New Trend? or Old News? ~~Mandatory~~ self check-in

I travel internationally (live in the US) quite often but not exactly every
week.

I saw an astonishing new trend at NCL (Newcastle UK) Air France check-in the
other morning though.

In the wee-small pre-dawn hours checking in for the 6:20 NCL to CDG the
people in the check-in line (yes, those with luggage to check!) were being
forcibly removed by an attendant and forced (literally no choice) to do a
self-check-in at a machine first. Then they were "allowed" to go back in
line and check their bags.

I noted an old lady saying something like "Ooh no, pick someone else PLEASE"
but her pleas fell on deaf ears of the gestapo-ish attendant. Help and
assistance -was- given but seeing old ladies with poor eyesight and zero
computer skills being forced to try and enter passport numbers or scan
passports etc. etc. on touch screens they obviously had no clue how to use .
.. . was very painful and I am sure embarrassing and stressful for them. It
was bad enough for me and I am 50 and very computer savvy. I was not
expecting this and did not have my reading glasses handy. I also had carry
on and 2 bags to check and no spare hands at all to fart around with all
that stuff.

I was required to enter Green Card info and a lot of very persnickety stuff
which was a strain for me both in terms of not being able to see well (!)
and having to remove documents from safe places in a confusing environment.
A recipe, in short, for lost passports, dropped valuables, and what have
you.

Is this mandatory self-check-in common in Europe *even* for those checking
baggage? Is it unique to good old Air France?

Either way: it sucks imho. I was only dispensed one boarding pass from the
machine anyhow, for a 2-leg flight to IAH, and confusion ensued.

I am interested to hear feedback from the group. I think those who are
machine-o-phobic, old, or have baggage to check should be allowed to choose.

bb