10 self check-outs. Literally 10 people standing there waiting for assistance. 1 poor bloke desperately running between them. Contactless not working. Every card needs a signature checked for some reason. Every second scan needs an override.
Finally my turn. Despite only have half a dozen items, I get accused of shoplifting twice. Apparently I'm not allowed to pick up two apples with one hand, and I'm not allowed to use both my left hand and right hand at the same time. I guess only thieves do that? Three times I had to wait for assistance for my $30 purchase.
Fuck that. I tried to just duck in to the local supermarket for 5 mins to grab something for lunch. I'll be shopping elsewhere from now on.
Edit: To be clear - I was no fan of the old self-serve machines, but they weren't the worst thing in the world. What I'm talking about here are new ones that they must've just rolled out in the last few months, with a video camera overhead that is trying to compare what you scanned with what it thinks you're putting into a bag. It also constantly plays a video of your own face back at you, I suppose to remind you that you're on camera.
And the fucking dumbest thing about all of this, is that every time the person comes over they DON'T EVEN LOOK AT THE VIDEO OR YOUR BAG because the alarm goes off so much. They just enter their code and override it. It literally serves no purpose other than pissing off the customers.
Edit 2: Compare this experience to Europe: At most supermarkets in Europe, fresh fruit and groceries you bag yourself (often in an opaque paper bag), and then put on a weighing device in the fruit and veggie section, and it prints out a barcode on a sticker that you put on the paper bag. This then gets scanned at the checkout. It's an ENTIRELY trust-based system because you're nowhere near any staff members, and you have to weigh it correctly, choose the right product, and then not add anything else to the bag afterwards.