At first thought, it seems like a rather simple thing. You find yourself in the checkout lane at a supermarket with a cart full of groceries and other assorted items of all sizes and types.
 |
| PAID, Thank You! |
The checkout person
faithfully passes every one of your purchases over the glass of the cash
register’s laser-beam scanner.
The point-of-sale computer
works flawlessly as it tallies your order, presents you with the total, whereupon
you swipe a piece of plastic that has become a substitute for cash, and you close
out the transaction. Done.
Perhaps – as I have until recently
– you never gave a second thought to
those little orange and black stickers which read PAID, Thank You that the cashier
dutifully makes sure get glued to certain bulky items.
