To not want someones hot breath on the back of my neck

[IsChippyMintonExDirectory]

Is it so much to ask that I can queue in Boots with a reasonable amount of space around me and not have the guy behind me be so close his shopping bag touches my arse.

"Move forward then", I hear you say, but in doing this the bag-bum-toucher space invader also moves forward, thus creating a sardine situation as I am getting up close and personal with the poor lady in front of me, who thinks that I am now a space invader.

IABU to have turned round to say "Can you give me some space please?". Space invader looked at me like I'd just kicked him in the nuts and looked very indignant, but he did stop moving forward. I felt a bit bad but then decided I may have just saved another unwilling victim from his shopping bag bum touchery.

[NorbertDentressangle]

I hate that too.

I have been guilty in the past of suddenly turning around with my shopping basket in my hand and 'accidentally' hitting them with it (which of course wouldn't have happened if they hadn't have been so bloody close!)

[gertiegusset]

Jab your elbow backwards to 'scratch your back' absent mindedly and look all surprised and weirded out that he's so close.
Not wrong at all to ask him to pack it the fuck in.

[gertiegusset]

I do that Norbert.

[70isaLimitNotaTarget]

Ooh when the stand too near the Chip & Pin

And why do shoppers let their children do this. My own DC don't watch me put my number in, I don't want someone elses child at my elbow.

The sardine people - yes- shuffle your bag back, turn quickly, step back . It is annoying when your personal space is invaded.
Especially when the hot breath is foul

[Pleasejustgo]

I think this should have an awareness day all of it's own along with eating (hot stinky) food on the tube and chewing gum.

[CharleyFarnsbarns]

Marks and Spencer's food section queue is the worst for this. The queue won't move faster if people squash together!

[PostmanPatAlwaysRingsTwice]

I took a PA approach to this last week. The man was practically snuggled into my shoulder so I took a tiny step backwards and crashed into him. I said "oh I'm SO sorry I didn't realise you were standing quite so close to me." He just said "oh don't worry, no problem" which made me but all I could manage was to turn round again, give him a good look and say "yes you are standing really close, aren't you?"

But he clearly had the hind of a rhino as this had no effect whatsoever. Next time, an elbow in the ribs I think.

[almondcake]

The title of this OP is like something out of a horror film. I alone in the house and have had to look behind me in fear.

[SixImpossible]

YANBU at all.

I had exactly the same situation (in Boots, too!) but the heavy breather was an unsteady-looking lady with a walking stick. She stopped edging forward once she had reached the counter and could lean on it. FGS why didn't she just ask me? Of course I would have let her through, she didn't need to crowd me and edge me on, all the while shouting her shopping list to her friend. But worse yet, she was breathless, and sighed out heavily on every breath. Could she not have turned her face, rather than puffing on my neck all the time. It was warm and damp and utterly urgh.

It's easy enough to turn and say "stop crowding me", so why is it so much harder to say "stop breathing on me"?

[hiddenhome]

Get a rucksack

I have a small leather one and they can't get near me as it's so stuffed full of things.

[Pleasejustgo]

National Queue Etiquette Day

NQED almost sounds like a qualification, actually it should be!

As you can see it gives me the rage

[IsChippyMintonExDirectory]

National Queue Etiquette Day - I love it!

Included in this could be a 30-second window to leave the queue if you've forgotten something, nothing worse than having to nip out and lose your place.

[Pleasejustgo]

The 30 seconds doesn't apply to the self checkout though

[Ilovemydogandmydoglovesme]

I love the idea of suddenly ramming your elbow back for an imaginary back scratch. A quick dig in the ribs sounds very effective. I would like to try that one day.

[70isaLimitNotaTarget]

30 seconds to get something you forgot - are you Sebastian Coe then ?

[Pleasejustgo]

70

Not she is extremely generous, I'd say back of the queue no exceptions, now allowances

I'm evil aren't i.

[BeverleyMoss]

You see, this is when I wish I had longer legs.

My strategy is to stand with one leg outstretched to the queue behind me so it takes up a bit of standing space. But having short legs it's not all that effective, just looks a bit odd, but if looking a bit odd keeps people AWAY from me, all the better.

The other thing I have considered is a bag trolley thing, that would work. And you could develop a twitch and 'accidentally' jab it at people who got too close.

[Pleasejustgo]

Coughing. Lots of coughing. Yuck.

[plumnc]

YANBU
It's not just queues! One of the Mums at school does this. She always stands that little bit too close and leans towards me sticking her face right into mine,and sometimes spits in my tea, she will do this to me (and anybody else for that matter) even if I am speaking to someone else. I will discreetly try to step back a little, but she keeps simply follows. Maybe she has poor hearing or eyesight (although I know her well enough to assume I would know if this was the problem), so I let it go, but it makes me feel really uncomfortable.

[plumnc]

(ok - why did strike through not work ?)

[creakyfloor125]

This gives me the absolute rage as well.

I went on business to Italy last year. If you think these space invader people are bad here in the UK, you need to try supermarket shopping on Saturday mornings in Italy.

In one shop, this woman was so fucking close, I thought she was gearing up to stick her finger up my arse.

[Pleasejustgo]

Oh creaky floor of offer you flowers but can't find the icon on my phone

[Pleasejustgo]

I'd give

[IsChippyMintonExDirectory]

Tea spitting?! That's put me right off cous cous and quinoa not really I'm having percy pigs for my lunch

Here plumnc have a (spit free)

PMSL at the Italian bum fingerer

[plumnc]

Thanks IsChippy -I'll go make myself a top-up want one? hey, now the stikethrough works, fab!