Posted 7/06/2007 05:27:00 AM by Douglas

As a victim of credit card cloning, I'm always very aware when my card leaves my sight. However, I've used these new table card readers at a brew pub in Albuquerque, and they're a huge pain in the ass.

It's become routine for customers to swipe their credit or debit cards at consoles in fast-food joints, gas stations and grocery stores. So why do we still hand over the plastic at sit-down restaurants?

Pay-at-the-table systems are popular in Europe and other parts of the world, but they haven't yet caught on in the U.S., largely because equipment makers haven't been able to point to a reason why restaurateurs should invest in the gear.

Manufacturers now see an opportunity. A rise in the number of "skimming" scams in which waiters use hand-held computers to quietly record customers' credit card information and sell it is creating a sense of urgency. So is an increased push by managers to speed the flow of diners during peak hours.

Here's what I find annoying about it: When you're ready to pay, instead of the waitress taking your card, returning with your check, and then leaving, she now has to go get the machine, bring it to your table, and wait for you to decide what kind of tip you're going to leave for her, all while she's standing right there! If I want to discuss with my other diners the possibility of her thumb slipping into my mashed potatoes when she brought my food or the possibility of my thumb slipping between her big fake boobs as a determination of her gratuity, I can't do so without the conversation becoming really, really awkward.

So who knows. Are people less likely to totally stiff their server if they're standing right there, tapping their toe? Probably. I'm sure they'll be everywhere in about six months.