Check it out

Ever wonder why the "service economy" continues to falter? It's not just the slow recovery that's keeping people out of stores. It's also the do-it-yourself nature of those "services."

The Globe highlights the latest "convenience" (aka job killer): self-checkout registers that are growing like weeds in many supermarkets and pharmacies.

I'll admit this is a generational rant. I'm not a fan of paying for my coffee with a debit card and prefer to use cash or checks for many purchases rather than risk the wrath of Citibank and its usurious interest rates.

But I really draw the line at not only having to roam ever-changing supermarket aisles in search of what I want buried behind "manager's specials" only to have to scan and bag my loot then figure out how to get the cranky machine to accept my slightly wrinkled bills.

And I really rebel at the thought of a pharmacy that brings in scanners that require more human oversight than a checkout cashier and then claim it is for better "customer service."

But I suppose I am condemned to rage against the machines. I'm more likely to fade away than this new "service" and I suspect cash isn't all that far behind.

In the spirit of the season just past, all I can say is "Bah, humbug."