Self-service checkouts

I’m sat in the bus station on the edge of tears.

Sabaton are playing at full volume in my headphones, because that means I can’t hear anything else. That is the only thing keeping me mostly calm, at least on the outside. Inside, I’m a fucking mess.

Why am I in such a state? Two bags that I was carrying burst. Irritating, but not a big deal. I went into a nearby supermarket to buy some carrier bags.

That’s where it all went wrong. They didn’t have self-service checkouts. So I had to stand in line while the checkout person chatted to the person at the front of the line, after they’d bagged and paid for their shopping.

Then I waited while the checkout person had to talk to another staff member about something. Then she queried me just wanting a couple of carrier bags. Surely I had shopping? No I didn’t, or at least, not from that supermarket.

To top it all off, other shoppers parked their trolleys so that they blocked my way out. By the time I left, I was quivering with frustration and anger.

Some of that would have happened if they’d had self-checkout machines, of course. But I wouldn’t have had to deal with the stress of small talk, or trying to explain myself to complete strangers. And, I could have had Sabaton in my ears, drowning out everything else and helping me cope.

I understand why people don’t like self-service machines. I get that they are designed to put people out of work. But they also allow people like me to shop without having a complete meltdown. I understand that some people prefer the human contact of a cashier, and I’d never wish to take that option away from them. I just wish people wouldn’t tell me that I shouldn’t take the option that works better for me.