Why are the shortest check-out lines always the ones held up by an SC?

[JustADude]

whoa, what's this about a talking coke machine?

Nothing, Katie, Nothing. ForestDragon just forgot to take his meds today. It's alright.

[Bluenomi]

I've had times where I haven't been sure if something has rung up right but it's only a few dollars and there are people behind me in the line I usually don't bother getting it checked. A few bucks is not worth holding up a stack of people and causing hold ups for the staff. But then again, I worked retail so I have sympathy for the staff.

[JustADude]

I've had times where I haven't been sure if something has rung up right but it's only a few dollars and there are people behind me in the line I usually don't bother getting it checked. A few bucks is not worth holding up a stack of people and causing hold ups for the staff. But then again, I worked retail so I have sympathy for the staff.

I totally agree there, Bluenomi. Not only that, but time DOES equal money... or at least correlate. All other things aside, it's not worth the hassle of getting price-checks on, say, a $200 grocery bill unless it's at least at least a $10+ difference in price. If I'm getting one or two items I'll be pickier, but generally if the difference is less than 5%, or a dollar on small stuff, I won't bother.

[KellyHabersham]

Personally, I prefer using the self-check out machines at the grocery store.....that way, there's no getting stuck in line behind someone who takes forever because they're either buying cigarettes, or are on W.I.C. and don't know what they are doing.

[ForestDragon]

You do occasionally get stuck behind some idiot who doesn't know how to use it, though. I found it pretty self-explanatory, me. Go figure.

And katie kaboom, there was indeed a talking Coke machine at my local Fred Meyer's (part of Kroger's) about ten years ago (shee-it, has it been that long?!) - it'd shill the product (REALLY LOUDLY) and when you bought something it'd thank you (AGAIN REALLY LOUDLY) at about three or four times the volume used by the self-checkouts. I think it made very little money - most of us don't like being yelled at by piles of metal and plastic - and it was removed after a few weeks.