Barcodes and Scanners
Welcome to Modern Shopping
Prices were once printed
On each item on the shelves
Of every local grocery store
So customers could read their costs
All by themselves.
Then, on day for their convenience
And for inventory to track,
Barcodes and scanners replaced the prices;
Consumers still hope they'd bring them back.
At first the stores assured us
That item pricing would remain,
But within the first year
It became quite clear
That marking each item
Provided them no motivating profit gain.
Gone the way of the dinosaurs
And carbon paper
Those little stickers were no more.
We needed to trust a tag on the shelf
And the scanner programmed by the store.
In a large shopping order
It compromises our good sense
To believe that the programmed information
Is not wrong at our expense.
The past is not apt to return
In ways we'd like to see;
The barcodes and the scanners
Are irrelevant
When something is free.
Published by David A. Reinstein, LCSW - Featured Contributor in Technology
Clinical Social Worker, psychotherapist, born in Boston and a relatively unscathed survivor of the 60 s. Fan of technology, guitars, creating music and poetry. Mental wellness coach, staff trainer and parent... View profile
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18 Comments
Post a CommentYou're on target with this one. I'm not too thrilled about the barcodes either. Great poem, David.
I don't buy what is unmarked. When I say that, I don't necessarily mean each individual piece, but if there is no price posted anywhere. If that is the case, I invariably let the store "keep it."
...And now we have QR codes for smart phones... great work, David, thanks!
Did you hear about the woman who sued Walmart over a $.02 discrepancy on an item. She won too.
:)
Sometime they come in handy, because it is hard to find assistance when you need it.
cool
I usually try to keep an eye out for discrepancies at the register, but sometimes I get distracted.
:)
They are only as good as the programmer is.......have been had a few times.