We used to be able to buy things in this country

Many decades ago, humans developed a process by which they could go into a store, pick an item off the shelf, and pay for it at the checkout counter. A few years ago, we lost it. Now you ring a buzzer, wait for an overworked employee to unlock an item that costs $5.99, and navigate the emotional complications of feeling like both a suspected criminal and an entitled ass.

Usually, i would try to come up with a kitschy comeback to the quoted passage. On this one, I got nothing. Because this is real.