ain’t technology wonderful

Fresh from the “ain’t technology wonderful” file.......
Proof yet again that gizmos are more likely to be technically-challenged than the driver.

“Uh-ohhhhhh,” Linda said. “Another prescription to refill. Seems that’s always a shot-in-the-dark.”
“Welcome to Rite-Aid Pharmacy’s fantabulous automated off-hour prescription-refill service. We are presently closed, but still taking orders. If you know the number of your prescription, please press ‘one’ now.”
Boop!
“Using the touchtone keypad, please enter your prescription-number which is in the upper left corner of the label in the pink shaded area.”
Zero-one-six-one-nine. Zero-four-seven-four-four-nine-nine.
“The number you entered is 01619-0474499. If this is kerreck, please press ‘one’ now.”
Boop!
“Please wait during the silence while we verify your prescription.” (Boom-chicka-boom-chicka-boom-chicka-boom-chicka......)
“Your prescription will be refilled.” Whew; so far so good.
“Please enter a telephone-number, including area-code, where the pharmacist can contact you if there is a question.”
Five-eight-five-seven-two-one-five-four-five-eight.
“721-5458 is not a valid telephone-number.”
“Oh for crying out loud. Of course it ain’t. You’re deleting my area-code, which I entered.”
“Please leave message after the tone for the pharmacist.”
“Oh great! The punitive Granny message. You’re not even letting me say the phone-number was incorrect, which you used to do.”
I give up. To the Rite-Aid to initiate the prescription, which “didn’t take;” and then back to pick it up.
I buy gas at the gas-station yesterday from a pay-at-the-pump.
“Want a receipt?” it asks.
“Yes,” I respond.
Nothing!
“Receipt error.”
Into the store to get a receipt the fantabulous gizmo didn’t supply as requested.
Into the store 40% of the time.
You can’t tell me I’m technically-challenged when the gizmos screw up.
So Jack and I go to the mighty Sheetz in Altoony to get subs.
Sheetz has a touch-screen for ordering subs.
“Hey, I’d like to try that,” I say.
“I speak English!” the bluster-boy loudly barges in.
The counter-help tremble and shake at the presence of a loud macho wannabee.
He bellows a sub-order at them, and they have to translate it into a ‘pyooter-printout I could have generated at the gizmo.
I wasn’t able to try the gizmo until I visited the mighty Curve myself, and I of course succeeded.
“I speak English” about 10 minutes.
Gizmo five.
Was the almighty Bluster-King intimidated or confused by the gizmo?

(At the Rite-Aid today, the pharmacist said their vaunted automated off-hour prescription-refill service had bombed quite a few people last night.)

“Linda” is my wife of nearly 40 years.

RE: “punitive Granny message;” the message old people get when they can’t deal with technology: “Please leave message after the tone for the pharmacist.”

RE: “Into the store 40% of the time.....” 40% of the time I fiddle a gizmo, it bombs; in which case I hafta go into the store. (Once a gas-pump was showing me hieroglyphics.) —Three trips to Rite-Aid: “thank you for your patience, Mr. Hughes.”

Jack, (“the bluster-boy;” also “the almighty Bluster-King”) is my all-knowing, blowhard brother-in-Boston, who noisily badmouths everything I do or say.

“Sheetz” is a very successful chain of convenience-stores based in Altoona (“Altoony”), Pa. They also sell gasoline.

The reason for going to Altoona, Pa. is Horseshoe Curve (the “mighty Curve”), west of Altoona, Pennsylvania, by far the BEST railfan spot I have ever been to. Horseshoe Curve is a national historic site. It was a trick used by the Pennsylvania Railroad to get over the Allegheny mountains without steep grades. Horseshoe Curve was opened in 1854, and is still in use. (I am a railfan.)