grocery-store interface question

[cellio]

[I posted this and then edited it, and the edit attempt failed with just "error" and the post disappeared. Maybe it's really gone; maybe it's not.]

Today, as I approached the checkout lines with a dozen bagels, my salad, and a few other things, I found myself wondering about the specification of "12 items or fewer". (Fewer! They actually said "fewer" instead of "less"!) I assume they do not mean 12 individual items no matter how packaged, else you could never go through with a case of pop or a bag of potato chips. So do they mean 12 scannable things, or 12 items at the smallest unit size sold? Would my dozen bagels be ok in a pre-packaged bag with a UPC symbol but not if the clerk had to type in "12 @ [price]"? Or is the fact that it generates a single line on the receipt what matters?

These thoughts brought to you by "total items: 20" on my receipt, a need to maintain my reputation as a pedant, a desire to test posting by email, and caffeine deficiency. :-)

Comments

[galiana-db.livejournal.com]

I see both on my friends page. Interesting post. :)

[gnomi.livejournal.com]

Not gone; I just commented over on that one. :-)

[hobbitblue.livejournal.com]

I htink its the how many things to scan, the wait at checkouts seems to be linked mainly with how many items have to be physically dragged over the beeping thing (I'm really good with these technical terms, notice? :> ). So a bag full of stuff count as one item whether prepackaged or not, but I guess if you picked up 2 limes and didn't bother to bag them they'd count individually...

The thing I hate most is trying to count however many you've got (and interestingly its 10 items here normally) when you're half-asleep and have several little things and you get 9 the first time and 11 the next. Or maybe that's just my own personal brand of dumb showing? :>

[zare-k.livejournal.com]

I usually translate "item" as "thing that must be scanned/coded". So your 12 bagels count as one item. I usually count something like n loose bottles of soda as n items, even though they could be treated as n x 1 scan.