No, no, I really do want to pay!
Puhlease, enough of this scanning stuff!
Got my groceries, headed for self check-out, scanned each item (correctly, the first time, I might add.) Turned my attention to paying. Actually, the first real step to completing the purchase is deciphering ALL the hieroglyphics on the little doo-hickey thing that offers you 4000+ different ways to pay. OK, here we go! Um….Well, gee, I failed at credit card “tapping” last time, so let’s try Apple Pay. Bated breath, holding my iPhone at the appropriate distance. Zing! It took! Such a sigh of relief.
I might add, an abbreviated sigh of relief. The electronic purchase process is quickly interrupted by a continuous stream of text on the payment module, reading “scanning, scanning, scanning…” And the “scanning” just keeps on scrolling toward what appears to be infinity. I’m looking around in bewilderment (rather like the demonically possessed character whose head spins 360° in the movie, “Exorcist.”) Did I do something wrong, after all? I was so proud of myself up until this point.
Apparently my head-turning confusion garnered the interest of the self check-out agent. She came over, ostensibly, to offer first aid for what appeared to be my purchasing trauma. I pointed to the electronic module doo-hickey thing and shared my frustration about the endless “scanning“ loop. In a very matter-of-fact voice, she said “They’re communicating with each other.” Excuse me? “They’re communicating with each other.” I don’t know, maybe I really did fall into the “Exorcist” movie.
Well, it turns out this is AI - artificial intelligence - and thank heavens, NOT “The Exorcist.” The payment module doo-hickey is communicating with some deus ex machina (god in the machine) nearby to tabulate my purchases. You’d think a “god in the machine” would take pity on me and make this whole damn thing easier.
Just can’t wait for my next interaction with the payment module doo-hickey thing. Right. Sure. You bet…