Self-checkout rant. Agree or disagree?

[Orrex]

87. Forgive me if I'm a bit jaded on this subject

People have been complaining about self-checkout for years, with the complaints tending toward the hyperbolic. And comments like “where’s my paycheck?” sound about as out of touch as yelling “get a horse” at a guy in his automobile machine.

I've seen it asserted here and elsewhere that a brief delay at a store’s exit qualifies as unlawful detention in violation of civil liberties. People likewise conflate “may I see your receipt?” with “you’re under arrest.” So when I see claims like “they’re checking every item in every cart” (as I’ve seen before) or that these cases often wind up in court, I’m inclined to ask a follow up.

“Often” is a hard case to make, notwithstanding one example in Tucson two years ago. I don’t doubt that errors occur or that these accusations are often driven or compounded by incompetence, malice, or profiling. If these are common or widespread, I suspect that the ACLU or similar groups will soon be looking into the matter.