Scandalous

 It was this past Saturday in 1974 that the first item with a UPC was scanned in a grocery store. The item was a pack of Wrigley gum, which is now in the Smithsonian Museum.

   The technology was first developed in 1952, but it took another 22 years to make it practical. Getting an idea is the easy part. Making it work takes perseverance and luck. The guy who came up with the idea was working for IBM and he just waited till his colleagues, who were working on other things, came up with the technology for his project to take off.

   Soon Univeral Product Codes were on everything. It speeded up check out and kept track of inventory. By the turn of the century, stores had set up self checkout kiosks to save on labor. Roseau County got it's first self check out kiosks this past May. It seems the Super One grocery store was unable to hire enough cashiers. Lines got longer and you'd even see Gary the manger running a register. So four kiosks were installed at the store replacing two register lanes.

   I was delighted. I dislike waiting in checkout lines. Especially when the person in front of me waits until all their groceries are bagged before withdrawing their checkbook, writing a check, balancing their checkbook, and then discovering an error in their receipt that requires the help of the manager. 

   Since they put in the kiosks I have not visited a checkout clerk’s lane. I have not missed the personal interaction. Often, my clerk will be carrying on a conversation with another employee while checking me out. Don't miss that at all.

   I had used self checkout kiosks in department stores previously with no problem, but the Super One kiosks are fussy. The device was constantly locking up and accusing me of putting unscanned items into my bag. Or else I was bumping my knee against the scale which also shut me down. When the kiosk perceives a prop elm, a yellow light goes on announcing to everyone you're an idiot.

   The scale exists to reduce theft. If I scan a gallon of milk, the scale is programmed to receive an 8.6 pound item. If I put the milk directly into my cart instead of on the scale, the voice orders me to put the milk on the scale, but by the time I react, it's too late and the light comes on and I must wait for the kiosk clerk to reset my machine. The clerk and the voice of the kiosk are both very nice. And even if they get nasty, I won't mind. I'm never going back to the checkout line. My time is too valuable.

Don't hate it till you ate it.