I refuse to use the automatic ordering system at McDonalds. It's also not faster, I've seen people start their order before me and I've got my food before them. It's far easier to tell a person what I want than a machine.
Thats probably because it is new. What do you think the the employee is doing? Just pushing the same buttons as the customer, their cash registers are just pictures. Once this becomes standard and everyone has done it a few times it will be even faster. Instead of telling someone what buttons to push for you, you just do it yourself. I was at a McDs a few weeks ago and they had signs all over the front counter that they do not take orders anymore, must be done from the kiosk. A few people came up and placed orders anyway, I'm not sure if they didn't see the 10 different signs or just ignored them. But I feel within a couple years this will be normal, and once it is normal it will be faster.
Think of those states who aren't allowed to pump their own gas. If someone who has never done it before pulls up to a self-service pump, its going to take a while to figure it out. Someone who has always pumped their own gas gets annoyed waiting on someone else to do it for them, its faster to just get out and do it myself.
One more important note.....using the computer made me realize that i can get my child the Snoopy toy for 99 cents without ordering a happy meal.
McDonalds automated service is beautiful.
Yeah, I saw a lot bigger menu that I didn't even know to order from. I rarely go to fast food, but saw a bunch of specials that they don't have the space to advertise. I just clicked on the deals menu tab and saw all the specials, had like 20 of them listed on the computer, but only 2 or 3 advertised throughout the store. That part was cool.
These things that make life "easier" - been around for years. It'll continue because we demand it, whether for convenience or monetary gain, or what have you.
Washing machines, toasters, those automated sandwich things from the 50's (or before?), hairdryers, vacuums, ATM's, and on. And sex dolls - why have a real person when you can program a bot to do whatever you want?
I'd consider myself myopic in thinking that today's technology, plus our needs and wants, wouldn't play a large part in this era of ours.
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brianlux
Moving through All Kinds of Terrain. Posts: 42,310
I refuse to use the automatic ordering system at McDonalds. It's also not faster, I've seen people start their order before me and I've got my food before them. It's far easier to tell a person what I want than a machine.
Same thing for me at the check out stand at the grocery store. I like having real people to talk to instead of some dumb machine saying, "Welcome to Raleys, have you inserted you club card yet?"
"Pretty cookies, heart squares all around, yeah!" -Eddie Vedder, "Smile"
I refuse to use the automatic ordering system at McDonalds. It's also not faster, I've seen people start their order before me and I've got my food before them. It's far easier to tell a person what I want than a machine.
That’ll change too. A few UI/UX designers, change some button locations and that machine will become way easier. Integrate a loyalty program so people can tap their phone then just say “order the same as last time” and store it as a favourite, same mission accomplished. When it is substantially faster to order through the machine, will you still veto it on principle?
I'm not sure it even matters. Soon enough you won't have an option between the auto system and a person. Your choice will change from using the auto system or not ordering at all.
With all its sham, drudgery, and broken dreams, it is still a beautiful world. Be careful. Strive to be happy. ~ Desiderata
I refuse to use the automatic ordering system at McDonalds. It's also not faster, I've seen people start their order before me and I've got my food before them. It's far easier to tell a person what I want than a machine.
Same thing for me at the check out stand at the grocery store. I like having real people to talk to instead of some dumb machine saying, "Welcome to Raleys, have you inserted you club card yet?"
Same with me, all other things being equal. My local store there are 2 stations operated by a person and about 10 automated one. The problem is there may be 3 or 4 people in line for each of the 2 checkout stands manned by an actual person while at least some of the 10 auto checkout stations are wide open. Even during prime shopping time there may be 10 people in line for the person, but have to wait behind maybe 1 or 2 people in automated line. It's a dying breed.
Uber would never have taken off like it did if people loved calling a Cab Company and talking to an attendant to request a cab.
It has way more to do with the price. Uber is at least a third of the cost and you know how much your fare is before your trip. The Taxi model is so outmoded, stuck in traffic watching the meter run. If cab companies were smart, they’d adapt by having their drivers join Uber or Lyft. Or create apps and do the same.
I refuse to use the automatic ordering system at McDonalds. It's also not faster, I've seen people start their order before me and I've got my food before them. It's far easier to tell a person what I want than a machine.
That’ll change too. A few UI/UX designers, change some button locations and that machine will become way easier. Integrate a loyalty program so people can tap their phone then just say “order the same as last time” and store it as a favourite, same mission accomplished. When it is substantially faster to order through the machine, will you still veto it on principle?
I'm not sure it even matters. Soon enough you won't have an option between the auto system and a person. Your choice will change from using the auto system or not ordering at all.
Was just going to say this, and completely agree. There won't be an option to order from a human at fast food restaurants in the fairly near future. Within 5 years I think we'll have forgotten all about the kids behind the cash register. As Mace said, those kids are only pushing the buttons on their screens that you tell them to, so why not remove the middle-man (who is also mistake prone), and push those buttons yourself? Increased accuracy and efficiency. Sounds good to me. I also self-check at the grocery store when presented with that option. People can choose to shun or avoid automation, but in doing so they'll find that they're ultimately limiting their options and perhaps not adequately preparing themselves for the inevitable time that is coming when they won't have that choice. Adapt or perish.
"I'll use the magic word - let's just shut the fuck up, please." EV, 04/13/08
I refuse to use the automatic ordering system at McDonalds. It's also not faster, I've seen people start their order before me and I've got my food before them. It's far easier to tell a person what I want than a machine.
Same thing for me at the check out stand at the grocery store. I like having real people to talk to instead of some dumb machine saying, "Welcome to Raleys, have you inserted you club card yet?"
I find I’m way more capable then most of the people doing that job, so I prefer self checkout
I refuse to use the automatic ordering system at McDonalds. It's also not faster, I've seen people start their order before me and I've got my food before them. It's far easier to tell a person what I want than a machine.
Same thing for me at the check out stand at the grocery store. I like having real people to talk to instead of some dumb machine saying, "Welcome to Raleys, have you inserted you club card yet?"
I find I’m way more capable then most of the people doing that job, so I prefer self checkout
Agreed, especially when I have my screaming toddler with me, lol. Way faster usually!
You know who use those automated checkout lines the most? The idiots that can’t ring you up properly at a grocery store or supermarket. You want an exercise in frustration? Get stuck behind a few of those fools or have someone start ringing their shit as you’re bagging yours.
I can totally see why some fast food employers would automate certain jobs if it was logistically cost saving and more efficient. Kiosks do not require health insurance, do not complain of low wages, and could help avoid a lawsuit or two. This is nothing new, though. Many different aspects of agriculture, for instance, now use automated machines to help with harvest, milk cattle, etc. It is a changing world and people will either adapt or get left behind...as always.
I'm not sure it's as simple as that this time. If there are simply not enough jobs to go around because of AI and automation (and don't think this will only end the kind of work you're talking about - it will hit highly educated and skilled people too), then just saying people have to adjust and do something else just doesn't cut it. We could quite easily get to the point where 100% of all available jobs are filled, and still have a 25% unemployment rate or higher, across a vast number of sectors. That is why it's up to government to get ahead of this entire concept, and get incredibly creative.... Unfortunately, with the conservative attitude discussed in that article cincybearcat posted above, I don't have a whole lot of faith in them doing that in North America. I think Western Europe is going to win this race easily, then Asia... Which could certainly be a major factor, if not the main factor, in America's inevitable tumble from being the global leader that is has been for the past 70 years.... Unless the government's mindset changes dramatically... Will be interesting to see how the new generation of politicians will look at this issue. We're still largely struggling under the baby boomers' yoke IMO, so really we have to wait until they're dead before really being able to assess where we're going in North America in terms of changing the way the economy works in the face of AI and automation. One thing I feel confident about is that it's going to be a disaster if the plan is reactionary rather than proactive.
PJ_Soul, something my mind always goes back to is that unskilled workers represent the masses, and while I agree that machine learning and automation will impact educated and/or skilled workers, the first impact will be seen on the masses, which means an enormous impact on consumer spending and the economy at large. Businesses seeking a richer bottom-line won't consider this long-term impact of what they'll call cost containment, and America will bear a newfound unemployment epidemic. Then does the government attempt to make a business case for investing in creating new jobs (without guaranteeing that there's a market for the product from the new labour first and risking failure)? Embrace socialist ideals and distribute money to reach the universal basic income? Suffer an unemployment and homelessness wave across the nation? Disappear them? They all seem so unlikely to succeed.
I think responding to this the same way Roosevelt reacted to the Great Depression (which was a good idea at the time) would be a complete disaster, and I'd be pretty surprised if the governments of today would be that stupid... Even if they were, it wouldn't work at all, since investing in creating new jobs would be rendered moot by the new technologies we're discussing. I mean, they would literally be funding busy work. It's the equivalent of a business owner seeing that their staff has nothing to do and then throwing out the broom and making them get down on their hands and knees to pick up the little bits of dirt off the floor with their hands. I can't imagine that kind of plan would work on any level, and it would very quickly create crisis-level morale issues across the workforce.
So what would it take for a society that has wiped out a huge number of jobs to really make universal income work long term? Taking into consideration the idea that people wouldn't just take the money and sit on the sofa all day - an idea I tend to believe in - it's definitely theoretically possible. Yes indeed, it would require government to jack up corporate taxation rates very dramatically, but that shouldn't be a problem since that would all be money that business is saving by not having all those employees. Theoretically, business would not lose money on the deal at all. Those taxes would then be redistributed to the population to replace those salaries to allow the population to continue spending so those same corps and businesses continue to earn a profit. At the end of the day this isn't technically much different from what happens now. Business earns money, gives it to the population (workers), and the population gives it right back to business. Money moves in an endless circle either way.
So now the only problem is the idea that many people would be getting money for doing nothing.... But I don't think that would be the case assuming the appropriate cultural shift happened (allowing for some small percentage of people who are just lazy fucks). Suddenly people who aren't members of the traditional work force would be free to spend their time actually doing stuff that is aimed towards personal and community enrichment (under some kind of public management system), OR doing those jobs within business/government/public sector that can't be replaced by technology (perhaps for no direct salary as well??) .... I realize this would take a major psychological shift in the population of course, like to the point where it would almost have to be aliens operating under such a system. It would also require a complete reworking of how higher education is funded, assuming universal basic incomes aren't so high that anyone can pay tuition (free higher education is certainly the ultimate ideal in this scenario). People's thinking about what brings value to a person and what they do would have to change dramatically. And I think art and volunteerism and humanism would have to become much more highly regarded in society for any of this to work... and I don't have faith in any current capitalist societies to get on board, unfortunately. Unemployment and homelessness and a gaping chasm between the rich and everyone else (even bigger than now) will appear. It find it basically impossible to believe that societies would be able to readjust to this extent. But I think it's useful to at least hypothesize in this utopic kind of way - it ultimately pinpoints all the issues that have to be considered.
The next possibility is if molecular synthesis (chemical and organic) becomes a reality, causing all material want and need to be irrelevant. That would render capitalism and every other economic system in the world completely moot, and everyone could then pursue higher goals and greed would basically become pointless (though power would still be something to chase) ..... Welcome to Star Trek: The Next Generation.
With all its sham, drudgery, and broken dreams, it is still a beautiful world. Be careful. Strive to be happy. ~ Desiderata
I refuse to use the automatic ordering system at McDonalds. It's also not faster, I've seen people start their order before me and I've got my food before them. It's far easier to tell a person what I want than a machine.
Same thing for me at the check out stand at the grocery store. I like having real people to talk to instead of some dumb machine saying, "Welcome to Raleys, have you inserted you club card yet?"
I find I’m way more capable then most of the people doing that job, so I prefer self checkout
I like self checkout because I don't bag my groceries like an idiot, as some cashiers do. Although when a cashier does bag my stuff properly, I am happier having gone with the human.
With all its sham, drudgery, and broken dreams, it is still a beautiful world. Be careful. Strive to be happy. ~ Desiderata
I refuse to use the automatic ordering system at McDonalds. It's also not faster, I've seen people start their order before me and I've got my food before them. It's far easier to tell a person what I want than a machine.
Same thing for me at the check out stand at the grocery store. I like having real people to talk to instead of some dumb machine saying, "Welcome to Raleys, have you inserted you club card yet?"
I find I’m way more capable then most of the people doing that job, so I prefer self checkout
I like self checkout because I don't bag my groceries like an idiot, as some cashiers do. Although when a cashier does bag my stuff properly, I am happier having gone with the human.
I am often disappointed in myself in how poorly I bag my own groceries.
I refuse to use the automatic ordering system at McDonalds. It's also not faster, I've seen people start their order before me and I've got my food before them. It's far easier to tell a person what I want than a machine.
Same thing for me at the check out stand at the grocery store. I like having real people to talk to instead of some dumb machine saying, "Welcome to Raleys, have you inserted you club card yet?"
I find I’m way more capable then most of the people doing that job, so I prefer self checkout
I like self checkout because I don't bag my groceries like an idiot, as some cashiers do. Although when a cashier does bag my stuff properly, I am happier having gone with the human.
I am often disappointed in myself in how poorly I bag my own groceries.
With all its sham, drudgery, and broken dreams, it is still a beautiful world. Be careful. Strive to be happy. ~ Desiderata
I refuse to use the automatic ordering system at McDonalds. It's also not faster, I've seen people start their order before me and I've got my food before them. It's far easier to tell a person what I want than a machine.
Same thing for me at the check out stand at the grocery store. I like having real people to talk to instead of some dumb machine saying, "Welcome to Raleys, have you inserted you club card yet?"
I find I’m way more capable then most of the people doing that job, so I prefer self checkout
I like self checkout because I don't bag my groceries like an idiot, as some cashiers do. Although when a cashier does bag my stuff properly, I am happier having gone with the human.
I am often disappointed in myself in how poorly I bag my own groceries.
Amen. Not to stereotype, but I think it's because I'm a man. I've rarely seen a man who has natural instincts in spatial awareness or strategizing the way women do. Just one of many skills I feel women are more likely to possess than men!
'05 - TO, '06 - TO 1, '08 - NYC 1 & 2, '09 - TO, Chi 1 & 2, '10 - Buffalo, NYC 1 & 2, '11 - TO 1 & 2, Hamilton, '13 - Buffalo, Brooklyn 1 & 2, '15 - Global Citizen, '16 - TO 1 & 2, Chi 2
EV
Toronto Film Festival 9/11/2007, '08 - Toronto 1 & 2, '09 - Albany 1, '11 - Chicago 1
I refuse to use the automatic ordering system at McDonalds. It's also not faster, I've seen people start their order before me and I've got my food before them. It's far easier to tell a person what I want than a machine.
Thats probably because it is new. What do you think the the employee is doing? Just pushing the same buttons as the customer, their cash registers are just pictures. Once this becomes standard and everyone has done it a few times it will be even faster. Instead of telling someone what buttons to push for you, you just do it yourself. I was at a McDs a few weeks ago and they had signs all over the front counter that they do not take orders anymore, must be done from the kiosk. A few people came up and placed orders anyway, I'm not sure if they didn't see the 10 different signs or just ignored them. But I feel within a couple years this will be normal, and once it is normal it will be faster.
Think of those states who aren't allowed to pump their own gas. If someone who has never done it before pulls up to a self-service pump, its going to take a while to figure it out. Someone who has always pumped their own gas gets annoyed waiting on someone else to do it for them, its faster to just get out and do it myself.
It's not that new...been in my local McDonalds 2 years. More people still line at the cash register than the automatic ordering. Same thing as the grocer stores have scan your own checkouts, still most people get in line where the human cashier is.
I refuse to use the automatic ordering system at McDonalds. It's also not faster, I've seen people start their order before me and I've got my food before them. It's far easier to tell a person what I want than a machine.
Same thing for me at the check out stand at the grocery store. I like having real people to talk to instead of some dumb machine saying, "Welcome to Raleys, have you inserted you club card yet?"
Agreed. I also like paying cash small purchase's. I only ever get a coffee and muffin from Mcdonald's, sometimes fries...so I'm debiting small purchase.
That is exactly why the human cashiers are going to totally go away soon. These corporations don't give that much of a shit if the customers prefer the humans. It saves them money, and they are just itching to replace all the people they can with technology... They are simply kind of looking back and forth anxiously to gauge when the best time is to make a complete switch compared to their competitors (and probably all have their eyes trained on these new Amazon in-person stores too - that is 100% going to take off over the next 5 years I think - no more stopping to pay for anything ever! That is very appealing to me, besides all the lost jobs of course). And I'm sure they are also often just waiting for the next generation of the machines to be ready, since they don't want to have to replace what's available now too soon.
Post edited by PJ_Soul on
With all its sham, drudgery, and broken dreams, it is still a beautiful world. Be careful. Strive to be happy. ~ Desiderata
In Canada I can only think of 3 retailers that have automatic checkouts, Zehr's, The Superstore, WaL Mart...I'm sure there are others. Canadian Tire used to, they removed theirs...automatic check outs have been around awhile, they haven't exactly taken us by storm.
In Canada I can only think of 3 retailers that have automatic checkouts, Zehr's, The Superstore, WaL Mart...I'm sure there are others. Canadian Tire used to, they removed theirs...automatic check outs have been around awhile, they haven't exactly taken us by storm.
I'm not sure where you live, but where I live literally all of the major grocery stores have them. Safeway, Save-On-Foods, Superstore and all their subsidiaries besides YIG, Thrifty Foods, IGA, Nester's, Whole Foods ... Plus Walmart of course, as you mentioned. I'm sure other stores I don't go to have them too.
With all its sham, drudgery, and broken dreams, it is still a beautiful world. Be careful. Strive to be happy. ~ Desiderata
In Canada I can only think of 3 retailers that have automatic checkouts, Zehr's, The Superstore, WaL Mart...I'm sure there are others. Canadian Tire used to, they removed theirs...automatic check outs have been around awhile, they haven't exactly taken us by storm.
Weird. I live in Toronto, and see automatic check-out at every single Loblaw's or Shoppers Drug Mart I've been to in the last six months, and have a better experience in the automatic check-out line every time. Restaurants are also working with Ritual and UberEats to allow customers to place their orders in advance (labour reduction for cashiers), which indirectly has the same impact. If they haven't taken you by storm, they just haven't taken you by storm yet.
Edit: And as for Canadian Tire - that's got to be the worst run business I can recall. Mismanagement at every location I've ever been to, regardless of department or service required.
Post edited by benjs on
'05 - TO, '06 - TO 1, '08 - NYC 1 & 2, '09 - TO, Chi 1 & 2, '10 - Buffalo, NYC 1 & 2, '11 - TO 1 & 2, Hamilton, '13 - Buffalo, Brooklyn 1 & 2, '15 - Global Citizen, '16 - TO 1 & 2, Chi 2
EV
Toronto Film Festival 9/11/2007, '08 - Toronto 1 & 2, '09 - Albany 1, '11 - Chicago 1
Starbucks is doing it too - you can just order and pay online via their app shortly before you get there, walk in and pick up your order. Some Tim Horton's outlets are doing it as well.
With all its sham, drudgery, and broken dreams, it is still a beautiful world. Be careful. Strive to be happy. ~ Desiderata
In Canada I can only think of 3 retailers that have automatic checkouts, Zehr's, The Superstore, WaL Mart...I'm sure there are others. Canadian Tire used to, they removed theirs...automatic check outs have been around awhile, they haven't exactly taken us by storm.
I'm not sure where you live, but where I live literally all of the major grocery stores have them. Safeway, Save-On-Foods, Superstore and all their subsidiaries besides YIG, Thrifty Foods, IGA, Nester's, Whole Foods ... Plus Walmart of course, as you mentioned. I'm sure other stores I don't go to have them too.
Windsor...I'm sure there are others. I've never been to a shopper with auto check-out, but that might be up to the franchisee...More and more stores are selling beer and wine, so those stores have to keep human cashiers...
Starbucks is doing it too - you can just order and pay online via their app shortly before you get there, walk in and pick up your order. Some Tim Horton's outlets are doing it as well.
Wouldn't know about Starbucks ... I know Tims is doing that, Dominoes does that as well, with dominos you get the option to pay in-store, which I always choose...
In Canada I can only think of 3 retailers that have automatic checkouts, Zehr's, The Superstore, WaL Mart...I'm sure there are others. Canadian Tire used to, they removed theirs...automatic check outs have been around awhile, they haven't exactly taken us by storm.
I'm not sure where you live, but where I live literally all of the major grocery stores have them. Safeway, Save-On-Foods, Superstore and all their subsidiaries besides YIG, Thrifty Foods, IGA, Nester's, Whole Foods ... Plus Walmart of course, as you mentioned. I'm sure other stores I don't go to have them too.
Windsor...I'm sure there are others. I've never been to a shopper with auto check-out, but that might be up to the franchisee...More and more stores are selling beer and wine, so those stores have to keep human cashiers...
Well there still aren't any stores in Canada, as far as I know, that are 100% cashier free. Only that Amazon store in Seattle has managed that so far, as a prototype. Have you seen any stores or shops with literally no cashiers?? The beer and wine sales issue isn't really relevant at this point in time. When other stores all start going 100% cashierless (either self checkouts or just walk in and take what you want and walk out), then yeah, I'm guessing that if booze is being purchased that will be one dedicated human cashier to deal with those purchases ... at least until they figure out how to automate that too. Though it would likely have to involve some kind of biometric IDing system, like eye scanning or fingerprint scanning or something like that... That's much farther off just due to privacy and security issues, and because it involves the government so much more.... India is actually already doing this, but at these early stages it's apparently quite the clusterfuck... although having more than a billion people to try and do it for probably makes it that much more difficult.
Post edited by PJ_Soul on
With all its sham, drudgery, and broken dreams, it is still a beautiful world. Be careful. Strive to be happy. ~ Desiderata
Starbucks is doing it too - you can just order and pay online via their app shortly before you get there, walk in and pick up your order. Some Tim Horton's outlets are doing it as well.
Wouldn't know about Starbucks ... I know Tims is doing that, Dominoes does that as well, with dominos you get the option to pay in-store, which I always choose...
I often pay in-store when ordering pizzas just because I like taking a look at the pie before actually purchasing it. If it’s a shitty looking job, you can either say “fuck it, i’m going elsewhere” or just ask them to fix whatever mistake was made before finalizing the purchase. Maybe i’m a bit of a pizza snob, lol 21st century problems...haha
Comments
I was at a McDs a few weeks ago and they had signs all over the front counter that they do not take orders anymore, must be done from the kiosk. A few people came up and placed orders anyway, I'm not sure if they didn't see the 10 different signs or just ignored them. But I feel within a couple years this will be normal, and once it is normal it will be faster.
Think of those states who aren't allowed to pump their own gas. If someone who has never done it before pulls up to a self-service pump, its going to take a while to figure it out. Someone who has always pumped their own gas gets annoyed waiting on someone else to do it for them, its faster to just get out and do it myself.
Washing machines, toasters, those automated sandwich things from the 50's (or before?), hairdryers, vacuums, ATM's, and on. And sex dolls - why have a real person when you can program a bot to do whatever you want?
I'd consider myself myopic in thinking that today's technology, plus our needs and wants, wouldn't play a large part in this era of ours.
-Eddie Vedder, "Smile"
My local store there are 2 stations operated by a person and about 10 automated one. The problem is there may be 3 or 4 people in line for each of the 2 checkout stands manned by an actual person while at least some of the 10 auto checkout stations are wide open. Even during prime shopping time there may be 10 people in line for the person, but have to wait behind maybe 1 or 2 people in automated line. It's a dying breed.
Uber would never have taken off like it did if people loved calling a Cab Company and talking to an attendant to request a cab.
Libtardaplorable©. And proud of it.
Brilliantati©
Libtardaplorable©. And proud of it.
Brilliantati©
So what would it take for a society that has wiped out a huge number of jobs to really make universal income work long term? Taking into consideration the idea that people wouldn't just take the money and sit on the sofa all day - an idea I tend to believe in - it's definitely theoretically possible. Yes indeed, it would require government to jack up corporate taxation rates very dramatically, but that shouldn't be a problem since that would all be money that business is saving by not having all those employees. Theoretically, business would not lose money on the deal at all. Those taxes would then be redistributed to the population to replace those salaries to allow the population to continue spending so those same corps and businesses continue to earn a profit. At the end of the day this isn't technically much different from what happens now. Business earns money, gives it to the population (workers), and the population gives it right back to business. Money moves in an endless circle either way.
So now the only problem is the idea that many people would be getting money for doing nothing.... But I don't think that would be the case assuming the appropriate cultural shift happened (allowing for some small percentage of people who are just lazy fucks). Suddenly people who aren't members of the traditional work force would be free to spend their time actually doing stuff that is aimed towards personal and community enrichment (under some kind of public management system), OR doing those jobs within business/government/public sector that can't be replaced by technology (perhaps for no direct salary as well??) .... I realize this would take a major psychological shift in the population of course, like to the point where it would almost have to be aliens operating under such a system. It would also require a complete reworking of how higher education is funded, assuming universal basic incomes aren't so high that anyone can pay tuition (free higher education is certainly the ultimate ideal in this scenario). People's thinking about what brings value to a person and what they do would have to change dramatically. And I think art and volunteerism and humanism would have to become much more highly regarded in society for any of this to work... and I don't have faith in any current capitalist societies to get on board, unfortunately. Unemployment and homelessness and a gaping chasm between the rich and everyone else (even bigger than now) will appear. It find it basically impossible to believe that societies would be able to readjust to this extent. But I think it's useful to at least hypothesize in this utopic kind of way - it ultimately pinpoints all the issues that have to be considered.
The next possibility is if molecular synthesis (chemical and organic) becomes a reality, causing all material want and need to be irrelevant. That would render capitalism and every other economic system in the world completely moot, and everyone could then pursue higher goals and greed would basically become pointless (though power would still be something to chase) ..... Welcome to Star Trek: The Next Generation.
EV
Toronto Film Festival 9/11/2007, '08 - Toronto 1 & 2, '09 - Albany 1, '11 - Chicago 1
And I swear men are better at spatial skills; mine absolutely suck!
Agreed. I also like paying cash small purchase's. I only ever get a coffee and muffin from Mcdonald's, sometimes fries...so I'm debiting small purchase.
Edit: And as for Canadian Tire - that's got to be the worst run business I can recall. Mismanagement at every location I've ever been to, regardless of department or service required.
EV
Toronto Film Festival 9/11/2007, '08 - Toronto 1 & 2, '09 - Albany 1, '11 - Chicago 1
Wouldn't know about Starbucks ... I know Tims is doing that, Dominoes does that as well, with dominos you get the option to pay in-store, which I always choose...
The beer and wine sales issue isn't really relevant at this point in time. When other stores all start going 100% cashierless (either self checkouts or just walk in and take what you want and walk out), then yeah, I'm guessing that if booze is being purchased that will be one dedicated human cashier to deal with those purchases ... at least until they figure out how to automate that too. Though it would likely have to involve some kind of biometric IDing system, like eye scanning or fingerprint scanning or something like that... That's much farther off just due to privacy and security issues, and because it involves the government so much more.... India is actually already doing this, but at these early stages it's apparently quite the clusterfuck... although having more than a billion people to try and do it for probably makes it that much more difficult.
21st century problems...haha