I stood there, gobsmacked.
This morning, I was in Fortinos, zipping around to grab a couple of things. As I speed-walked through the aisles, I spotted a free cashier—hallelujah! She was just two lanes over from the self-checkouts. And what do I see, to my wondering eyes?
FIVE people—count them, FIVE—lined up waiting for one of the four self-checkouts to open. Seriously?!
Naturally, I make a beeline for the free cashier, who looked to be about 21, with a face like she was reconsidering every life choice that led her here. A little sullen, but hey, I’ve been there.
“Want to hear something weird?” I said, plopping my stuff on the belt. She gave me the classic ‘Oh, no, is this lady going to be that customer?’ look but humored me with a nod.
“There are FIVE people over there waiting for a self-checkout… and here you are. Free. With actual human interaction!”
And boom—a smile. A gorgeous one, at that.
We started chatting about how wild it was. Like, why would someone choose to stand in line for a machine when they could hang out with her instead? She laughed, I laughed (because let’s face it, I’ll laugh at anything), and we bonded over the absurdity of it all.
As I grabbed my bag, I said, “Well, that’s my gossip for the day. Hope the rest of yours is as delightful as this!”
She flashed that megawatt smile again, and let me tell you, it lit up her whole face. Mine, too.
Walking out, I couldn’t help but shake my head at those poor souls glued to the self-checkout line. They missed out on a fun, genuine moment that left two people smiling.
Machines are great and all, but when was the last time one made you laugh? They often make me swear but never laugh.