I did something today that I have not done in years - went to see a movie in a theater. Y2K and I both like science fiction (and Mrs. YK hates it), and are fans of the "Predator" franchise, so went to see the latest installment.
This is not about the movie. It's about the process.
First, I worked at a second-run theater when I was in college. They charged $1 admission. Lots of good memories. My how things have changed.
I ordered the tickets online (Fandango). Even picked my seats. I did this years ago, the last time I went to the theater. My son met me there today. No one working the ticket counter, with a sign to get tickets at the concession stand.
No one working to ensure people entering the lobby actually had tickets. No one at the theater rooms either.
I noticed this more and more when I am in airports. The growing number of self-self places where no one is working.
So I guess the amount of loss to theft (or in the case of the movies, non-paying people) is less than the cost of employees to keep it from happening. Chances are good at the theater that the "offender" will buy a soda and food, and that is really where the theaters make their money, so I guess it is still a good deal for them.
It's a shame though (here comes the political part), but with minimum wage so darn high - well above the value most entry-level jobs deliver (especially for teens), automation is the only thing that makes sense. A shame because it deprives young people of the experience that working gives them. Showing up on time, interacting with the public and adult managers, following directions, independent thought - all the stuff most of us started learning as teens with those jobs.
I miss the country I grew up in.
