Posted on: Tuesday, July 20, 2004

COMMENTARY
Chill when computer acts up

By John M. Moran
Hartford (Conn.) Courant

Some forms of technology have become so effective and reliable, we forget they even exist — until something goes wrong.

I experienced a case in point recently when I approached the checkout lanes at the supermarket. Moments after I got in line, the scanners that read the bar codes on the groceries simply stopped working.

The effect was almost immediate. Customers who had been moving smoothly through the checkout process suddenly started backing up.

Supermarket clerks seemed baffled. Today's groceries don't bear prices, so it seemed impossible for them to ring up purchases by hand.

But the most interesting reactions came from my fellow shoppers. Virtually everyone was a bit frustrated by the delay. Evening was approaching. Many of the shoppers had stopped to buy groceries for dinner.

Beyond that, reactions were remarkably varied.

Some folks simply resigned themselves to an unexpected and unavoidable holdup. Most of these people grabbed for magazines and caught up on the doings of the rich and careless.

Other shoppers were angered. How dare the computers stop working? This delay is unacceptable! Several of these shoppers abandoned their carts and stalked from the supermarket in a huff.

Another group seemed more philosophical. They joked with each other and speculated about how long it might last.

One man, fearing that his package of Popsicles might melt before the checkout problem was resolved, began passing out the treats to others waiting in line.

I never did find out exactly what went wrong. But whatever the problem was, it was fixed with relative ease. In about 10 minutes, the checkout process had resumed its normal, frantic pace.

That left me marveling at the ways people react to a minor technological inconvenience.

Sure, it's annoying to find yourself delayed unexpectedly at the supermarket. And the uncertainty about the length of delay doesn't make things any easier.

But much longer delays were routine at checkout time before scanners became supermarket fixtures. An occasional glitch is a small price to pay for the convenience.

As computers occupy increasing roles in daily affairs, you'll probably run into your own glitch and delay. When you do, take a cue from the supermarket crowd. Instead of getting steamed, grab a magazine. Or, hand out Popsicles.