Samples - Checkmate at Checkout
"How hard could this be?" my husband said while placing items on Kroger’s Scan Tron conveyor belt.
He pushed the start button and inserted his American Express card.So far, so good. A computer-generated Voice, that I would grow to hate, directed "Scan the product. Place in the plastic bag."
With a smugness known to old marrieds, Tim scanned a Diet Coke© six-pack once and proceeded to swipe it three more times. But Mr. Tron would have none of it.
"Scan the product. Place in the plastic bag," came the Voice again. Frustrated but determined. Tim tried again.
The store manager advised. "Sir, you cannot scan a product twice. Each item must be scanned separately then placed on the counter."
Tim nodded. "A minor glitch," he mumbled undaunted by the delay. Tim turned his attention to the BBQ sauce and Goldfish© crackers. He struggled with the hermetically sealed plastic bags. My husband's thick fingers shredded several trying to get them open.
"Please scan the product. Place in the plastic bag," the Voice blared. With 10 pounds of pork chops in the balance, tension mounted. Onlookers glared. I wanted to sweep up my lemon pie and run out the exit doors. Suddenly a human voice called "Ma'am. Ma'am."Kroger's entire shopper population looked at ME. A college-student-turned-cashier bustled toward me. I unwittingly transgressed the code of item scanning by placing my pie on the counter scale. Tim wrestled with scanning egg and juice cartons so he didn’t notice.
"Peaches," Tim says sheepishly giving me a look saying 'we never buy produce and tonight of all nights you decide to buy peaches.'
