Most grocery stores (and Wal-mart) weigh the items still unscanned (usually on the left side). Once an item is scanned, its weight is subtracted from the “unscanned” side and added to the total weight of the “bagged/scanned” side. These two must counter-balance or you get the “please place item in bag” request over and over.

These hacks are worthless on all but the most outdated and basic of machines and/or the most apathetic and non-caring store employees.

Another example for you: How many users do you know that write down their computer passwords when the rules for passwords become too difficult for them to remember?

It’s the “people” factor that is the variable with regards to how effective any such measures could ever be.

Of course, I went back another time and went thru the self checkout, scanned the two items I hadn’t paid for on my previous trip, paid cash, then went back into the store and left the cart there. I had never really intended to steal anything. I just had a wild hair and decided to see if it would work. If I’d been caught, the two items were on the bottom of the cart, and all I had to do was feign Mom-brain and that I’d forgotten to scan them.

Another scam, by the way, is coupons. Some stores are somewhat wise, in that I can’t scan a Swiffer coupon when I haven’t bought a Swiffer. I can, however, scan the $7 coupon off a new Swiffer WetJet when all I bought was a pack of $4 refills. The system only recognizes the “family” of items, I guess, not the individual ones. I have to admit that I’ve done this, through both the self checkout and the regular checkout.