Resist rise of the machines
Dear Editor, With regards to the current proposal which could see East Kilbride Travel Centre open just one day a week (Commuters take a stand on cutback plan, March 22).
Businesses and organisations are full steam ahead when it comes to getting computers and machines to carry our jobs done by real people.
However, I’m not particularly sure this is a good thing and the speed of change concerns me greatly.
Not only that but what if on-site machines aren’t working or unable to accept your method of payment?
Such a problem happened to me recently at a railway station. I attempted to buy a ticket from a machine but credit and debit cards could not be used and it wouldn’t accept one of the new £5 notes I inserted. It was a real one – honest!
Off I went to queue up at the kiosk to be served by a real person.
And that’s another issue in this debate: businesses want people to use machines as they help reduce costs, in that fewer people need to be employed or on shift.
Take your local supermarket. There are far fewer checkout staff these days, with shoppers encouraged to use the self-scan facilities.
I think we need to take stock here. Yes, there is room for machines and people but at the moment it seems as if doing everything by machine is the grand plan.
That would not be good for society in my opinion. Shall we make our voices heard? I’m interested to know if other people are as concerned as me. Name and address supplied