Inflation: Official Rate vs. Observed Rate

[CaptTom]

@Yipper took the words right out of my mouth (or keyboard, as the case may be.)

I don't consider myself the arbitrator of who should and shouldn't have a job. I'll happily push the buttons on the elevator myself, without any guilt about all the elevator operators I'm putting out of work. Nor do I worry that I use self-stick envelopes, ending the careers of sealing wax makers. That electric street light in front of my house put wick trimmers right out of work. We could go on listing obsolete jobs all day.

The point is, these "good old days" jobs weren't always so good, nor was society any better because of them. At least, not compared to today. "Saving" cashiers would make no more sense than saving any of those other jobs.

Finally, I've lost jobs before, and also survived a number of rounds of layoffs. Nobody cried for me or my co-workers. Nobody was willing to pay more at the register to save our jobs. I, and everyone else I knew who was fired or laid off, dusted ourselves off and went looking for a new job. That's even easier these days.

 

[Gumby]

@Yipper took the words right out of my mouth (or keyboard, as the case may be.)

I don't consider myself the arbitrator of who should and shouldn't have a job. I'll happily push the buttons on the elevator myself, without any guilt about all the elevator operators I'm putting out of work. Nor do I worry that I use self-stick envelopes, ending the careers of sealing wax makers. That electric street light in front of my house put wick trimmers right out of work. We could go on listing obsolete jobs all day.

The point is, these "good old days" jobs weren't always so good, nor was society any better because of them. At least, not compared to today. "Saving" cashiers would make no more sense than saving any of those other jobs.

Finally, I've lost jobs before, and also survived a number of rounds of layoffs. Nobody cried for me or my co-workers. Nobody was willing to pay more at the register to save our jobs. I, and everyone else I knew who was fired or laid off, dusted ourselves off and went looking for a new job. That's even easier these days.

You seem to be mighty worked up about my personal preference. If you want to use the auto checkout, go right ahead. I'll continue to go to the cashier.

 

[Koolau]

You seem to be mighty worked up about my personal preference. If you want to use the auto checkout, go right ahead. I'll continue to go to the cashier.

Heh, heh, I'll be the old guy in front of you with 27 small personal-care items that made it look like it was a good line to get into. At least I won't use exact change, so there's that. YMMV

 

[jollystomper]

I don't use self check because people should have a job doing that. I don't care if I have to pay a little more so they can. It's good for society.

Not saying there is anything wrong with that. But two things I have noticed in my area:

1) The places with self-checkout usually still have several employees working the self checkout area, assisting those who have problems, helping to load carts if needed, scanning items too large to be lifted and scanned, etc. So it is not a complete net loss of employees jobs.

2) I spoke to one store manager who mentioned that the self check frees up employees to become shelf stockers, which pays more than the cashier position, particularly given the employment shortage (every grocery store in my area is advertising for workers). So sometimes automation reducing the lower paying jobs provides more opportunities for higher paying. Not all the time, but something to consider.

 

[Gumby]

Heh, heh, I'll be the old guy in front of you with 27 small personal-care items that made it look like it was a good line to get into. At least I won't use exact change, so there's that. YMMV

I'm retired. I've got all the time in the world.

 

[John Galt III]

^^^^

Oh, and I HATE paying for bags! YMMV

My local ethnic food store started charging 5 cents per bag a month ago. I told them I didn't want a bag, (only a few items) and they took off the 5 cent charge, and I just held the items in my hands. Luckily I had noticed the charge on the screen before I left the register. When I went back to the store today, I was prepared to refuse a bag again, but lo and behold, the 5 cent per bag charge was gone! Hooray! Maybe people complained. Power to the people! By the way, I make good use of the bags as garbage bags. And I shop at Aldi's and reuse my own bag again and again.

 

[GravitySucks]

Should have refused to use this, think of the jobs that would have been saved.

That Step x Step is ancient. I started with Crossbar switching and ended with Ethernet Packet switching.

 

[SecondAttempt]

Imagine my suprise when I got an email with a video about a telephone switch in a thread about inflation!

I'll be brief but there is a major backstory here relate to some current issues. AT&T realized it had to develop an automated switch becase it only hired women operaters and projected that in a few years the availabily of women in the US would limit its growth. They did not even consider there could be male operators.

So this project led to he development of the transistor...

I wonder where we might be if AT&T had not been sexist and considered male operators!

 

[FLSUnFIRE]

The worst part of shopping in person is the check out. I prefer self check out unless I anticipate a problem with pricing/scanning which is pretty rare. Single queue is better (faster) too and most self-checkouts have single queue so you don't get stuck behind that one idiot. Unfortunately, not many places have single queue as people prefer the slower multiple queue that gives the illusion of control as they seethe and eye lane 2 that seems to be moving faster.



My favorite is the SAM's Club app. I scan as I put stuff in the cart (also, never a question on the price if the shelf isn't labeled), pay on my phone as I walk to the exit, a quick scan by the employee working the exit and I'm out. Getting my groceries at SAM's club is faster than running into a convenience store (I rarely browse and buy the same stuff for the most part)!

 

[Hamlet]

I use the self checkout when I have a small number of items that don’t involve produce. I always end up having to wait for an attendant anyway when I have produce because I mess up the process somehow.

If I have a bunch of stuff I want the help bagging and the extra room of a normal checkout line.

 

[karen1972]

I use to be concerned about the checkout people, but with the ongoing trend of shortage of workers, Im over that, now I just see it as increased productivity as workers go do something more useful.

As for the telephone video, it put a smile on my face. My great-aunt use to be a telephone operator. My career was in telecom working on the future generations of that, thank goodness developing the replacement paid way better.

 

[Markola]

It would be just fine with me if I drove up to a warehouse that loaded groceries into my trunk that I’d ordered via the app. That’s basically what the pandemic era has accelerated, happily, for me.

 

[Aerides]

Self-checkout is superior for me at places like the Home Depot, where I usually have just a few items. But the grocery store, where there are too many things that require weight/look-ups, or a bottle of wine that needs someone to come over...it just doesn't save me any time.

Also, Costco seems to work well, but it heavily assisted, even pre-covid, by check out supervisors, to at least keep things moving.

The most annoying is the whole "put the thing in the bagging area!" (yeah no i stocked up on BOGO cases of LaCroix they won't fit). My nearest publix has a new self-checkout but the bagging area is limited to 4 bags, held in stands, with no room for stuff you'd never bag - like a gallon of water or the lacroix boxes. And the whole system stops and flashes if you don't put an item in the bagging area right away.

 

[Chuckanut]

Imagine my suprise when I got an email with a video about a telephone switch in a thread about inflation!

I'll be brief but there is a major backstory here relate to some current issues. AT&T realized it had to develop an automated switch becase it only hired women operaters and projected that in a few years the availabily of women in the US would limit its growth. They did not even consider there could be male operators.

This sounds like we missed an opportunity to end the population explosion. It even might have threatened survival of the species.

 

[2177V]

You'll be able to cherry pick a few things, but if you go by pre-pandemic pricing vs. today, you'll be hard pressed to find decreases. And it's going to get a LOT worse. I stand by that the vast majority of prices are not going to return to pre-pandemic pricing by the time inflation moderates in the years ahead, which could be a while. Open up your pocket book and be prepared to spend more and more.

Yes, so, it's obviously still news to some people.

My wife and I went grocery shopping today and normally the grocery bill is around $190. However, today the clerk rang up $220. Same items as before. My wife was talking to the grocery clerk about the rising prices and the grocery clerk stated that the rising prices are mostly fresh produce such as meat, veggies, fruits. Package and bottled items are generally the same.


You have to be living under a rock not see that overall grocery prices are going up.

 

[Turbo29]

Imagine my suprise when I got an email with a video about a telephone switch in a thread about inflation!

I'll be brief but there is a major backstory here relate to some current issues. AT&T realized it had to develop an automated switch becase it only hired women operaters and projected that in a few years the availabily of women in the US would limit its growth. They did not even consider there could be male operators.

So this project led to he development of the transistor...

I wonder where we might be if AT&T had not been sexist and considered male operators!

I recall reading somewhere in the 1990s or so that if manual call connection were still used (operators with cords) it would require more than the entire population of the US to staff the switchboards and connect the calls.


Edit: Regarding the female operators, I thought the original operators were teenage boys but they goofed around too much.


"Although remembered primarily as a female profession, the first telephone operators who worked for the Bell Telephone Company (later known as American Telephone and Telegraph Company or AT&T) in the 1870s were teenage boys. Unfortunately the boys frequently proved rude and unruly, so young women, believed to be naturally more polite, were hired instead."


https://ethw.org/Telephone_Operators

 

[GravitySucks]

Veering off to the checkout line again....
Self check out is the main reason I don't grocery shop at Wal-Mart. Last two times I was there they had one regular checkout plus a two manning the self checkout kiosk. Every employee acts beaten down and are unhelpful. It's the exact opposite of when I first walked into a Wal-Mart.
Odd that no one but Aldi let's their checkout people sit, yet they're just a fast as anywhere else and friendlier. I read Aldi is test running self checkout. Hope they don't get rid of the clerk, some days that's my only human contact.

Pro tip: If the self checkout is the only reasonable option at Wegmans or Costco buy beer and run it through early in the process. When they come to verify your age give them the frustrated confused old man look, be nice, and they'll finish the checkout for you.

 

[38Chevy454]

Self-checkout is superior for me at places like the Home Depot, where I usually have just a few items. But the grocery store, where there are too many things that require weight/look-ups, or a bottle of wine that needs someone to come over...it just doesn't save me any time.

Also, Costco seems to work well, but it heavily assisted, even pre-covid, by check out supervisors, to at least keep things moving.

The most annoying is the whole "put the thing in the bagging area!" (yeah no i stocked up on BOGO cases of LaCroix they won't fit). My nearest publix has a new self-checkout but the bagging area is limited to 4 bags, held in stands, with no room for stuff you'd never bag - like a gallon of water or the lacroix boxes. And the whole system stops and flashes if you don't put an item in the bagging area right away.

I hate the self checkout and the weight sensing bagging area. I scan and set the item down too quick and the system is telling me to place item in bag. It already is!! But the system won't allow more scanning until it resets. Then add an age restricted item like alcohol, and the checkout monitor has to come to approve.


I personally prefer the regular checkout lines, but will do the self checkout begrudgingly.

 

[Turbo29]

Add Costco to the self-checkout list. They have cut the regular full service lanes back to force customers into the self checkout lanes.

 

[ExFlyBoy5]

Why doesn't someone start a self-checkout thread? I get there is some subject drift in most threads, but this has been pretty egregious.

As to the TOPIC...not only have we seen hefty price increases, the "shrinkflation" (packed goods weight/quantities) has been accelerating.

 

[Koolau]

Why doesn't someone start a self-checkout thread? I get there is some subject drift in most threads, but this has been pretty egregious.

As to the TOPIC...not only have we seen hefty price increases, the "shrinkflation" (packed goods weight/quantities) has been accelerating.

Thread drift after a month and 270 responses seems pretty standard.

I agree that shrinkflation is accelerating. I hate that (almost) more than actual inflation because it shows what marketing people think of us (that we're stupid and easily fooled.)

I noticed a movement a year or two ago to reduce "cartons" of soft drinks from 24 cans to 20 cans. That must have failed as I no longer see any examples of it - at least here locally. YMMV

 

[tb001]

Self-checkout is superior for me at places like the Home Depot, where I usually have just a few items. But the grocery store, where there are too many things that require weight/look-ups, or a bottle of wine that needs someone to come over...it just doesn't save me any time.

Also, Costco seems to work well, but it heavily assisted, even pre-covid, by check out supervisors, to at least keep things moving.

The most annoying is the whole "put the thing in the bagging area!" (yeah no i stocked up on BOGO cases of LaCroix they won't fit). My nearest publix has a new self-checkout but the bagging area is limited to 4 bags, held in stands, with no room for stuff you'd never bag - like a gallon of water or the lacroix boxes. And the whole system stops and flashes if you don't put an item in the bagging area right away.

I wish Costco would just let you use the gun and skip the bag area. Or at a minimum let you preload the bag area with a box so you can easily take stuff back off.

And Costco has been particularly bad with shrinkflation. I’ve caught a number of things in smaller packages.

 

[misanman]

I wish Costco would just let you use the gun and skip the bag area.

Our Costco allows that. I leave the items in the cart and scan with the gun. If I can, I pre-arrange them with the bar code up so I can shoot them fast.

 

[CaptTom]

Thread drift after a month and 270 responses seems pretty standard.

I agree that shrinkflation is accelerating. I hate that (almost) more than actual inflation because it shows what marketing people think of us (that we're stupid and easily fooled.)

OP here. Thread drift is OK by me.

We could probably double the number of posts in this thread, just identifying all the items which seem to get smaller each time we go into the supermarket. It's a huge pet peeve of mine. The sad thing is, the marketing people appear to be correct. Apparently most of my fellow citizens are stupid and easily fooled.

But beyond the insult to our intelligence and our wallets, the worst part is the packaging. Here we are, all trying to be good stewards of the environment by reducing, reusing and recycling, while the manufacturers just keep churning out less product in more packaging every day.

Part of me wants to un-package every product right there in the store, and leave all the trash for THEM to deal with.

 

[Koolau]

Our Costco allows that. I leave the items in the cart and scan with the gun. If I can, I pre-arrange them with the bar code up so I can shoot them fast.

Yeah, our Costco lets you use a gun in the cart. It's the only reason I occasionally use the self-checkout lanes. YMMV