More reflections

 

December 5 2024

Haneda Airport, Tokyo

Boy ! I was in a foul mood yesterday. What set me off was the hotel check-in here at the airport.

There is a ritual, a rhythm to checking in. You wait in line and then the desk clerk acknowledges you and you step up to the counter to a smile and you had over your documents, passport, drivers license, concealed pistol permit, whatever. Make a couple sentences of small talk as the clerk types mysterious information into a keyboard. Then they hand you back your identification and the key to your room and thank you.

I was waiting in line to check in and the woman at the desk insisted I use the automated check-in machine. For fuck sakes! Can’t we even check-in with some human interaction? It was as impersonal as an online purchase. Hell, they might as well just taken my reservation online and emailed me a QR code to scan at my room’s door.

It has been since leaving the ship 10 days ago that I have had any communication with another human for more than 3 sentences and those were mostly five words maximum. you go to the 7-11 to buy a bottle of water. The clerk scans the item then points to a gizmo at the side, where you dump coins and insert bills. Then you have to press that yes that the cash you put in was right and the machine spits out a receipt and your change. It could be even less if you put your magic bus app watch to the IC glass. This is the way it is in almost all transactions. I mentioned in that restaurant a day or two ago, that the restaurant wanted me to use their app to order the meal. At the end of the meal, when paying for the meal, it was 7-11 check out again. Then there was the ubiquitous meal ordering, where you press a button next to the food you want and are given a receipt with a number on it. The number comes up, you pick up your food from a counter.

Two things come of at me from this rant. 

1) I am more of a Luddite than I thought I was. 

2) I am less of a loner than I thought I was.