Automated check outs- love them or hate them?  

I like the automated check outs. I wish the store I go to had them! It was much faster, usually. I don't mind dealing with cahiers. You can strike up conversations with just about anyone, if you try.

I like the pay at the pumps because if I am only getting gas, it makes sense. Who needs to stand in line with people purchasing items if you can do it at the pump?

We always use a cashier at the bank, though. No drop-box or ATM depositing of our checks!

I love the pay at the pump gas station option, because if I'm in a hurry and a pump with a decent price is rather crowded, I don't want to have to wait for a pump -and- wait in line to pay. Laziness? Perhaps, but it's more based on convenience and time.

I don't like the thought of all automated registers, though. People gripe about the economy, but they don't have a problem with 'progress' forcing people out of jobs. I like a brief conversation about the weather while ringing up groceries.

I don't really know how I feel about them. Usually the check outs that are automated give me fits when I try to use them, so I'll stick with real people for now for shopping, but I'll use technology when it comes to gas. :P

I have not seen automated check outs in our stores here in Tustin ca but I suppose some day we will get them I am not too thrilled myself I like to interact with the clerks myself.

I love them,I like most automated devices,they are quicker and easier.I don't like talking much.Seems to me,attomated check-outs just pretty much to any manned ones except for they are much easier and quicker.

That is precisely what they are doing. Automation is replacing many human operated tasks in the future. For the stores, it's all about money. Our prices won't go down, but they get to keep more of it as profit. Right now it is costing them more to install these checkout lanes, but eventually they will save more on employee expenses such as salary, training, and benefits. The automated registers won't be needing medical or dental benefits, having babies, or taking paid vacations.
I use the self-check lanes if I only have a few items, but for a full shopping load I find them irrating at best. I really prefer human checkers.

I think they are phasing out cashiers also, what a mess that will be for those who have to work.
I do like the self check outs my self, but sometimes they can be so annoying, like when you are in a hurry and it keeps asking you "skip bagging", then if you click it so many times it will stop till someone clears it...GRRRRR!
But I do like them they are convenient when lines are jammed.

i fell like you and am somewhere in the middle. they are very handy sometimes when your in a hurry but i have also had alot of problems with them. if i only had one or two things then they are ok but if i have a cart full then i would reather deal with a person. we don't have them around here where we live but when we lived in the city they had them alot.

The only thing i hate about the auto-checkout is when that voice keep telling me to put the item in the bag,other than that i love it.My library also has a auto-checkout most people won't use it but i sure heck will its better than standing in those long lines.

We will interact more and more with machines. So we have to find human interaction on internet and places like mylot. So far, all mylots writers are human-beings, I believe. Someday people will just invent robots to write mylots and earn money :)

This reminds me a story in the 1970's. To save time, a professor put a cassette player, then a hi-tech gadget, to broadcast his lectures in classroom. One day he decided to go to the classroom to see how his students were doing. He found no one but several cassette recorders.

I've never been to an automated checkout. Just to where we bag our own groceries, which I don't mind because it's a cheaper store. I'm willing to bag for better prices.

However, I can see where all this automation is robbing people of jobs to do. I guess people could learn to be repair persons for all the automation, though.