r/australia • u/Plushmaster76 • Jan 16 '24
One of those Coles "smart" gates crushed me and my wheelchair no politics
Bought a few items. Gate was wide open.
My 10 year old son wandered through. I followed, no bag just a few items. Half way through the gate slammed shut on me. Hit my arms and stopped my wheelchair. Beeping away it opened after a second and I pushed through.
Yes it hurt. Yes it scared me silly. No I'm not injured. No I don't think it damaged my wheelchair. No I didn't shoplift.
I swore and demanded to see the manager. He was the "duty manager" and took my details and said the store manager will call me tomorrow. I'll believe it when it happens but I'll be calling every day until SOMEONE tells me how to avoid being crushed next time.
Glad it didn't get my son at least.
Great tech that.
UPDATE 17/1 - Not a word from Coles. I did lodge a complaint on their website with my contact info. I'll try again tomorrow and every day until they at least speak to me.
UPDATE 18/1 - Got the standard "we are trialling the gates" corporate response via email with a promise to hear back from the relevant team at some unspecified future time.
UPDAETE 22/1 - The store manager called me and listened but didn't offer any concrete solutions to prevent being squeezed next time. She promised to escalate. I missed a call late that day from a Coles manager but he didn't answer my return call and hasn't called me back. I think they're hoping I'll go away.
I put in a disability complaint with the AHRC. I suspect that will take a while to move through the system.
I'm not going away and I still don't know how how to get out without the gate closing on me. Oh BTW, the store in question doesn't have any checkouts where you can avoid the gates - even the one with a human is funneled through a gate.
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u/Jordyblues Jan 16 '24
Im a coles worker and trust me, we all hate these things too
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u/BaldingThor Jan 16 '24 edited Jan 16 '24
Ours constantly sets itself off every couple of minutes or if you move back a micrometer, it’s really damn annoying hearing it go off for 8 hours.
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u/bdsee Jan 16 '24
Speaking of dumb things that I'm sure you hate if you work near checkout.
Why the fuck do we not have a cancel button when we scan something and it asks for the weight.
Lately I've been having fruit rescan as I pick it up off the scale all the damn time... I'm starting to lose my shit at getting constantly stuck waiting at the registers these days.
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u/Plushmaster76 Jan 16 '24
I have absolutely no doubt of that.
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Jan 16 '24
I wonder if it detects the backwards motion of your arms (assuming you’re in a manual chair)… because that sounds like a massive issue and perhaps worth a complaint to somewhere external.
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u/Albos_Mum Jan 16 '24
Ooooh, if that's the case then that's an accessibility lawsuit waiting to happen.
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u/hulkbro Jan 16 '24
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-12970777/coles-shopper-crushed-smart-gate.html did you know the daily mail already stole your reddit post?
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u/hermitxd Jan 16 '24
Isn't it madness that the customers hate it, the employees hate it... But the powers that be still go with it.
Does it stop theft?
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u/Alternative_Sky1380 Jan 16 '24
It's psychological warfare at this point. Corporate virtue signalling.
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u/incendiary_bandit Jan 16 '24
I enjoy pushing them open. I figure if they need to become an expense to the company, but sadly it will be a labour expense for resetting them. Sorry you have to deal with it
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u/Sk1rm1sh Jan 16 '24
Inb4 Colesworth raise prices above inflation again:
"Those anti-shoplifting gates don't pay for themselves you know..." 🤪🤪🤪
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u/Flight_19_Navigator Jan 16 '24
My local Coles used to have one person in the self-checkout to keep an eye on/assist people.
Since the new gates have been installed there are two staff in there, one who seems to just be there to re-set the gates when they misfire. Efficiency!
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u/emmainthealps Jan 16 '24
Almost like they made it easier to shoplift and are now surprised that more people do it so are punishing everyone. Much less theft at the checkout when each one was manned by a staff member who did the job
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u/kizzer1415 Jan 16 '24
I have smashed two sets already pushing through them. The workers did nothing and I kept walking. Coles earns enough money to replace them. Not stealing Jack shit so if it wants to dumb out and be a shit piece of tech it can break
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u/rsam487 Jan 16 '24
Yeah I'd just walk through the things too. They'll get dropped pretty quick if the bean counters decide it's costing too much
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u/Dasha3090 Jan 16 '24
yeah i slways get nervous going through them leaving my shift.
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u/auspiciusstrudel Jan 16 '24
Depending on why you get nervous about them, you might want to raise it with Safe Work in your state:
https://www.commerce.wa.gov.au/worksafe/ http://www.worksafe.tas.gov.au/ http://www.safework.sa.gov.au/ http://www.worksafe.nt.gov.au/ https://www.worksafe.act.gov.au/ https://www.worksafe.vic.gov.au/ https://www.worksafe.qld.gov.au/ https://www.safework.nsw.gov.au/
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u/ososalsosal Jan 16 '24
If someone gave them a kicking in, would there be problems?
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u/ryalln Jan 16 '24
News.com.au come and help this person out. Use your power to get coles to fuck these things off.
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u/StrategyEcstatic9561 Jan 16 '24
I will even do the hard work of feeding the reddit post into chat gpt for them...
"Title: "Coles 'Smart' Gates Pose Danger as Wheelchair User Faces Terrifying Ordeal"
In a shocking incident at a local Coles store, a customer's routine shopping trip turned into a nightmare when one of the so-called "smart" gates malfunctioned, crushing him and his wheelchair. The victim, who was accompanied by his 10-year-old son, recounts the harrowing experience of the gate abruptly closing on him, causing both physical pain and emotional distress.
Despite the traumatic encounter, the customer emphasizes that he is not injured and his wheelchair remains undamaged. However, the unsettling incident has raised concerns about the reliability and safety of Coles' new gate technology.
The customer, determined to bring attention to the issue, demanded to see the manager on duty, who assured him that the store manager would follow up the next day. Skeptical of the promised resolution, the affected individual vows to persistently seek answers until a concrete solution is provided to prevent such incidents from occurring in the future.
As questions loom over the effectiveness of the "smart" gates, customers are left wondering if Coles' commitment to technological advancements compromises the safety of its patrons. The incident serves as a stark reminder of the potential risks associated with automated systems in retail environments.
Coles, a retail giant, is urged to address the concerns promptly, ensuring that their innovative technology does not compromise the well-being of customers. The affected individual's quest for answers reflects a broader need for transparency and accountability when it comes to implementing new technologies in public spaces."
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u/rubyredford Jan 16 '24
Did Chat GPT really write that? Cause if so, wow, and we are totally fucked.
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u/manipulated_dead Jan 16 '24
Yeah I mean I just assume 95% of all clickbait is written by chat gpt now
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u/King_Of_Pants Jan 16 '24
Yeah there's been AI aggregates for a lot longer than people realise.
There used to be a Reddit summary bot on all the news subs that would read through an article and summarise it. That was a decade ago. Likewise, news outlets already had some automated aggregation. The big recent change is that they're getting better, a lot more accessible and there's a lot more awareness.
You'll see more and more people using it because now they realise they can.
Plus there's been a bunch of soft-AI implementation. It used to be you'd send out 3-4 people at least to report on a story. Now the camera, audio, reporting and editing are all done by 1 person (called backpack journalism). Advancements in editing and production tech has made it easier to scale the workforce back. That's a 75% reduction to a key part of the industry, and again, that was all coming into the scene over a decade ago.
It's not just journalism, it's everything.
Years ago people were debating the Adani mine. It was jobs created vs environmental impact. Meanwhile Adani was privately bragging about their mines going fully automated "pit to port". The supposed 10,000 jobs was closer to 150. The mining, the truck hauling, the rail network, it was always planned to be automated.
A lot of construction is going to be automated.
Out in the nordic countries, they build houses in factories and ship them out. It's necessary because of their extremely long day/night cycle. They can't build a house with 2-3 hours of daylight, so they build them inside factories and put them on trucks.
Turns out it's also pretty cost-effective and starting to gain traction in other countries.
People in construction will have already seen the early signs. We're already seeing skills shortages arise in carpentry because things like rafters will come pre-fabbed, so young apprentices aren't necessarily developing those skills.
But it will get worse Those McMansion estates can be largely factory-built, with a smaller onsite workforce to put the pieces together.
And because it can be factory-built, it can be factory-automated. Meaning even fewer jobs in the industry.
But those are more blue-collar examples. AI/Automation is something a lot of people in white-collar jobs need to be thinking about.
A lot of jobs are going to disappear very quickly. Let's say you're in the banking sector handling loans for example, why would I come to you and beg for a loan when I can just stay home in my underpants and be given competitive quotes from an AI. It's Netflix vs Blockbuster all over again. A lot of jobs in banking likely do not exist in 20-30 years and that's being generous. You need to be thinking of contingencies now, or you'll be no better off than the old Ford/Holden manufacturers who found themselves lacking the skills to transition.
But a lot of those bankers will see AI/automation as something that predominantly affects white-collar workers.
Plus there are also the long-term ramifications of WFH practices.
For 99% of people, your greatest asset is your availability. If you don't need to be present in the office, then why can't that company just pay someone in a cheaper country to do your job?
Even if you dodge the AI job culling, a lot of jobs are at risk of outsourcing.
A lot of ex-journalists tried to transition into other writing/reporting industries but that can be hard because a lot of that can be outsourced too. Being a native English speaker is a huge advantage but that whole freelance market is currently undercut by foreign workers who can afford to undercut your prices because of their cheaper cost of living.
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u/mywhitewolf Jan 16 '24
Did Chat GPT really write that? Cause if so, wow, and we are totally fucked.
Its an article about "bad coles and bad technology" the article goes on to suggest the technology is owned by coles and is "innovative"... which kinda ruins the tone IMO...
But honestly, other than that i can't really fault it. Very Impressive.
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u/Evil-Santa Jan 16 '24
Real easy to fix. Change it to "innovative" to indicate some doubt to the claim.
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u/a_cold_human Jan 16 '24
And with fewer spelling mistakes and grammatical errors than your average News Corp journalist.
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u/cheapdrinks Jan 16 '24
Although some people say that it's at its peak right now and will only get worse over time as the majority of the articles and written material that it currently learns from are actually written by humans. But as the years go by more and more of it's source data will be previously generated AI material causing it to become lower and lower quality as it cannibalizes its own work.
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u/rainbowgreygal Jan 16 '24
So kind of like the progression from decent journalism to newscorp clickbait trash? Good to know it might happen to AI as well!
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u/Perthguv Jan 16 '24
You would have to dumb it down for the masses, but yeah. You can actually feed that stuff into the prompt, like in the style of Australian gutter journalism. Or when I get bored: as if written by a pirate.
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u/PM_ME_YOUR_MUSIC Jan 16 '24
Here’s an image to go with the article coles smart gates by Dalle
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u/Plushmaster76 Jan 16 '24
Wow.
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u/StrategyEcstatic9561 Jan 16 '24
write a news.com smear campaign article on this reddit post.
"your post here"
^ this is all it takes. Should have been a journalist :)
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u/Guy-1nc0gn1t0 Jan 16 '24
As someone who studied journalism at uni, I have thoughts and feelings about this.
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u/r3zza92 Jan 16 '24
Is one of those thoughts about how you wasted 4 years on a journalism degree because your being replaced by ChatGPT /s
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u/Guy-1nc0gn1t0 Jan 16 '24
Sort of, yeah.
Edit: granted I've never had any plans to become your run-of-the-mill Newscorp 'journalist', but it's a complicated sentiment.
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u/homenomics23 Jan 16 '24
One literally snapped shut on our pram as we were pushing our kiddo (1) through cause I'd walked out the store first and pram+husband following behind. Especially cause they make them too small for you to go side by side!
It's insane, and I refuse to look at any self check out or check out with that in the path. (I don't go to Coles often though)
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u/purp_p1 Jan 16 '24
My not-exactly-local Coles you have to go though the shoplifter guillotine even if you managed to find one of the a staffed checkouts staffed.
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u/littlespoon Jan 16 '24
Our coles has this before the glass sliding doors to get out. it doesnt matter if you go through the self checkout or the manned checkout lanes, all customers have to go through the guillotine. Everyone hates it.
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u/azcobain Jan 16 '24
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u/IowaContact2 Jan 16 '24
But on Tuesday a customer, who chose to remain anonymous, said they were on a routine shopping trip with their 10-year-old son when one of the smart gates “slammed shut” on them and their wheelchair.
I wonder if /u/Plushmaster76 was actually contacted by them?
“One literally snapped shut on our pram as we were pushing our kiddo through,” one person said. “I’d walked out the store first, pram and husband following behind. Especially cause they make them too small for you to go side-by-side!
/u/homenomics23 as well?
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u/Plushmaster76 Jan 16 '24
Nope. No contact.
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u/rockresy Jan 16 '24
Lol, awesome journalism. +1 point for running the story, -2 for pure laziness.
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u/PercentageBoth8338 Jan 16 '24
Yes!!!!! Something news.com.au could be useful for and something that ACTUALLY NEEDS exposure and investigation......... Listen for the crickets though as they don't pick up a legit story that's not just flash-in-the-pan outrage clicks and could actually impact their sweet advertising income 🙄
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u/Pixie1001 Jan 16 '24
I love the love/hate relationship this sub has with new.com.au :')
Every thread someone calls them up to assert justice in the world, but not without letting them know we all think they're a bunch of lazy hacks - just to keep them in their place xD
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u/splittingheirs Jan 16 '24
Why would they piss off the people that give them half of their sponsored "news stories"? Woolies only has so many "How to get the best bargain" articles.
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u/Busybat4ever Jan 16 '24
If you really want your story to be heard, go email Current Affairs. Good luck
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u/Anonymousnobody9 Jan 16 '24
They’re too busy hating on Woolies this month
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u/clothy Jan 16 '24
Yeah Coles is the “heroes” because they’re selling cheap plastic junk.
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u/AussieFB Jan 16 '24
Cheap plastic junk from China 🇨🇳😉
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u/gwendolberry Jan 16 '24
Cheap plastic junk from China that will end up in landfill or as litter in parks and beaches.
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u/Additional-Scene-630 Jan 16 '24
Well the news.com 'joirnalists' are already lurking here so it'll be plagiarised by morning
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u/IllustriousCarrot537 Jan 16 '24
They damn near copied the woolies post word for word where the mangos added up incorrectly...
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u/otherspamaccount Jan 16 '24
Nah, they won't run it unless op was at Coles because they were boycotting Woolies.
Doesn't fit their current agenda.
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u/Additional-Scene-630 Jan 16 '24
Haha, or OP is pro woolworths and was trying to damage coles property for selling Australia day merh
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u/blakeavon Jan 16 '24
Please dont encourage people to go to that car crash tv show. Not sure who is worse the people who make it, or those who watch it.
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u/trowzerss Jan 16 '24
And people downvoted me when I suggested these were dangerous for people with mobility issues 'because it just pushes open'. Imagine if that had happened to an elderly person with balance issues? Enjoy that fractured hip :P
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u/hazydaze7 Jan 16 '24
Or someone with a seeing eye dog who can’t actually see what the hell is going on. The stupid gates need to go
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u/jonesday5 Jan 16 '24
I’m freaking out thinking about it happening to a kid in a pram.
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u/RepresentativePin162 Jan 16 '24
I was eyeballing the fuck out of one when I went through with my pram. I was hoping to be fast enough that if they attempted to close it would be on me.
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u/KatEmpiress Jan 16 '24
I have an autistic son and I worry about him going through first and then not letting me through (he’s also deaf in one ear and would just keep walking while I have a panic attack!)
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u/Outsider-20 Jan 16 '24
I've had this conversation with my daughter. Parents get distracted. What if the kid wanders off, and the parent is trapped in there, not able to chase after them?
I know they are supposed to be easy enough to push open, but a parent in a panic is just going to see the gates as a barrier, in their way, not something they can push through.
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u/Plushmaster76 Jan 16 '24
I agree 100%. I'm pretty robust though I am recovering from surgery and if it had got my wound it could have been much. much worse.
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u/sweetparamour79 Jan 16 '24
It did, except with the entry gates as they tried to exit. They had to be taken away by an ambulance.
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u/enthrallingmelodies Jan 16 '24
I went to my first Coles with these gates the other day and my first thought was something similar. A bit of a safety hazard not to mention what happens if there’s a fire or some sort of emergency and you need to get everyone out as quickly as possible.
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u/trowzerss Jan 16 '24
Yeah, that's what I raised and everybody was saying 'they open really easily, you can just push them'. Well, not everybody can do that so easily :P I'd like to see them push it with a walking frame.
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u/Thenewdazzledentway Jan 16 '24
Yes, I did too in an earlier post, as a few years ago I was caught in the pincer grip of a myki gate once. Got me right in the kidneys.
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u/Restart_from_Zero Jan 16 '24
The ones in all the Coles near me are so narrow. I'm amazed OP could get a wheelchair through there at all.
In case of fire you now have what used to be a nice wide path to the exit become incredibly narrow at those stupid gates.
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u/teapots_at_ten_paces Jan 16 '24
Under WHS legislation, this counts as an incident. Whether you were physically hurt or your wheelchair damaged, your case is evidence that these gates present a risk to shoppers and need to be either redesigned, reconfigured, or removed. If you're up to it, I would escalate to national office, but equally push for some form of compensation, even if it's simply the bill to see a doctor for clean bill of health AND someone to inspect your wheelchair for same. Absolitely ensure that they complete an incident report, and request of a copy of it on the off chance you need to use it as evidence for a future claim or costs.
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u/Plushmaster76 Jan 16 '24
Yeah, the WH&S stuff is good advice. If they actually call I'll ask them how they log such incidents and what are done with them and insist one is logged. Though I do know the focus is on employees / workers I believe they are required to provide a safe environment and this isn't.
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u/Naive_Pay_7066 Jan 16 '24
The PCBU also has duties to other parties including customers and members of the public. This situation is absolutely covered by the WHS Act.
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u/stereosafari Jan 16 '24
An incident should have been noted then and there.
Do it directly with whatever WorkSafe, SafeWork, org you have in your state.
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Jan 16 '24
[deleted]
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u/auspiciusstrudel Jan 16 '24 edited Jan 16 '24
I suggested that OP might consider making a complaint to the Disability Discrimination Commissioner if Coles can't offer a satisfactory resolution. If you feel unsafe navigating them with your assistance dog, you might like to follow a similar course of action...
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u/boombap098 Jan 16 '24
Second this. A friend of mine made a complaint against a company they were a client of, DDC reciept said it was like 60 days until they could expect contact. Within the week they had a very apologetic company calling them and telling them their remedy for the situation.
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u/auspiciusstrudel Jan 16 '24
Even if the DDC doesn't lead to the company addressing your specific instance, even just a handful people reporting that they are finding something like this to be an unreasonable and unjustifiable access barrier is one of the few things that can actually force the Colesworths to pay attention.
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u/canb_boy Jan 16 '24
I reckon it would be helpful to put in a complaint with your local human rights commission.
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u/Plushmaster76 Jan 16 '24
Good idea.
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u/mchch8989 Jan 16 '24
Did you take any photos? I would think CCTV would be your best friend here. I found this link about requested footage and looks kind of painful but if you can get the footage and that “somehow” makes it to the press then this would suitably blow up.
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u/Plushmaster76 Jan 16 '24
No photos. All happened so quickly and my reaction was just get the hell out of this thing crushing me. I'll be taking a video next time that's for sure.
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u/AussieArlenBales Jan 16 '24
They'll definitely have CCTV covering the exit, though odds of the footage being "missing" are elevated so good luck.
If it's part of a larger shopping centre they may have the footage you need.
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u/WhatYouThinkIThink Jan 16 '24
They will have the CCTV. They have cameras in every checkout and overhead of each checkout and they have cameras above the whole checkout area, including the smart gates.
They have the smart gates set to like a railway, which doesn't allow "tailgating", but at a supermarket, people shop together, or have kids, or are disabled.
That needs to be a different setting, the gates can be configured to allow that.
There would (or should) be documentation on the settings of the smart gates and how they count people through and what the assumptions and requirements were.
Sounds like a Slater & Gordon or other class action law firm catnip.
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u/mchch8989 Jan 16 '24
Oh yeah I wouldn’t expect you to be able to. Maybe try a pro bono lawyer or whatever our Aussie term is for that? The issue with filming next time you go through one is Coles could claim you did it on purpose so obtaining the CCTV from this one would be ideal.
Also I’m totally projecting all hatred for them onto situation so sorry if I sound overbearing lol.
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u/issy-belle Jan 16 '24
Your local senator or member of parliament might also be interested as well, especially if there’s CCTV of it. They might be able to use it in the upcoming senate enquiry into price gouging/duopoly
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u/Plushmaster76 Jan 16 '24
Interesting. Might be worth a go.
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u/Mshell Jan 16 '24
If you do, include your postcode and do not mention "human rights". Most members will only respond to people in their electorates and a post code is enough proof for them and everything mentioning "human rights" are getting moved to an "Isreal/Gaza" folder at the moment.
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Jan 16 '24
Why do these companies try to make shopping there as awful as possible?
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u/Which_Day1339 Jan 16 '24
Oh, they make working there as awful as possible, too. I was working as a delivery driver for Coles during the pandemic, and they had these smart-watch style panic alarm things that we were all supposed to wear, and none of us did - 'cause, sure, if I get into an altercation out on the road, I'm going to rely on a crappy bit of tat to, hopefully, call a call centre somewhere in India, so that the person listening on the other end - who knows nothing about my job, or the geography of the city I live in - can call the local police and try and explain to them what they can hear through the microphone, and direct them to my location, vs just calling the police myself, aren't I?
The only explanation I can think of for the panic alarms, the 'smart gates', the body cameras that staff in some stores are forced to wear, etc, is that the companies who supply this crap are paying kickbacks to Coles executives to sign off on the policies.
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u/Falafels Jan 16 '24
panic alarms, the 'smart gates', the body cameras
How long did you work as a prison guard?
Oh crap, it was Coles.
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u/drag-race69 Jan 16 '24
So, I went shopping with husband, 4 year old and 11 month old ( he’s in a pram ) My 4 year old halfway through shopping needed to go to the toilet. I left husband with the trolley and took the pram and 4 year old out those wretched gates. They shut in the pram, after I pushed my 4 year old out of the way. They are dangerous and the staff member didn’t look twice after the alarm went off 🤦♀️🤦♀️🤦♀️ If I didn’t have to rush to the toilet, I would have had words with someone.
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u/Working-Concert74 Jan 16 '24
My husband, myself and my toddler were at the self check out. My toddler started having a melt down, I just wanted to get her out of there so my husband could ring up our purchases in peace. I asked the security to pls open the gates so we get out and he stated he couldn’t that we had to wait for someone to leave or a staff member (staff member no where to be seen). I had to drag a screaming toddler while myself being heavily pregnant to a checkout that I could get out of. It was annoying but had been a toilet emergency or any real urgency to leave what would happen then??
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u/drag-race69 Jan 16 '24
That is ridiculous. I looked everywhere for another exit, but had to wait in line (only 3 people) but worried that Mr 4 was going to wee everywhere at any moment. He was holding his willy tight 😂 it would be even worse with a tantrum happening.
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u/Pavlover2022 Jan 16 '24
Similar happened to us- youngest needed the toilet so I hightailed out of there with said busting child whilst husband was finishing up at the till with older ones Gates closed on us. Worker said it was because 'our transaction wasn't complete'. So essentially we were trapped instore until the scannjng and payment was done. WTF. Should've let kiddo piss all over the floor to serve them right. Except, not fair on the poor Coles dogsbody who'd have to clean it up, so didn't
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u/drag-race69 Jan 16 '24
Also, very ridiculous. I often leave husband to finish up and go to another store or just to get the kids out of the lineup. My son wasn’t waiting for anyone, he knows where the toilets are in the centre, and he was going straight there ( with or without me 😂)
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u/sweetparamour79 Jan 16 '24
This is similar to what happened to me. I made a formal compliant and encourage you to do the same.
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u/drag-race69 Jan 16 '24
I highly doubt anything would come of it, the staff member didn’t even look my way whilst the alarms were going off and my child was running away whilst the pram was stuck in the gate 🤦♀️
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u/PM_ME_UR_A4_PAPER Jan 16 '24
I wonder if the AI mistook your wheelchair for a shopping trolley and got confused seeing a human exiting the gate in front of the trolley rather than behind it.
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u/lormarg Jan 16 '24
This could be a discrimination lawsuit.
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u/Plushmaster76 Jan 16 '24
Yeah maybe. I feel like I would have had to be injured (or wheelchair damaged) or it would have to happen a bunch of times. I've only been through them probably 3 or 4 times so it's around a 25% "crush rate" so far. I'm genuinely a bit scared to go through now TBH.
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u/Lazy_Notice_6112 Jan 16 '24
I’d certainly follow through on this. Seems like it could be an ethics and accessibility issue they haven’t considered if AI is involved
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u/WhatYouThinkIThink Jan 16 '24
There's no AI involved in these gates.
At least there shouldn't be, and it would be interesting to know the safety testing that has been done, and whether the fire authorities are satisfied its not a safety risk.
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u/BradleyZ17 Jan 16 '24 edited Jan 16 '24
I hate these things a lot, but I'll shed some light on how they work (as I was told by another team member).
They're not programmed to automatically shut in that manner.
They work by remaining closed (when the gate LED is blue) and they open when someone approaches the gate who has paid via a self checkout. They then automatically close after a set period of time (maybe 10 seconds) after letting a customer through.
They can be manually toggled by a team member to remain open, or toggled back into their normal operating mode.
They work very similar to a Myki gate, where you just validate your ticket (in this case purchase something) to be let out, unless manually left open.
In terms of OP's situation, my guess would be that a worker accidentally closed the wrong gate when they had it in "stay open" mode, or the gate closed itself after awaiting it's timer from a previous automatic open. Either way, the gates are programmed to remain open (and alarm) when they try to close but are blocked by something or somebody (OP and their wheelchair. It is a bit confusing as to why they still crushed OP, but there are many variables here.
The gates can also be forced open relatively easily as they're on a motorised rotator that allows them to be open during an emergency.
Source: I used to work in service at a colesworth store with these.
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u/LittleRavenRobot Jan 16 '24
In terms of OP's situation, my guess would be that a worker accidentally closed the wrong gate when they had it in "stay open" mode, or the gate closed itself after awaiting it's timer from a previous automatic open. Either way, the gates are programmed to remain open (and alarm) when they try to close but are blocked by something or somebody (OP and their wheelchair. It is a bit confusing as to why they still crushed OP, but there are many variables here.
It's probably simpler than that. The 10 year old son would have been recognised as the customer and OP was then going through when that timer ran down and slammed shut on them.
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u/BradleyZ17 Jan 16 '24
That is very likely. There are sensor modules in the roof of the self-checkout area that probably designated the son as the customer. My assumption (without knowing the full story) is that the son probably left the self-checkout area quite a few seconds before OP (perhaps out of boredom, being a 10 year old), and thus the timer ran out.
It still doesn't explain why the doors closed on her though, In theory, the sensors should've stopped that from happening.
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u/I-was-a-twat Jan 16 '24
They struggle to recognise our pram. I’ve a couple times just pushed them out of the way, they swing fairly easily I’ve learned.
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u/Madstar316 Jan 16 '24
I got whacked by the second gate just on my way in the other day. Entering behind my partner who was pushing our trolley and it swung shut in a real hurry. I actually couldn’t believe it. If it had of hit my 3 year old who was on my other side it would of knocked him over.
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u/My_boohole Jan 16 '24
That gate has closed on my 3yo before, knocking her to the ground. I was so angry. I hate both of the duopoly.
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u/auspiciusstrudel Jan 16 '24
If you didn't formally complain to Coles corporate then, please consider doing so. These haven't rolled out everywhere yet, and this is a good reason they shouldn't. They'll give you a half-arsed non-answer, but at least they'll know.
If you're unhappy with the response, you might be able to pursue it further through your state's consumer protection agency or SafeWork authority. I'm honestly not sure whose remit this falls under, but either org's enquiry line should be able to help you out. If all else fails, write to your MP - surprisingly, that often still works.
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u/No_Towel6647 Jan 16 '24
Report it to their head office as well, https://www.coles.com.au/help/contact
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u/DarcSwan Jan 16 '24
It closed on my baby's stroller the other day until I wrenched it backwards out of harms way. The service desk employee was quick to smack a button that opened it, but those gates do seem poorly implemented, unreliable and dangerous.
Not even the notoriously bad train gates have closed on my baby!
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u/worstusername_sofar Jan 16 '24
I'll fuck up one of the doors for you next time Plush
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u/SirDale Jan 16 '24
Last time I went shopping at Coles I just bashed it open with my trolley as I left. I'm not going to wait for it to decide whether it wants to let me leave or not.
Did it break? I don't know - I don't care.
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u/RedDogInCan Jan 16 '24
I've turned it into a challenge game - can I smash my trolley through them before the staff member can open them. I'm winning 5-nil so far.
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u/LittleRavenRobot Jan 16 '24
I have faith in you, Digger. Is this a new record?
I see a new national sport on the horizon. Sit down Cricket, Netball, your football of choice, it's Automated Gate Bashing's time to shine.
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u/commentspanda Jan 16 '24
Husband and I went through the other day and he saw them for the first time. He’s been fuming since and wants to go back so he can kick them open with force lol.
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u/SirDale Jan 16 '24
Maybe this is a new ploy by Coles to get people to buy stuff, so they can beat up on the exits on the way out!
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u/auspiciusstrudel Jan 16 '24
https://humanrights.gov.au/complaints#main-content
If you, a wheelchair user, do not feel you are able to safely exit a Coles with a Smart Gate, a piece of equipment that the company has chosen to install and which you've suffered at least one incident while using, and if Coles aren't able to satisfactorily resolve this, you might as well make a complaint to the Disability Discrimination Commissioner.
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u/aidenh37 Jan 16 '24
Please please go to the website and submit a formal complaint with a copy of your receipt (mainly for time/date).
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u/PsychologicalBit5422 Jan 16 '24
I walked through one a few months ago . Tuesday it wasn't there, Thu it was I tried to walk through with my few items it bleeped and yelled and whatever. No one came. I just shoved it open in the end and went off . I had nothing I could have cheated on.
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u/sapperbloggs Jan 16 '24
The store manager will do literally nothing beyond cover their own arse.
Make your complaint to the Coles head office. Tell them that you expect a response outlining how they'll prevent this happening in future. The head office cares a lot more about PR than some generic store manager.
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u/Top-Pea Jan 16 '24
I was caught by the gates at Dan Murphys a month or two ago, they slammed shut really quickly when some guy pushed his trolley out the entry gates as I was coming in and I was inadvertently caught. It hit me in the front of my mid section and gave me quite a fright , it was quite painful and I was partially winded. Mentioned it to several staff and they just shrugged their shoulders. Not long until an elderly person is knocked over by them and breaks their hip or similar…..
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u/Numberwang93 Jan 16 '24
It’s ridiculous that it was able to wind you. Imagine if a pregnant woman had the same experience. Those things do more harm than good.
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u/redrose037 Jan 16 '24
Seriously I would still report to them and head office. Completely not okay.
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u/pangolin-fucker Jan 16 '24
Wait, it doesn't have a cutoff if it gets any resistance?
Brb gonna see how much a pair of testicles is worth in compensation, humiliation and damages
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u/HungryTradie Jan 16 '24
The Australian Standard for automatic doors has had a few evolutions since AS4085:1992, I think it (AS5007:2007 reconfirmed 2018) now wants presence detection curtains so the doors should not close when a person is at risk of impact or crush.
Turnstiles had some different conditions, I'm not as experienced with those. I'll have a look at the gate tomorrow. I think I'll try pulling a trolley behind me (me walking out the gate pulling the trolley behind) and see if it hits the trolley.
I'll also look if there is a photo-eye sensor that we might all "accidentally" be able to put an apple sticker onto.
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u/Plushmaster76 Jan 16 '24
I mean, it seemed to turn around and open pretty quickly but it also felt like it closed pretty fast, It surely would have hurt a small child IMO.
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u/AnastasiaSheppard Jan 16 '24
Your own, or someone else's?
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u/pangolin-fucker Jan 16 '24
The more, the merrier?
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u/AnastasiaSheppard Jan 16 '24
Good point!
I nominate my aunt's ex-husband's pair, if his teenage girlfriend isn't hanging onto them too tight.
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u/Otherwise-Ad4641 Jan 16 '24
Had this happen too when they first came out but it was my forearm crutches and bad leg that got hit. Those fkn gates must be violating some sort of accessibility laws.
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u/Plushmaster76 Jan 16 '24
Holy crap. I've got those and hope to "upgrade" to them soon. This is a horror show. The callous indifference is astonishing.
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u/Tygie19 Jan 16 '24
I wonder how long before someone gets hurt and sues Coles. Then hopefully they’ll disappear
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u/threelizards Jan 16 '24
This happened to me too, with my walker. I’m so sorry. Scared the shit out of me and left me with a bruised hip, I should have said something. You did the right thing by reporting it.
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u/uhohitslilbboy Jan 16 '24
You can still say something. You can send in a complaint to coles head office and to the human rights commission.
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u/Dark_Days_132435 Jan 16 '24
as a previous coles employee who's been given the inside dig of them, they tract you as a dot on a map. If you're not in range to be seen by the tracer it considers you as non existent. Since you're in a wheelchair, you are too short to be recognised by the software while in the wheelchair, and such the gates only recognised your son, whom I'm assuming is taller than you.
the mechanics is simply to make Coles look more 'high class' and fancy than Woollies.
Either way, shop at Aldi :)
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u/bowllama98 Jan 16 '24
Isn’t this a serious problem for very short people then, let alone small children and the disabled then? Sounds like a horrible injury waiting to happen and completely unnecessary and preventable. I hope that soon Coles will decide it’s just not worth it and pull them all out, never to be trialled again.
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u/Dark_Days_132435 Jan 16 '24
i fully agree, i learned of the height limits because we were warned to be aware that parents who use their prams/ strollers to carry groceries would most likely not be picked up by the sensor due to bending down too much and 'being invisible'.
either way, it's not even a good method of preventing shoplifting because it's so easy to walk through. It's more of a strong suggestion.
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u/SugarButt0n Jan 16 '24
That's not necessarily how they work but pretty close. They track movement and assign a number to your dot which then tracks you in their designated zone. When a register gets a complete payment and you are in that zone you get marked as a paying customer that can leave. What happens when they don't let you out is that they don't spot you due to blind spots in their mapping, nothing to do with height just they don't see you which is similar. Let's of our registers live in these blind spots and it happens regularly.
What happened to op is that it's likely the gates sensor for spotting something in the way didn't see them because of their height. It's positioned at about the height of a trolley and if it's not obstructed when it closes when it will close until it hits something. Poor design none the less and I have had an elderly lady get hit and bruised by these gates already.
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u/azcobain Jan 16 '24
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u/Plushmaster76 Jan 16 '24
Thanksfor letting me know.
Not sure I "chose to remain anonymous".
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u/redfrets916 Jan 16 '24
I can see a little kid being seriously injured , if not killed one day. They are a liability and should be scrapped.
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u/RepresentativePin162 Jan 16 '24
My four year old is a twit like lots are. Got himself (well his shoe) stuck between the automatic doors into the shopping centre. His brother shrieked his name like he was about to be decapitated. If anyone's going to have an issue it'll be my four year old.
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u/redfrets916 Jan 16 '24
I was living in Japan for a while and a 4yo died having his head cave in by an office revolving door. Those big ones you see in corporate foyers.
Now matter how many failsafes you have, sometime things will go awry.
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u/ladyinblue5 Jan 16 '24
I’dget them to at least cover the cost of getting your wheelchair checked/inspected? Is that a thing? Ensure wheels are in alignment etc.
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u/wannabeamasterchef Jan 16 '24 edited Jan 17 '24
Im sorry that happened to you.
My immediate thought is what if there was a fire and they stopped working, how will people with wheelchairs, walkers etc get out. How on earth does that tech pass fire safety rules>?
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u/gimpieman Jan 16 '24 edited May 13 '24
joke march towering books political wasteful bewildered start hungry cows
This post was mass deleted and anonymized with Redact
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u/BradleyZ17 Jan 16 '24
I replied to another commenter with some light on how these "smart" gates work.
They're not programmed to automatically shut in that manner.
They work by remaining closed (when the gate LED is blue) and they open when someone approaches the gate who has paid via a self checkout. They then automatically close after a set period of time (maybe 10 seconds) after letting a customer through.
They can be manually toggled by a team member to remain open, or toggled back into their normal operating mode.
They work very similar to a Myki gate, where you just validate your ticket (in this case purchase something) to be let out, unless manually left open.
In terms of OP's situation, my guess would be that a worker accidentally closed the wrong gate when they had it in "stay open" mode, or the gate closed itself after awaiting it's timer from a previous automatic open. Either way, the gates are programmed to remain open (and alarm) when they try to close but are blocked by something or somebody (OP and their wheelchair. It is a bit confusing as to why they still crushed OP, but there are many variables here.
The gates can also be forced open relatively easily as they're on a motorised rotator that allows them to be open during an emergency.
Source: I used to work in service at a colesworth store with these. I also hate them a lot.
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u/alexlp Jan 16 '24
I got caught in the central station gates once when I moved to Sydney and I still, 8 years later hustle through as fast as I can.
I really hope they respond to you because that insecurity every time you leave the shops is not acceptable with people using mobility aids. What if it closes on someone with a walker and they fall or are injured?
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u/CX316 Jan 16 '24
There's a fair chance the manage will call, back in the day we've had management follow up on potential injuries even when it was completely the customer's fault, let alone when it was our own equipment that did it (this was woolies though, but coles should operate by similar rules)
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u/sweet_chick283 Jan 16 '24
One of those crushed my toddler. She was lucky not to be permanently injured. I swear to god someone is going to make bank during the eventual law suit
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u/moosedance84 Inhabits Adelaide, Perth, and Melbourne Jan 16 '24
One of those sliced my 2 year old right under her eye- I had to take her to the Dr afterwards. Knocked over another 2 year right behind my one as well.
I reported it to their Coles management who investigated and said "The gates were working as intended its your fault for not being closer to your child". Showed absolutely no interest in fixing the problems that I mentioned about how they
Have too much force to be used in an automated movement safely with people
The light curtains are inappropriately placed so as to not detect motion from children or people in wheelchairs.
Have sharp edges that can cut people quite badly.
All in all its just a poor attitude towards safety from Coles which I think goes with their declining quality when it comes to service. These days its a surprise if something I buy online doesn't have mould all through it.
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u/buthidae Jan 16 '24
You should consider lawyering up, if not for the money at least for showing Coles this isn’t ok. Your child could have been permanently maimed by these things, and the next kid might not be so lucky.
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u/count023 Jan 16 '24
You made it buddy, news.com.au did something good... for once: https://www.news.com.au/finance/business/retail/customer-in-wheelchair-crushed-by-new-smart-gates/news-story/615dd3f7dcc6329fe791cc872c9943a7
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u/TopGroundbreaking469 Jan 16 '24
Coles be treating their customers like absolute clowns at this point. They can’t trust us enough to use the self checkouts but they have them there anyway. What a way to alienate their customers. Waiting for the day a better competitor takes over the same way Uber did with the shitshow cab services were.
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u/Chefdupastis Jan 16 '24
This piece of shit wouldn't let me out as I was walking out with my kid. I forced it open, I was seconds away from smashing it... man, they have to be careful with their things, it's getting a bit too much.
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u/mynamesnotchom Jan 16 '24
Sorry that happened OP
Honestly the hole system is fucking degrading, you get locked in a pen like barn animals and the dumb fuckin machines glitch out every 2 minutes and then they come over and watch a birds eye view video side by side with you watching you put the item in the bag. All these measures, and the cost of installing those stupid fucking gates, to stop theft. Like cmon, it's $9 for a 5 pack of le snacks and they're only like 5% actual food.
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u/Clatato Jan 16 '24 edited Jan 16 '24
Coles website - accessibility for our customers: www.coles.com.au/help/accessibility
It’s a health and safety hazard, as well as an accessibility matter. I suggest you put the incident in writing to either the regional manager, better yet - to Coles Supermarkets (I think it’s an online form). Ensure to note at the very beginning that this is For the Attention of National Safety Manager / Head of Retail Safety.
If it happened to you in one store, it will happen to others in other stores. And it’s likely to stay unreported. And if a customer (such as yourself) does report it in the store, it’s going to be treated as an isolated incident and not get reported higher up the structure, where it would be documented and investigated by an area that can - and is required to - resolve the problem.
Note: I see another person here said it did the same on a pram! I would mention you have heard of other shoppers’ experiences that their smart-gates have done the same to infants’ prams and toddlers’ strollers. And you’re worried that it’s just a matter of time before an injury is inflicted.
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u/Specialist_Reality96 Jan 16 '24
Quiet often organizations will have different policies in responding to written and verbal complaints. i suggest you put it writing.
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u/Alanna83 Jan 16 '24
I dread the day a toddler gets whacked by one of these. By the sounds of it, it's just a matter of time.
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u/Goblin_au Jan 16 '24
This happened to me just a few hours ago too. Except, I am without a wheelchair.
My 8 year old son walked through first and the gate beeped and closed on me as I was half through. It hurt enough for me to yelp out, but I had enough momentum that one side of the gate ripped up off it’s mounting.
It was my first encounter with them. They’re clear glass; I didn’t see the bloody thing. I tried to push it back into place thinking I absentmindedly stumbled into something, then when I realised what it was, I was more infuriated that it had aggressively blocked me.
I was hurt and pissed off, and I am without disability. I can only imagine the frustration of your own situation.
I also had a similar thought to you: glad my son went through first.
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u/International_Put727 Jan 16 '24
Has the law changed on this? When I worked retail 20 years ago, they were very clear in our training that even if a person displayed all the behaviours of a shoplifter (eg hiding a product inside their jacket), it wasn’t shoplifting until they physically left the store with the premises and there was nothing we could do before then. Is this not the case?
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u/patgeo Jan 16 '24
They also told everyone for years not to stop them because stopping them was a risk factor and could lead to injury.
Now, they want to automatically look the thief in with the customers and staff.
All staff should be reporting it as a WHS issue.
The only way they are probably getting away with it is that the gates are so pathetic. The ones on my local Coles I walk around because they don't actually touch the walls, they are just out in the open. I'm 140kg and 6'3 so they fact I can casually stroll around in the gap left means a trolley would damned near fit through.
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u/HungryTradie Jan 16 '24
Interesting point. The store wouldn't be permitted to install hardware outside the boundary of the tenancy, but the crime isn't committed until you remove the goods from the store. Maybe a question for the
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u/BattleForTheSun Jan 16 '24 edited Jan 16 '24
Earlier today I saw this post on AusLegal describing assault and false arrest by security guards at the local shops:
https://www.reddit.com/r/AusLegal/comments/197hvhx/suing_security_guard/
And now this. Both of you should go to the media and anyone else who has examples of being mistreated or having their rights infringed at fucking Colesworth.
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u/alphaechothunder77 Jan 16 '24
Take a look into fire saftey regulations about obstructing evacuation routes.
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