[ladyjane]

Since when does a grocery store care about human contact?

Did they care when the scanners were installed? No.

They’re getting ripped off, at least in some stores, so they’re taking them all out so they’re not accused of discrimination.

[ConservativeTeen]

That, I suspect, is the real reason. Personally, I don’t go buy groceries for human interaction. I pick whatever line is the shortest so I can get on with my day.

[palmer]

The CVS in a city near me with certain city-like characteristics had a little problem. Sometimes it sounded like this:"pardon us, we failed to deactivate the security tag..." Those people would keep walking or look back and get waved through. Another symptom was that I would go to the self checkout and there would $20 worth of scanned items all tallied up, waiting for payment. But no sign of the merchandise, customer or payment. They would simply walk out without paying.

So they redesigned the entire store (not to single anyone out). The new store has more self checkouts, but also has one or two full-time self-checkout "helpers" who will help people who have trouble paying or whatever.

[PGR88]

You are absolutely right. My college-age niece works at a supermarket, and says you would be amazed what people try to steal at the self check-out lines.

[Kevmo]

They’re getting ripped off, at least in some stores, so they’re taking them all out so they’re not accused of discrimination.

***Yikes, I never thought of that.

[USS Alaska]

They’re getting ripped off, at least in some stores, so they’re taking them all out so they’re not accused of discrimination.

CORRECT, DING, DING, DING, WE HAVE A WINNER.

A friend of mine is a manager at the local Walmart, where they recently removed the self checkout lanes and he told me it was because of thieves.

Even with all the video cams that they have, and everyone knows they are going on video, they still continue to steal.