My Pet Peeve of the Millenium

My Pet Peeve of the Millenium - Forced self checkouts...

Let me explain.

It was 11:00 last night after taking the boys fishing when we decided that we really needed some groceries. Kroger was right around the corner, so we ran in and grabbed two kid sized carts, one for each kid. They are perfect for keeping the kids occupied, other than all the extra food you have when you get home. (honey, did you buy the 6 pack of cracker-jacks?), but I digress.

We made our way through the store and completely filled up our carts. When we make our way to the registers, we notice something! Not a human being in sight. Let me rephrase, not a human kroger employee in sight. There were other people with carts of groceries wandering around in a daze, realizing they had just possibly wasted an hour of their lives filling a cart with no one to take their money at the end of the trip.

Joe and I, although we despise them, head to the only area with lights...The Dreaded Self-Checkout Lane. We start scanning our items one by one bagging them while the machine hyperventilates if you don't place said item in bag within .5 seconds to be properly weighed to deter thieves. (Here's a hint, kroger, if you don't want your stuff stolen, get a real person to check us out.) Oh, oh fruit, how do you scan fruit! Item lookup, that's how. What, no fruit sticker! agghhh.

Meanwhile... Daniel has taken his little human cart and headed to the dreaded toy and candy aisle. What, is that an employee I see, eyeing my son suspiciously as he loads up his little human cart? How about you come up here to check me out? Again, I digress.

There are four bags on four weighers to stack all your groceries into. We have loaded all four bags full and have begun stacking stuff precariously around and on top of them. As I hold a can of peas contemplating whether to try stacking it or giving up on vegetables all together, the machine threatens to call an attendent. Please, call one, please! We wait and wait. 15 minutes later the machine gives up on said attendant (10 minutes past my giving up) and I manage to stack one more can on top of our bags. We manage to finally get the Kroger machine to TAKE our money.

Thank God, I didn't have coupons that night, as I cannot imagine what is involved in that process.

Next time I will find a manager and demand a 10% employee discount for scanning my own groceries. (along with healthcare and a 401K)

Now, about Home Depot....