As insidious as it seems, there are a couple of advantages to this commercial invasion of privacy. firstly it allows you to go through the checkout counter a bit faster. Secondly, it allows Safeway to compile statistical information about what products you're interested in, and can sell this information to advertisers, which would either bombard you with junk mail, or unexpected/unwanted phonecalls, but may also throw in some cupons to sweaten the deal. (Of course the advantages are not quite all the shoppers...) Now this is fairly harmless, however, should something like DT2 require Safeway to provide its database to the Feds, they will hold practically all the information they could dream of having about an individual/family. They can already get all the credit info, at the records of your bank account, your credit card purchases, phone calls, food purchases, your trash (sort of like dumpster diving, only more sinister), what more could they possibly need to know you without your consent? It really is time to get anon digital cash... :-I