New Technology

Have you got the knack?

At the Avalon you get two keys one for the front door and one for the room. At a bigger, swankier joint, you get a card with holes punched in it, or with a chip like a credit card.

One drawback is that your room number is not always printed on the card - these things are recharged or reprogrammed by the front desk check-in staff so presumably they are interchangeable.

This is OK if you have a good memory. I'm usually OK because I don't stay away much so if I'm in room 236 I'll remember it as the last time I stayed in room 326 but that was 4 years ago and in a different hotel / country. But what if you travel daily and have to remember each day a new room number especially as big hotels have a frightening similarity to each other? Getting up for the loo in the dark is never a problem because the facilities are usually in identical places (don't quote me on this, though!).

And there's 'The Knack'. Tom just slots the card in and expects the lock to release - oh no! It's a quick flick in and out before that reassuring green light or click to say you can get in. Give me a key any day. Even if I have to leave it behind reception because it's got something akin to a ship's anchor attched to it - so be it.

And while where on technology - shopping. Argos 'pay by machine' is good. My record in and out of the store at Brighton is under 2 minutes. Remember those days when your number was 479 from point A and the current one on the screen was 132? It all seems quicker now.

But supermarket checkouts I'm afraid are just a bit too complicated. I just commented on the BBC website about these but basically to be asked 'Please Put Your Item In The Bagging Area' when you have already lobbed it in twice with the force of a fast bowler is a tad annoying.

And why are there so many items unrecognised? I felt I'd tried to put a whole load of Waitrose groceries through the ADSA checkout.

So rest assured - your key at the Avalon will be a proper key and so that your fruit is not bruised I'll go through the human channel at the shop.

Have a wonderful Christmas everyone. Now there's a thought - imagine being one of those people you see with a trolley in the supermarket just before Christmas who have obviously shopped for a local army base of about 300 soldiers. Then to get that lot through self-service ... somebody please try!