Now that we can return Amazon packages at Kohl’s, you’d think it would be a beautiful, seamless addition to our daily lives. You know, the kind of thing that makes you feel like you’ve finally achieved some next-level convenience. But no. What it really does is create a whole new level of frustration—one I didn’t even know existed before this. There I am, standing in line, watching the seconds tick by like I’m waiting for a flight to somewhere I really don’t want to go. The line? Oh, about 20 people deep. Because, of course, once something becomes convenient for everyone, it becomes inconvenient for everyone. Funny how that works, right?
It’s like some cruel paradox where the more convenient the system, the more painful the process. We’ve all been there—shuffling through the line, checking our phones for the 10th time, wondering if the cashier has already seen the entire season of whatever show you’re binge-watching on Netflix. It’s this weird dance where you’re standing there, trapped in a moment that could’ve been avoided, just because a system designed to save time now forces you to waste time.
What I just can’t wrap my head around is the sheer absurdity of the situation. Amazon sends me a package to my house every other hour, but now, I have to physically drag my behind to Kohl’s to return something that showed up at my doorstep? That doesn’t make sense. If they’re already swinging by my house 27 times a day, why can’t they just stop and pick up the package while they’re at it? If anything, they owe me for the inconvenience of having to wait in line with a bunch of other people who all decided, “Hey, why not make this process a group activity?”
Instead, I’m stuck in line, scanning my package like I’m some sort of glorified barcode scanner, and tossing it into a bin that I’m almost convinced is somehow magically going to end up at the Amazon warehouse. Do they really need my $4 ruler back? I honestly don’t know. I’m pretty sure they have warehouses full of random items that no one ever remembers ordering, but here I am, sending back stuff that I couldn’t even give away on eBay for free. And don’t even get me started on the state of Kohl’s itself—the aisles are packed with people like they’re giving away free coffee and donuts.
The reality is, we’ve created this tech-driven world where everything is supposedly easier, but now the process of getting rid of those packages that arrive at our door has somehow become its own exhausting task. We’ve cracked the code on online shopping, but the act of returning something has turned into a logistical nightmare that nobody saw coming. It’s like we’ve taken a giant leap forward in one area, only to stumble backward into an entirely different frustration.
So, here’s my question: do you hate waiting in those long Kohl’s lines as much as I do? Do you think this is really the best way to spend our time? Because I’ve reached the point where I’d rather just let the package sit in my house forever than face the existential dread of waiting to return it. But maybe that’s just me—maybe I’m the only one who feels like this is a colossal waste of time. Still, I can’t help but wonder: at what point does “convenience” become just another form of corporate bait-and-switch?