A New Class of People

Economist and other financial “experts” are lamenting almost daily about the weeding out of America’s middle class. Now more than ever, they say, you have “it” or you don’t. What exactly “it” is has yet been determined, but I’m guessing they are talking about money. With rising fuel and food costs, double digit foreclosure rates in almost every state of the union, gas prices pushing $3 a gallon or more has “them” saying that we are creating a new class of poor people, consisting mainly of those who were once considered “middle class.”

While I don’t think it is fair that the minimum wage earner has to pay the same amount for gas as someone like E-bone who makes $200 an hour, I say “their” concerns are bullshit. I think that because most people are where they are financially or career wise based on their poor decision making, but that’s a topic of another day.

I think we are creating a class of people where the outlook for them is far more bleak than the new “poor.” That class of people I am talking about is a class of technology illiterate people who failed to see the digital revolution coming. Here’s my point.

In my area, Home Depot and the Wal-Mart in Hampton have installed self-checkout registers. I love those things. That means I can check out quicker, don’t have to stand in line (because most people shy away from self-checkout for some reason), and I don’t have to deal with the types of people who have those jobs. Not that there is anything wrong with them. There is always a need for cashiers, if you know what I mean.

One Farm Fresh now uses bio-metrics for checkout. If you register for it, you have your thumb print scanned, which is tied directly to your bank account or charge card. So when you check out, all you have to do is have your thumb scanned and the amount of your groceries is automatically deducted from your account.

Anheiser-Busch has implemented something similar at its theme parks in Williamsburg. When I try to enter the park(s), I place my season’s pass on this infrared reader, which reads my information from the bar code of the card. I then place my right index finger in the scanner because its print has been tied to my season’s pass information. If my print matches the information on my card, I am allowed in.

So here I stand in the self check-out line at the Hampton Wal-Mart. I watched rather impatiently as these two older women, both in those electric shopping carts, try to check out. First of all, their carts prevented them from being able to reach the products to scan them. They kept calling the attendant over to help. She finally just said “f--- it” to herself and checked them out. Once it was time to pay, they couldn’t reach the credit card scanner to scan their cards and then punch the numbers.

Second incident happened in the same line. This couple, probably early to mid-forties, was scanning their items. For the most part, it was going along smoothly when they had to call the attendant over. I’m not sure why or what was said, but I DID see that all she did to help was to press “OK” on the register screen. A few seconds later, they again had to call her over, to which she responded by once again pressing “OK.” She then had to give them a brief tutorial on how to scan their credit card, punch in the pin number, etc.

And I sat there and wondered “how sad.” So I began to pay attention every time I have gone out since then and I realize that we are surrounded by illiterates who can’t use the simplest technologies.

My in-laws have had their cell phones for almost two years and they still can’t use the voicemail.

A person I work with has a Treo. I sent a text message the other day asking her to bring lunch when she returned. When she arrived without lunch I told I had sent a text message. “what’s that?” she asked. “how do I use it?” to which my response was “how long have you had that Treo again?”

But with every great negative revelation, there is an even greater positive. This class of technology illiteracy will keep me employed for years to come. And it will always give me something to blog about!