This Post was Automatically Generated...by ME
Everything these days seems automatic. I can go into a bathroom, flush the toilet, turn on the tap, dispense soap, get paper towels and leave the room all without touching anything. I swear we get lazier every day. That or more germophobic.
There are automatic doors everywhere. Being a mom with a mammoth stroller, I look for these everywhere! They are really handy, and I even get frustrated if there is no auto door at a store. But what happens when they break down?
I was at a store with someone (who will not be named) who walked onto one of those mats that triggers the door to open. It didn't open. Instead of pushing it open, she turned to me with her jaw dropped and said, "What do we do?".
The auto doors where I work are CONSTANTLY breaking down. Sometimes they open fast and then slow down so abruptly that I've actually run into them (more times that I'm going to admit). Sometimes they won't open and can't be pushed open. Sometimes they won't close. Sometimes they close before you're through. But more often than not, they are wrapped in yellow "caution tape". I'm sure they have a full time staff member to fix the stupid things because I'm not kidding you, I see him there at least 2 times a week. Might as well pay a doorman to operate it. At least then you'd get a friendly "hi" out of it.
This morning I was pleasantly surprised to see said doors opening up while I was still 10 feet away from them. They opened at a nice even speed, stayed open while I walked through them, and shut AFTER I had passed. I was in shock. I've worked here for HOW LONG and this is the first time the doors have worked properly?? I wonder how long this automatic bliss will last?
This brought me to realize that I don't think automation will ever completely take the place of humans.
Take my job as another example.
Without boring you with too many data details, there are many "automatic" transfers that happen here from network to network, database to database. And I spend approximately 1 - 1.5 hours PER DAY making sure that the computer transfers things correctly.
Guess what? It doesn't. I have to change about 40% of the data that was "automatically transferred" because it is either incorrect or incomplete. I do have better things to do...
...like go to a meeting now to discuss these problems.
There are automatic doors everywhere. Being a mom with a mammoth stroller, I look for these everywhere! They are really handy, and I even get frustrated if there is no auto door at a store. But what happens when they break down?
I was at a store with someone (who will not be named) who walked onto one of those mats that triggers the door to open. It didn't open. Instead of pushing it open, she turned to me with her jaw dropped and said, "What do we do?".
The auto doors where I work are CONSTANTLY breaking down. Sometimes they open fast and then slow down so abruptly that I've actually run into them (more times that I'm going to admit). Sometimes they won't open and can't be pushed open. Sometimes they won't close. Sometimes they close before you're through. But more often than not, they are wrapped in yellow "caution tape". I'm sure they have a full time staff member to fix the stupid things because I'm not kidding you, I see him there at least 2 times a week. Might as well pay a doorman to operate it. At least then you'd get a friendly "hi" out of it.
This morning I was pleasantly surprised to see said doors opening up while I was still 10 feet away from them. They opened at a nice even speed, stayed open while I walked through them, and shut AFTER I had passed. I was in shock. I've worked here for HOW LONG and this is the first time the doors have worked properly?? I wonder how long this automatic bliss will last?
This brought me to realize that I don't think automation will ever completely take the place of humans.
Take my job as another example.
Without boring you with too many data details, there are many "automatic" transfers that happen here from network to network, database to database. And I spend approximately 1 - 1.5 hours PER DAY making sure that the computer transfers things correctly.
Guess what? It doesn't. I have to change about 40% of the data that was "automatically transferred" because it is either incorrect or incomplete. I do have better things to do...
...like go to a meeting now to discuss these problems.
posted by Nancy @ 12:56 PM
2 Comments:
Loved your post, I could totally see your excitement at the properly working door!
I'm mean. I get my blog up and running again and I'm checking it every day to see if I've got traffic, but then I forget to check the other blogs out there that I should be supporting. Like yours.
Great post. Your story of the nameless person and the automatic door reminds me of one I heard about a woman who discovered in a parking lot that the battery had died in her wireless entry key for her car. After calling someone to come and help, they asked if she had her keys with her. "Yes" she said, handing them over, "but the battery is dead, so they won't work." The helpful person walked over to the car, inserted the key in the lock, and unlocked the door.
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