a nation of yes men

originally posted July 29, 2006
In the check-out line at Hannaford’s, I swiped my debit card and followed the instructions as usual. Do you want cash back? Is this amount correct? I pressed the digital "yes" box on the screen. But it was hard to see clearly. That square inch or so of display had been rubbed dull by so many agreeable fingers. It was almost opaque. I checked the other card screens on the way out. Same thing. The "yes" side was worn down; the "no" side gleaming. I think that may be part of our problem. Not enough people saying no.