Acme Technology
I was at the self-checkout
scanning cans of stuff
searching for zucchini by weight
“a little help here”
for a friendly glitch.
It wants to know
How do I pay?
Card of course.
Push or tap?
The machine speaks advice:
“Please, take your bags.”
“Don’t forget your receipt.”
I wanted to tell the young, attractive,
and helpful (human) workers
about back in my day,
food on credit meant
the grocer or store kept your name
in a book, like a bookie,
then the annoying push-thingy machine and carbons
and you had to sign (press hard).
Do you want your carbons?
I would have bored them
with that not so long ago (true) bullshit.
So I took my stuff in plastic bags
and my receipt, and I smiled
and I thanked them by tagged name.
Two people I’d never set eyes on again.
Look both ways, AI (key word is artificial) is coming, scary or not.
Mind the gaps as some things (like legal pot) are still cash only,
but the drug dealers still allow limited time credit.
Our Literary Journey 
I’d forgotten all about the carbon copy signatures! That is probably an indication of something or other, but I forget what!
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🙂
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Of course, if you were to explain “back in your day”, after the eyeroll, you’d get a “What’s a carbon copy?”
What? You don’t bring your own bags? 😉
Much as I loathe to use the self check-out, I must admit I will choose whichever line is shortest, even if it means I have to do my own (besides, I am super fast at it now – it just sucks when you have a bottle of wine and have to wait for the zit-faced kid to come in and punch a code…)
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Happy Monday, Dale.
I have a system. I smile and call them over right off. I say, “I’m going to need you.” Then I hand them the wine (or beer). Self check is always the shortest line. And I always bring my own bags unless I have a poem to write (or forget them in the car). 🙂
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Happy Monday to you, Bill.
Of course you do! That is very smart. Self-check is no longer the shortest line in certain stores. I bring my own, too 😉
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