Another Self-Checkout Adventure

In "Do I Have a Choice?" (posted 9/19/10), I described my ambiguous relationship with the self-checkout lane at Giant -- ambiguous because although the user pad asks for my opinion on the final purchase total ("Amount Okay?), it never actually listens to my response ("No, amount is not okay; take off 25-50%").

Yesterday the register offered its own opinion when I mistyped a produce code (I didn't need to look it up; I just copied it off the item's sticker). I caught my error and hit "clear." Before I even had a chance to begin retyping the correct number, I was greeted with a high-pitched, electronic "Oops!" I quickly looked around; no one seemed to have heard that disparaging squeal. I could have sworn that voice was mocking me.

Then I purposely entered the incorrect code for another piece of produce and hit "clear" again. Silence. Hmm... I tried again. No chiding voice. Was I hearing things? Was I going crazy? I wasn't going to dignify that scolding with my own response. Amount not okay (too high as usual) but I'll stay quiet and pay it anyway.