When I reached the front of the store, I was thrilled. There were a few open check outs, and I chose one where there was only one person in line ahead of me.
Just my luck. She was paying by check. There's nothing wrong with that. I assumed the woman knew she was going to the supermarket. She could have written most of the check by the time she hit the store. Between the writing and the store's lengthy approval process, it turned out to be a significant time waster.
As I stood there, watching the scene unfold, I started thinking. I honestly could not remember the last time I saw someone in a supermarket or big discount store pay by check. It's either cash, or a quick swipe of the credit/debit card.
I still write a lot of checks, although not in stores. I never really warmed to the electronic transfer process. My cell phone bill comes directly out of a bank account. My cable bill goes on a credit card, and I write out a check for that every month. Why? I get a cash back bonus! Utilities and everything else? I pay by check.
Pardon the "geezer" moment here... Printed newspapers are becoming extinct, and checking accounts will follow. An entire generation is growing up without them.
