the ground to swallow me then.

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  4. You totally made me laugh! I hate those self-check out snotty machine ladies. I'm a novice and she and those flashing lights make me feel completely incompetent when I just wanted milk! I so related to your trip. I also keep my head down and run immediately to the door after those experiences. Hopefully nobody is in my way--I would run them over with my cart, causing even more flashing red lights.

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  5. I was laughing out loud as I read because these are the things that happen to me, also, whenever I've tried to use self-check. I'd rather stand in line than be that person who makes the lights flash and circle above me.

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