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Comment by solardev | Hacker News Reader

I really like the venues that have two check-in lines, the fast lane that just scans your QR code and the old fashioned one. It works at airports, grocery stores, museums, the DMV, etc.

Got the digital stuff all done beforehand? Good boy, you can go through the quicker line.

Want to do it old school and talk to someone? Fine, here you go, but it's going to take 3x longer.

That system incentivizes the more efficient approach, enticing people to learn the digital ropes so they don't have to wait in line as long. But it also doesn't exclude the people who don't or can't do so.

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I found that the "old fashioned" is often faster actually, because most people are in the "QR queue" and the "old fashioned queue" tends to have much fewer people. Plus, I don't need to create an account, unsubscribe from their marketing emails, get twice-yearly ToS update emails, and stuff like that, so I'll save annoyance on that too.

While they're incentivizing me to learn the ropes and be more efficient, I'm secretly incentivizing them either to respect my privacy by accepting cash payments or to compensate me with a discount for giving up some of my personal information. I wonder which of us will learn the ropes sooner.

On a more general note, I prefer to tell people that I'm too old for newfangled stuff like smartphones, because I prefer the reaction of condescending reassurance to the alternative of hostility evoked by saying I've made an informed decision not to own one.

I respect that. I often wish I had the courage/self-discipline to give up my cell phone.

It's only efficient for the company. I have to fill a bunch of forms instead of handing someone money and getting a ticket.

I just do it in the car or whatever so it's more like a quick scan and enter once you're there.

Taken to the extreme, you have membership based check ins like Clear at airports or the Amazon grocery store stuff or any gym that scans your barcode when you go in.

I don't think it's fair to say it's only for the company's benefit. On my own device, autofilling saved info, I'm often faster than the person behind the desk.

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