Likes and Dislikes

[JHDK]

I dislike the little nagging woman that lives in the self-check-out machine at the grocery store.
- “Welcome shopper! Scan your card and begin scanning your items.”
- Beep: “Place the item in the bagging area.” - Thanks for reminding me. I had forgotten how this works since I was here 3 days ago….
- Beep: “Place the item in the bagging area.” - I still knew that….
- Beep: “Place the item in the bagging area.” - Really?
- Beep: “Place the item in the bagging area.” - Come on now…..
- Beep: “Place the item in the bagging area.” -
- Beep: “Place the item in the bagging area.” - Get off my back!
- Beep: “Place the item in the bagging area.” - SHUT UP BITCH! I WILL END YOU!!!
- Beep: “Your total is $83.47. Don’t forget to take your receipt.”
- “Be sure to remove all items from the bagging area Thank you for shopping with us.” - …….Thank you…. See you next week.

You got me thinking.

If you check out with a person and they don't have a bagger you better start bagging the shit yourself as they're scanning. If you wait for them to bag it all after it's scanned it I dislike you.

Also when there is a bagger at Publix they always ask if you want them to take the shit to your car. I tell them something like if you want a little break to check your phone for a couple mins you can come with me but otherwise i'm good. Only one guy ever took me up on it.

 

[IdRatherBeSkiing]

Walmart does not have the talking machines. But they do have self checkout supervisors who tell you you are doing self-checkout wrong. I dislike them.

My ideal self checkout is I pull in, grab the wand and scan all items in a systematic order. Well, they don't like that. They put in checks to force a call to the supervisor if you scan too many now. So I do the big stuff and then grab the small stuff and put it back in the cart. One supervisor came up and told me that I was supposed to take it out and put it beside the cart then put it back in once I was done. If I wanted to do that, I would use one of their flunkies. I told her I was not going to do that. She said that is how her manager wants it done. I told her it was a good thing I didn't report to her manager. She gave up after that. But everytime they come up it distracts me and I have to figure out where I was. Ironically I have missed scanning something occassionally because of these interuptions.

And then there are times when they just close the self checkout. They don't open more tellers of course. So lines are long. They still have the guy at the door. If I go through a manned checkout I don't share my receipt. The cashier has already checked me.

 

[scotchandcigar]

I dislike the little nagging woman that lives in the self-check-out machine at the grocery store.
- “Welcome shopper! Scan your card and begin scanning your items.”
- Beep: “Place the item in the bagging area.” - Thanks for reminding me. I had forgotten how this works since I was here 3 days ago….
- Beep: “Place the item in the bagging area.” - I still knew that….
- Beep: “Place the item in the bagging area.” - Really?
- Beep: “Place the item in the bagging area.” - Come on now…..
- Beep: “Place the item in the bagging area.” -
- Beep: “Place the item in the bagging area.” - Get off my back!
- Beep: “Place the item in the bagging area.” - SHUT UP BITCH! I WILL END YOU!!!
- Beep: “Your total is $83.47. Don’t forget to take your receipt.”
- “Be sure to remove all items from the bagging area Thank you for shopping with us.” - …….Thank you…. See you next week.

The Hannaford supermarket self-checkout near me is perfectly pleasant. All it says is the price of each item that's rung up, and the first time, it asks if you want to enter your rewards phone number (which you can ignore if you want). It doesn't care what you do with the items after you scan them. When you're done, you hit the button to pay, and it steps you through that. Then it thanks you and says "See you soon!".

Walmart does not have the talking machines. But they do have self checkout supervisors who tell you you are doing self-checkout wrong. I dislike them.

My ideal self checkout is I pull in, grab the wand and scan all items in a systematic order. Well, they don't like that. They put in checks to force a call to the supervisor if you scan too many now. So I do the big stuff and then grab the small stuff and put it back in the cart. One supervisor came up and told me that I was supposed to take it out and put it beside the cart then put it back in once I was done. If I wanted to do that, I would use one of their flunkies. I told her I was not going to do that. She said that is how her manager wants it done. I told her it was a good thing I didn't report to her manager. She gave up after that. But everytime they come up it distracts me and I have to figure out where I was. Ironically I have missed scanning something occassionally because of these interuptions.

And then there are times when they just close the self checkout. They don't open more tellers of course. So lines are long. They still have the guy at the door. If I go through a manned checkout I don't share my receipt. The cashier has already checked me.

I remember having an extended discussion with you about some fucked-up habit you have. Like you don't want to put items into bags; you just want to scan them, and then put them back in the carriage/cart. Our local supermarket wouldn't care anyway, as I explained above.

But reading about your issues, it's clear that you're doing something differently than 99.9% of shoppers. Because if everyone else was facing the same challenges as you, the whole system would quickly break down. But it's not. So I'd look into that.

 

[scotchandcigar]

Dislike: All junk mail; but especially from credit card companies I already do business with.

About 2 or 3 times every week, I get the same fucking envelopes from a handful of my credit card companies, with the same fucking offers that A) I don't want, B) I didn't want the previous 500 times, and C) are the same offers (which I still don't want) that pop-up on the website when I pay the monthly statement. I have "paperless billing", but these aren't bills, so it doesn't matter. When I call to tell them to stop sending offers, they tell me (in so many words) that it will lower my credit score.

Interestingly, the credit cards I have through my local banks and credit unions don't do this. It's only the Citibank, Bank of America, and American Express type of cards that waste all the paper with this shit. At least I recycle.

 

[IdRatherBeSkiing]

But reading about your issues, it's clear that you're doing something differently than 99.9% of shoppers. Because if everyone else was facing the same challenges as you, the whole system would quickly break down. But it's not. So I'd look into that.

I bag when I put things in the trunk. I may be different but I see no need to conform. Worst case I stand in cashier lines because they close the self-checkout. But usual case is I ignore the employee.

 

[HecticArt]

At least once a week for the last 20 years I get a junk mail from AAA trying to get me to buy life insurance from them.

Get a freaking clue!

 

[Aaron]

I dislike when you give money to a charity then they constantly send you mail.

I gave $20 to the March of Dimes a few years ago, they have a fairly good rating, and ever since at least once a month I get an envelope in the mail as a reminder to donate again. The envelope always has a dime, personalized notepads, stickers, etc. I guess it works though because a couple times a year I’m like, alright here’s another $20.

 

[IdRatherBeSkiing]

I dislike when you give money to a charity then they constantly send you mail.

I gave $20 to the March of Dimes a few years ago, they have a fairly good rating, and ever since at least once a month I get an envelope in the mail as a reminder to donate again. The envelope always has a dime, personalized notepads, stickers, etc. I guess it works though because a couple times a year I’m like, alright here’s another $20.

If I had a dime for every time March of Dimes sends me a mail .....

 

[Listener]

I get calendars in the mail from different charities and if I do not make a donation, they will send a letter saying "Did you get our calendar?" and asking for a donation.

 

[Channel98]

I hate the charities that send out address labels. I have never used address labels and never will. I cut them up into tiny pieces. I'm afraid if I just put them out in the trash, scavengers will take them and use them to order things from mail-order catalogues. Then in a few days they will start checking my front porch to see if any packages have been delivered. They will steal the packages and I will eventually start getting dunning letters asking why I haven't paid for what I ordered.

 

[Madison]

Dislike: When you see someone who reminds you of somebody else but you can't think of who it is

 

[MonoStereo]

I hate the charities that send out address labels. I have never used address labels and never will. I cut them up into tiny pieces. I'm afraid if I just put them out in the trash, scavengers will take them and use them to order things from mail-order catalogues. Then in a few days they will start checking my front porch to see if any packages have been delivered. They will steal the packages and I will eventually start getting dunning letters asking why I haven't paid for what I ordered.

Funny you mention this, because with my recent change of address ( first one in 21 years ) I had to chuck roughly a bajillion of these in the trash. Didn't have time to destroy them, so we'll see what happens.

 

[scotchandcigar]

Dislike: When you see someone who reminds you of somebody else but you can't think of who it is

That seems to happen more often as we get older.

 

[scotchandcigar]

Today I'm going to change it up, and post about 2 products I like!

Like: I know it seems odd to be so enthusiastic about a beard trimmer, but this Philips-Norelco Wet & Dry trimmer is like the Cadillac of trimmers.



It's as solid as a tank, and fits nicely in the hand. And it's crazy quiet; just a hushed hum. It came with many more attachments than shown here, but I mostly use the one with the rotary adjustment knob. It easily provides a precision, uniform, painless trim. Plus, I got it for Father's Day, charged it once, and it's still running on the same charge! I believe this is the 7000 model, which is $65. It replaces the annoyingly buzzy, flimsy, poorly working Wahl that I had.

Like: This Outdoor Master Shark 3 pump for inflatable kayaks and paddleboards is in a class of its own.



There's a backstory to this. Many years ago, Mrs. Scotch and I had a pair of rigid kayaks, and a Toyota Tacoma pickup to haul them around in. When she changed to a wagon/SUV, we tried using a roof-mount double kayak holder, and it was way too hard for us aging folks to hoist and secure two substantial kayaks up that high. Aside from that, she got into stand-up paddleboarding (SUP), and she found that it's much easier to secure a rigid SUP on the roof. She even bought a proper holder.

As for me, as much as I like the concept of the SUP - it looks easy to paddle and enjoyable - I do not do yoga (Mrs. Scotch does); and so it's not possible for me to get out on the water while kneeling on the board, and then stand up while moving on a river or lake. And even if I could, I wouldn't be able to remain standing if I encountered anything that might jostle the board.

So I got an inflatable kayak. But being my first one, I've learned what's good and bad about it. It's a little like a pontoon boat - the sides are kind of big and high, making paddling harder than if the sides were lower. This is a "sit-in" type, not a "sit-on" one. And then there's the inflating, deflating, carrying, rolling-up into the bag, etc. It's not light; it's like 40 lbs. (Mrs. Scotch's rigid SUP is 26). It came with a hand-pump. It only needs to go to 3 psi, but between carrying and pumping, I'm spent before I even get out on the water. I became reluctant to use it, and then the hand pump started leaking.

I then started looking at alternatives, and I found that there are inflatable, sit-on-top kayaks that are very rigid. They use "drop-stitch" construction, whatever that means. Anyway, the one I plan on getting inflates to 10 psi, making it about as rigid as a solid kayak. But I'd want to get a good electric pump. Nowadays, you can get a pump that's battery-powered, so it doesn't need the 12V outlet from a car.

And that's where the OM Shark 3 comes in. It's been out for about a year, and it's twice as fast as any other pump. It'll pump-up my future kayak in 3 minutes, where every other pump takes 7. It has 2 motors. Right now, I'm using it on my current kayak, and it pumps each side in about 30 seconds. And you can program the psi limit; when it hits it, it shuts off. So if any of you have inflatable recreational gear, get this pump.

 

[Madison]

Like: I picked up a Cookie Crumbl Chocolate Chip 4 Pack for 9.99 on Tuesday. Advertised on You Tube.
They are big though.

 

[sadchild]

my future kayak

Sounds like an alt rock band name

 

[HecticArt]

It replaces the annoyingly buzzy, flimsy, poorly working Wahl that I had.

My Wahl is on its last leg. It's probably 12 or 14 years old, but was never awesome.
I'll give the Philips a try.

 

[scotchandcigar]

Dislike: Bulk item warehouse stores, like BJ's, Costco, and Sam's Club

We joined Costco. We like the company, and the way they treat their employees. And the warehouse stores are clean and orderly. Plus, they have a good snack bar. A slice of their cheesy pizza will keep you full for hours, and they still have the $1.50 giant hot dog + soda.

But I don't like buying stuff from there. Mrs. Scotch likes the convenience of being able to buy a 3-month supply of toilet paper in one shot. And some of the meats are good. However, I'm not a fan.

Many of their items are name brand only, such as vitamins, pain relievers, mouthwash, etc. And they package everything in bulk - it's multiple large bottles connected together. You might save 10% over the same item at the supermarket. But I can get store brand pills and mouthwash for 50% less. So it's not saving us anything, yet we have to deal with these ridiculously large packages, and storage for the multi-pack items.

I have a splash of cranberry juice in my ice water, all day, everyday. So we bought Ocean Spray cranberry juice cocktail. But instead of the regular, 64 ounce bottle, we had to buy the 2-pack of 96 ounce bottles. I had to lower the top shelf in our refrigerator just to fit the bottle. And it weighs 6 pounds, so it's not fun to pour a little bit into my glass.

I don't like being forced to buy such large quantities of everything. I'm sure some of the stuff people buy goes bad before they use it. And you're not really getting much of a deal. And in our case, we have to drive a half-hour to get there.

 

[Wolf]

At least once a week for the last 20 years I get a junk mail from AAA trying to get me to buy life insurance from them.

Get a freaking clue!

OMG, I get that all-time it's so frickin' annoying!

 

[IdRatherBeSkiing]

What I disliked most about Costco is the crowds and the sea of humanity that descends on them. And bargain hunters are probably right next to child killers in the hierarchy of humanity. I was a member for a while because my wife loved it. She also didn't like the crowds but loved going up and down the aisles and seeing all the stuff they had to offer. Living in an apartment we weren't really able to take advantage of a lot of the savings but we got cokes (which I would never drink a generic cola anyways) and toilet paper in bulk and whatever else caught her fancy.