# people who write checks at the grocery store in the 21st century. **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [May 18, 2004, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-who-write-checks-at-the-grocery-store-in-the-21st-century/245809 "2004-05-18T17:52:50Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![clairobscur](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/839c29/32.png) [@clairobscur](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/clairobscur)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2004, 1:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-who-write-checks-at-the-grocery-store-in-the-21st-century/245809/81 "2004-05-20T01:31:12Z")
> [@nyctea scandiaca](#): > > . Or else you’ll be laughed at like the people who still don’t know how to use a computer or e-mail or whatever. And why would people who don’t know how to use a computer or e-mail deserve to be laughed at more than people who don’t know how to use a plough or don’t master calligraphy? Your condescension and self satisfaction is quite laughable, on the other hand… ---
**Author:** ![clairobscur](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/839c29/32.png) [@clairobscur](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/clairobscur)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2004, 1:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-who-write-checks-at-the-grocery-store-in-the-21st-century/245809/82 "2004-05-20T01:54:34Z")
> [@nyctea scandiaca](#): > > As for “sidestepping your valid responses,” well your examples did not apply to me. They were obscure. My list of reasons why using a check card is better is solid, in my opinion. Convenience, ease of use, takes less time…just plain easier. Just as many modern conveniences make things easier and quicker. > . Your list of reasons might be solid in your opinion, but as long as you don’t manage to have cheques banned, people aren’t required to give any justification for them writing cheques. Even if it inconveniences you and you lost some precious seconds you absolutely need to post on the internet. You know, there are people buying stuff I find useless. And since they buy this stupid stuff, I’ve to wait longer. My reasons for thinking this stuff is useless are pretty solid, in my opinion. Now, am I allowed to ask them to justify buying this stupid stuff and making me wait longer? And it’s exactly the same thing people complaining about other people writing cheques are doing. There’s absolutely no difference. You wasted some minutes because someone is paying with a stupid cheque, and I wasted some minutes because someone is in line in front of me buying stupid stuff. But it happens that people don’t have to justify what they buy, nor how they pay it to anybody else. If you think it’s really inconveniencing, you are free to find a way to avoid having ever to enter in a grocery, or more generally a way to live without having to cope with the inconveniencing presence of other human beings doing various things you happen to find obsolete/ not efficient/ uninteresting/ laughable… ---
**Author:** ![Mona\_Lott](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ee7513/32.png) [@Mona\_Lott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mona_Lott)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2004, 3:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-who-write-checks-at-the-grocery-store-in-the-21st-century/245809/83 "2004-05-20T03:40:46Z")
I was hoping this thread was still active. I just got home from my job at a small town supermarket. The following story happened today. An older (about 60 years old) woman was writing a check for her groceries. The younger woman immediately behind her started whining about how long it was taking for the first woman to finish. When the second woman was at the point of paying for her three-item order, she proceeded to paw through her large purse for the exact amount of the order. She had to go through her small change purse for exactly ninety seven cents in coins. Needless to say, her transaction took much longer than the first woman took to write her check. Customers never cease to amaze me. ---
**Author:** ![lezlers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/258eb7/32.png) [@lezlers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lezlers)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2004, 4:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-who-write-checks-at-the-grocery-store-in-the-21st-century/245809/84 "2004-05-20T04:09:07Z")
> [@nyctea scandiaca](#): > > All the people I know that are in my age range and younger (I am 28) do not use checks. And I know _a lot_ of people. Also when I go to the store and observe the method of payment of the people in line, most transactions made by younger people are with electronic means. Most of the people writing checks have gray hair. Just an observation. I’m 26 and I write checks. I do so for reasons other than being old (obviously) or unwilling to change. It’s easier for my record-keeping and for other reasons as well. I know many people in my (our) age-range who continue to write checks. I also pay a good portion of my bills online. I use quicken as well. My method of payment varies to best suit the circumstances. I’m sure that’s the case for many people. Just because something is easier or more convienent in one situation, doesn’t make it so for _all_ situations. Just an observation. 😉 > [@](#): > > Don’t be so defensive about it. It’s not a criticism of you. Word of advice. When you say things such as: > [@](#): > > All you hold-outs will eventually see the light. Or else you’ll be laughed at like the people who still don’t know how to use a computer or e-mail or whatever. You kind of have to expect a bit of defensiveness. Your confrontational and demeaning way of expressing your opinion begs for it. You might want to work on that. ---
**Author:** ![Zulema](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/db5fbb/32.png) [@Zulema](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zulema)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2004, 4:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-who-write-checks-at-the-grocery-store-in-the-21st-century/245809/85 "2004-05-20T04:15:10Z")
Related information… Some people have made comments about merchants that don’t accept debit cards as being behind the times. Merchants are charged a percentage of each purchase as a fee for using the whole debit/ credit card service. I use my debit card and my checkbook. At a small business I will generally write a check. I work at a small business and having to give up a few pecent of a sale can really hurt sometimes. ---
**Author:** ![blowero](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/41988e/32.png) [@blowero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blowero)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2004, 6:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-who-write-checks-at-the-grocery-store-in-the-21st-century/245809/86 "2004-05-20T06:43:16Z")
> [@lezlers](#): > > What the fuck _ever_, **blowero**. > > In the future, don’t post things you don’t want responses to. > > I’ll just assume you can’t come up with an intelligent response to my prior post. Hmmm…guess you’re right - you don’t sound angry at all, Lezlers. 😛 First you bitch 'cuz I won’t “let it go”; then you bitch 'cuz I won’t respond. Hmmm… ---
**Author:** ![alterego](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/6bbea6/32.png) [@alterego](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alterego)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2004, 2:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-who-write-checks-at-the-grocery-store-in-the-21st-century/245809/87 "2004-05-20T14:45:41Z")
thanks to everyone who rang in with support. the rest of you… luddites! ---
**Author:** ![Debaser](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/3da27b/32.png) [@Debaser](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Debaser)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2004, 3:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-who-write-checks-at-the-grocery-store-in-the-21st-century/245809/88 "2004-05-20T15:04:00Z")
> [@Yeticus Rex](#): > > I am beginning to realize that I have a special case with owning a small business myself. Agreed. I can see why as a business owner that is writing 100’s of checks per month a checkbook might have value over a debit card. Certainly, if you need to pay a contractor or someone that is working out of a truck, a debit card is usesless. > [@](#): > > So, no matter what, you have to pay a monthly fee whether you predominately use the checking or the debit card unless you maintain a minimum balance to waive those fees. Is that what you mean? I haven’t had any fees to pay in years to notice what the current fees are. I do know that ATM useage usually generates a fee, correct? I use a credit union. They don’t charge any fees at all. My checking and savings accounts are free. I use thier ATM’s or anybody elses ATM’s and the credit union never charges me a fee. And, get this: If other banks charge an ATM fee, they pay me back! (Up to $5 a month). So, if I use a Fleet (Bank of America owned bank chain in New England) ATM, Fleet charges me $1. At the end of the month my Credit Union pays me back that dollar that Fleet charged me. > [@](#): > > But you still have to pay a fee for the account, correct? Nope. Not with a credit union. I’m a member, not a customer, so they aren’t just out to screw me constantly. 😉 > [@](#): > > Debit cards just don’t fulfill all the needs that a business requires, regardless of which method has less fraud. Since you certainly seem to know what you are talking about, I’m inclined to agree. However, I think it is still true that a regular housewife who is out buying groceries should not be using checks. The only reason that so many still do is simply resistance to change. Debit cards are far superior to checks for everyday household purchases for most people. They certainly take longer for those of use who are in line behind them. > [@](#): > > I don’t have an issue with my current bank…they’re great and the tellers know me by name and they are drop-dead gorgeous to boot. I’m doing my part to keep them employed instead of laid-off. I used to be with Bank of America until 1998, so now you know where my issues came from. Hot tellers! Wait… By keeping them employed at the bank you think you are doing a noble thing. However, in this economy, the only place these hotties will be able to find work if they get laid off is stripping. So, by taking your business elsewhere you will cause the bank to lay of the tellers. Then you can go see them at the local strip club where they will get jobs dancing. Plus, with the extra money they make, the girls can all go to business school and open banks of their own. Everybody wins! ---
**Author:** ![lezlers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/258eb7/32.png) [@lezlers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lezlers)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2004, 4:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-who-write-checks-at-the-grocery-store-in-the-21st-century/245809/89 "2004-05-20T16:25:04Z")
> [@blowero](#): > > Hmmm…guess you’re right - you don’t sound angry at all, Lezlers. 😛 > > First you bitch 'cuz I won’t “let it go”; then you bitch 'cuz I won’t respond. Hmmm… No longer biting **blowero** , no longer biting. ---
**Author:** ![Mr\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9dc877/32.png) [@Mr\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr_Jim)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2004, 4:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-who-write-checks-at-the-grocery-store-in-the-21st-century/245809/90 "2004-05-20T16:45:19Z")
I work in the cash office (I count da money) for a large grocery supercentre under the umbrella of Loblaws/National Grocers and they have pretty much phased out cheques. They have their own debit card/credit card (mastercard) called PC financial and the next step in their plan is to phase out acceptance of visas and mastercards not under their financial wing so they can not only reduce fees paid out to visa and the “other mastercards” but make money on the interest accumulated on their pc mastercard. Their debit/mastercard is pretty good, no fees on the debit and you get $1 (1000 pts) back for every $100 you spend (redeemable at any of their stores) but geez we had a hard enough time getting rid of cheques i can’t see it working, at least in smaller towns. ---
**Author:** ![blowero](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/41988e/32.png) [@blowero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blowero)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2004, 7:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-who-write-checks-at-the-grocery-store-in-the-21st-century/245809/91 "2004-05-20T19:47:31Z")
> [@lezlers](#): > > No longer biting **blowero** , no longer biting. That’s pretty funny, considering _you_ were the one doing the baiting. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-who-write-checks-at-the-grocery-store-in-the-21st-century/245809.md?page=4)