Automation

I am all for technology. I love when things are easier, more streamlined. It makes sense. I am not a technophobe. But, at the expense of sounding like an old fogy, I am going to rant a little about all of this new fangled crap that isn't working for me.

You go to the store now and there is a self checkout line. I consider myself a pretty intelligent person, yet every time I use this line, I get furiously angry. The damn computer is always yelling at me to place my item in the bagging area and when I do, it still seems unsatisfied. I pick up the bag while paying and the thing says, "Place your items in the bagging area." I scream, "Shut the HELL up!" in my mind.

Yesterday, I tried calling Lucas' GI doctor about his lack o' weight and my concern about it. I got dumped into a phone tree. "Press 1 to schedule an appointment, Press 2 to call about a prescription, Press 3 for an anal probe." You know the routine. I waited patiently for the instructions to leave a message for the doctor or doctors assistant. It seemed to take 5 minutes of listening to the stupid, unrelated prompts to get there. Finally, I pressed 4 as instructed and was immediately disconnected. Well, shit. I called back and was dumped into the main mailbox..."if you know your parties extension, press it now, otherwise enter the parties last name using the keypad." My doctor wasn't in the system. I called back. There was no prompt to talk to a REAL person, so I dialed the appointment desk. Surely, they can direct me. And wouldn't you know it, the freakin' person's voice mail came on! I left a message and never heard back. What ever happened to customer service? Where is this world headed?

Everything is becoming automated and it is starting to royally piss me off. Where are the real people these days? Oh wait...they are stuck in the self checkout line being yelled at to place their items in the bagging area.

Maybe I hate technology. It keeps my husband in the office after I go to bed almost every night. Damn computers.