Supermarket checkouts: This isn't a thing, is it?

[DeathStare]

I've just been to the supermarket. Did full-trolley shop and went to the check-out with the shortest queue. The person at it was having his stuff go through the scanner and there was about half the conveyor empty.

There was also another man just hanging around about 2 feet back from the end of the conveyor - no shopping with him.

So I went to start unpacking my shopping onto the conveyor and the man hanging around said "Excuse me I'm next". So I apologised and moved and indicated to him to put his stuff on the conveyor belt ahead of me. So he said "Oh I'm saving it for my wife for when she's finished her shopping". I looked around - thinking she had maybe just nipped back for something - but nobody was nearby. I asked if she was coming and he said he didn't think she had finished yet. So I said he didn't think he could save the check-out then and started unpacking my stuff.

He started complaining at me that I'd stolen his checkout but I just ignored him. Then when I'd filled the rest of the conveyor belt his wife turned up and he told her I'd stolen his check-out and she demanded that I remove my shopping because her husband had been saving it for her. When I refused (politely!) she shouted "you are so rude" and the pair of them stormed off.

This isn't a thing now is it? You can't save a check-out can you? Or have I just not noticed it before?

[NeedACleverNN]

No that is NOT normal

How strange

[I8toys]

Bwhhhhaaaa - that's why I shop online - full of loons

[QuackDuckQuack]

No, that's definitely not a thing. But they've probably done it loads of times before and people have been too polite to argue.

[MothertotheLordsofmisrule]

Nope that is weird.

I wonder if he blockades toilets in case she might need a wee in the next 30mins??

[chemenger]

It is definitely not a thing. I've never seen anyone do that in my many years of supermarket shopping.

[PeekAtChu]

No they are weirdos, it's definitely not a normal thing.

[Scarydinosaurs]

Not a thing. Maybe they're visiting and where they're from it is?

[PavlovianLunge]

They were being ridiculous - but I think there have been a couple of broadly similar threads recently, so maybe it's becoming a thing. God forbid.

[DeathStare]

Not a thing. Maybe they're visiting and where they're from it is?

They had local accents!

[StillStayingClassySanDiego]

I've read that before on here.

Arses, the pair of 'em!, good on you for ignoring the stupid man.

[tibbawyrots]

Years ago I began unpacking my basket on to the conveyor to have some woman say "I saw this was empty first" so I just ignored her. The cashier was 🙄

[MrPony]

Definitely not normal. Well done for putting your stuff on anyway. I think I would have been a chicken and moved away.

[MovingOnUpMovingOnOut]

No it's not a thing but I have started to see this more and more. I've seen it in Tesco, Waitrose, WH Smith, Boots and an attempt in M&S food hall. Tesco is the worst for it ime.

Scummy people every one of them and I don't care how posh or how important their time is they can learn to queue like the rest of us.

Good for you for standing your ground op.

[TruJay]

Haha you were much more polite than I would have been, what a chancer!

[PupPupBoogie]

We had this exact situation when shopping a few days before Christmas. I was outraged. Being heavily pregnant didn't help. In our case they were only just at the end of the checkout so she just pushed in front of me with her trolley!

[PelvicFloorClenchReminder]

Nooooo!

Not a thing, and thank you for stopping it in its tracks before it becomes one..!

[acasualobserver]

When they stormed off did they just leave their shopping behind?

[HawkingsMead]

I do most shopping online, saves so much grief.

But I had this a few years back, a woman about my age had parked her elderly mum in the queue to place hold and the mum refused to let me go ahead of her! Twat.

[Mymouthgetsmeintrouble]

What a pair of twits , what did the checkout person say , im afraid i would have just laughed in their faces

[Iwantagoonthetrampoline]

yanbu! Can maybe leave one person unloading whilst the other nips off to grab a forgotten item, but they sound simply bonkers.

[MovingOnUpMovingOnOut]

I'd like to see supermarkets dealing with this. Perhaps there could be a code to alert the management?

Supervisor to cashier 14 please, we have a code dick. Repeat, code dick at cashier 14.

[DeathStare]

When they stormed off did they just leave their shopping behind?

No. He didn't have any shopping with him. When she arrived she had a full trolley. She couldn't put anything on the conveyor because I had filled it so she just stood there with her full trolley demanding I took my stuff off until she gave up and stormed off and her DH followed her.

[InternationalHouseofToast]

I've had this with baskets - stood behind a couple with a basket, they load the belt, I put the barrier in place and start loading mine and they say "hold on" and point - over on the opposite side of the aisle, nowhere near them, is another 2 baskets of bloody shopping. Had I known they'd decanted a trolley into baskets I'd have chosen a different till.

Your couple have more front than Blackpool.

[PelvicFloorClenchReminder]

'code dick'