I think the point, and the reason I use them frequently, is speed of
checkout and convienience. I've been using the one at my local grocery
store for 3 years now, and was overjoyed to see them pop up at my local
BORG.


Agreed.....this is particularly true if you only have a few items. Getting
stuck behind someone's entire weekend project can be frustrating. Also, the
self-checkout machines don't tend to get caught up in casual conversations
while a half dozen people wait in line