This post is titled:

Self-Serve

I grew up in New Jersey, where, to this day, self service fuel stations are illegal. Living here in Pennsylvania now where self service fuel is pretty much the rule, I've grown used to it, but as long as I can still get a cashier at the store, I'll wait in line to egt one. I hate the self-serve check-ou lines at stores these days, and refuse to use them.

The other day, I had to stand in line for maybe ten minutes to spend less than $20, because the IKEA only had one actual cashier on duty. They had two more people on duty to help people use the four self-serve machines that were open, but those people wouldn't stoop to open another line.

Once I was all checked out, I said something to the cashier like, "All these people here tonight and you're the only human cashier?"

"I guess they're trying to encourage people to use the self-checkout," she said.

"Yeah, but all those people over there don't care whether or not you have a job."

"I guess not."

"I've been a cashier, and it's not an easy job."

"No, it's not."

"When I do it, I prefer to be paid for it."

On the up side, IKEA has completely stopped giving out bags for merchandise? Wow, I sure do approve of that. They'll sell you one of their big blue bags for 59 cents, but they also don't object if you just walk out of there with your hands full of stuff. I have a few reusable shopping bags I keep in my car, but I almost always forget to bring them into the store when I go grocery shopping. If I knew there was no good alternative, I might try harder to remember.

2008.03.00 at 12:00am EDT

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