# Why self-checkout lanes need atomic laser cannons

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-self-checkout-lanes-need-atomic-laser-cannons/280996>\
**Category:** The BBQ Pit\
**Created:** [December 21, 2004, 4:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-self-checkout-lanes-need-atomic-laser-cannons/280996 "2004-12-21T16:36:48Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 4

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**Author:** ![FairyChatMom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fairychatmom/32/21906_2.png) [@FairyChatMom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FairyChatMom)\
**Post date:** [January 2, 2005, 12:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-self-checkout-lanes-need-atomic-laser-cannons/280996/61 "2005-01-02T12:06:11Z")

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While we were in the midst of our massive home overhaul, we happened to be in an adjacent town that has a Home Depot (the nearest home center to us is Lowes) so we decided to pick up a few items there. Bad enough that we had a terrible time finding an employee to unlock the cage so we could get a kitchen faucet, but when we finally got our selected purchases to the check out, there were NO human operated aisles open. None.

Instead we got to choose from 3 of the 4 loooooooong Self-Checkout lines (the 4th station was out of order) tended by a single harried customer service rep. We left our purchases, and went to Lowes the next day - they have no self checkouts and we’ve had only the best of luck getting assistance there.

I don’t mind using self-checkout when I have a few purchases, but when my cart is full, I won’t bother with it. Life is just to short…

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**Author:** ![chaoticbear](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f07891/32.png) [@chaoticbear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chaoticbear)\
**Post date:** [January 2, 2005, 8:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-self-checkout-lanes-need-atomic-laser-cannons/280996/62 "2005-01-02T20:48:55Z")

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> [@Kepi](#):
>
> Your Wal-Mart has self-checkout lanes that are operational? Wow, consider yourself lucky! The new Wal-Mart in my neighborhood has eight self-checkout lanes. At any given time, six of those are not working. And at the two that are functioning, one is being used by someone with a cartload of purchases and not a clue as to how to use the machine. The person at the other one just scanned something that must not be in the database of 17 trillion items that Wal-Mart carries because the red light is blinking, summoning the Wal-Mart brain-trust who can’t figure out what to do to fix the problem and apparently must wait for help to arrive from Fayetteville before they can proceed.
> 
> I’ve found it’s easier and quicker to just stand in line with rest of the, as you say, _hoi polloi_.

I’m from Fayetteville. Need some help?

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