The world has changed a whole bunch in the past couple of years, and one of the ways you’ll notice easily is the appearance of self-checkout registers at most stores.

Some people love them, some people hate them, and some people use them even though they resent them – and these 18 people are unloading the good, bad, and ugly below.

18. Oh look it’s me.

I imagine someone with anxiety was relieved to find out they existed, only to be horrified by the even worse circumstance of waiting awkwardly for an attendant.

17. Every dang time.

Unexpected item in the baggage area. Please wait for attendant.

16. In and out.

I like them if I’m just getting a couple of things.

15. The sound will haunt your dreams.

Weigh your…. BANANAS…. place your…. BANANAS…. in the bagging area.

Bananas are code 4011. I hate that I know that.

14. I’ve gotta get to an Aldi’s.

I like em better but I gota say the people at aldis blow through the bagging process, I was like hi and the dudes done, he like get the f**k out of here lol went there last time because I may be a Walmart fugitive

13. It’s a win/lose.

I love self checkouts because I don’t have to talk to anybody. I hate them because they are always talking to me.

12. Just so you know.

As a defense attorney I hate them since so many of my clients have theft cases because they thought they could trick the self checkout machine.

My first conversations with them is usually hearing “oh I was just so distracted I forgot to scan it” or “the scanner messed up.”

Then you get the video and see the person is clearly skip scanning items or acting really shady and bypassing other open machines and picking the self checkout closest to the exit door.

In most cases a store asset protections employee is not going to call the police if you forgot to scan your 24-pack of bottled water on the bottom of the cart after you just spent $200 on groceries. But when the item you “forgot to scan” is a $30 box of Benadryl or some makeup products it just doesn’t look the same way.

11. Why are they like this?

Please remove the item last scanned from the bagging area and scan it again.

Then the same item gets scanned twice and I have to find someone to void the duplicate.

10. Depends on the day.

I like having the option and regularly use it. But not always.

9. The secondhand frustration I feel.

“Please enter number of bags used” presses 3 no response* presses 3 no response* presses 3 no response* “333 bags used”

8. And it depends on what you have in your cart.

if it’s a full cart with produce I’d rather not use self checkout but it’s mostly okay.

7. That’s how the machines win.

(Fifth time) Unexpected item in bagging area.

(Me thinking) If you don’t @#?!ing shut up, I’ll give you an unexpected item in YOUR bagging area.

6. If you like your privacy.

Self checkout works GREAT at the pharmacy/drug store, because everything is small and packaged nicely. Easy to scan, bag if necessary, and bail without interference.

One time an insufferably gossipy cashier took a look at my lube purchase and went WOW LOOKS LIKE YOU’RE GONNA HAVE FUN TONIGHT! at top volume. One of those people with no inside voice and zero boundaries. I was having a terrible anxiety day and dreaded having her check me out already. To this day I fervently hope that the familiar-looking older guy not far in line behind me was not one of my coworkers…

5. Some people like them.

I guess it’s all in the implementation. I’ve seen self checkout registers like these in different countries, but in my own country they’re pretty great.

We have no “bagging areas”. Our checkout registers don’t try to “guess” whether you’re trying to trick it or not. Theft prevention is implemented via random checks by employees. So in most grocery stores you just scan every item like the cashier would, pay, and you’re done.

No waiting in line. And in our biggest grocery store chain, you can take your smartphone through the store, scan and pack products as you go, and then just pay and leave.

4. Some of us are very particular.

I will use them any time I have the chance. Get to bag my stuff the way I want it bagged and don’t have to worry about small talk which I hate.

3. Especially at Target.

Needs more bagging area.

I had to get a Target employee to override an error message because I had nowhere to put the rest of my purchases and I stupidly removed a 12-pack of soda to make more room.

I can get a few packs of soda and maybe three bags on the little platform before I start having to play bagging Tetris.

2. Same as the regular checkout lines, really.

Got behind a lady at Walmart recently. She was very slow scanning her items. Finally time to pay. She dug around in her purse and finally found her wallet. Then looked in 5 compartments in her wallet and pulled out some bills.

Then she closed her wallet and put it back in her purse. Put her money in the machine and guess what? It wasn’t enough money. Back to the purse to look for the wallet, etc. took forever!

Gotta be careful who you get behind.

1. One small caveat.

As long as they don’t require assistance every 5 seconds they are great

I don’t think these are going away anytime soon.

So, I guess we all learn to live with them!