Wegmans has added self-checkout lines Western New York stores, the Buffalo News’ Samantha Maziarz Christmann wrote Thursday.

The McKinley Parkway and Alberta Drive locations are two of the first locations affected, and Wegmans fortunately hasn’t taken away cashier lines as a result of adding self-checkout lines. Maziarz Christmann details the set-up:

Each store maintains an average of 20 traditional checkout lanes with cashiers when the lanes are open. Stores that implement self-checkout do not lose traditional lanes, she said; the checkout area is expanded to include four shopper-operated lanes.

Williamsville-based Tops Markets introduced self-checkout lines in 1999, and as a summer employee at the East Aurora Tops Markets for four years during my college career, I saw first-hand what a disaster self-checkout lines can be. The scanners can be very sensitive, typing in PLU codes for fruit and vegetables can be confusing and any error the customer or employee makes results in a significant delay, as typically one cashier monitors several self-checkout units.

When we asked our Twitter audience for thoughts this morning, most responses either praised Wegmans’ new introduction, admitted frustration with the nature of self-checkout or just wanted to make us chuckle. Here they are:

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(Header photo courtesy of Flickr / pin add)