Things people do that baffle you 2

People that are walking happily along the street then need to stop for some reason. No problem. It happens. Might be getting something for their child in a buggy. Dog has stopped to sniff. Just getting something out their bag. Sending a text. So you go to overtake them. But they start walking the second you are right alongside them. So you’re now walking in tandem. But they look at you like you’re doing something odd.

Had it yesterday with a couple walking a dog. As the dog stopped to sniff they were looking about so they saw me walking towards them. One even nodded hello at me. As I went to walk past them they started walking as well. So now we’re walking as a three all next to each other. Why didn’t they just wait 3 seconds for me to get ahead?? I ended up slowing down to let them pull ahead and when they stopped again for the dog I tried to speed up but they started walking next to me again. And they kept glancing at me the second time so I ended up crossing the road. I honestly find it really weird. But I accept it might just be me.

Yes, those under 50 made the stupid decision to start as teenagers, but the reason why they STILL smoke is (usually) because they're addicted.

I do know at least one smoker who says he smokes because he likes it and isn't addicted - he can go a long time without smoking when necessary.

You've expressed it far better than me! It's the making folk stop that were rolling along nicely that buggers it all up!

I'm not suggesting for a moment that you did talk about berating customers - that was my own wider consideration of how it could come across if you don't have the bags freely available for the people who will expect them. I was not twisting your words but adding my own on this discussion forum.

For what it's worth, I take my own bags in; but I've observed that virtually nobody else ever does. I don't have any 'agenda' other than to realise that working in a shop for low pay at often unsociable hours is not most people's dream job - and that it's probably even less fun to have to put up with the negative reactions of, and delays caused by, customers who are expecting you to offer/pack a bag as a basic part of serving them and which they obviously need, but then you don't.

Not all, granted, as many will indeed politely ask for one or more bags; but a fair proportion won't. Even just one customer abusing you for being "too stupid to even know that I obviously need a bag" is one more than you want whilst doing a not-particularly-exciting job.

It really isn't especially important to me, contrary to what you may think; just my thoughts in response to your own thoughts.

Especially when there's nobody behind you!

I am with you. If everyone else has got into the left hand lane early and it's moving, albeit slowly, the early signage has clearly worked and it IS the people who push in who cause the issues and cause everyone to stop.

If the signs say merge in turn, that's what you do.

But you have to do one or the other, not both.

People that drive 10mph below the speed limit. I don’t understand why they think that going slower is safer.

I saw something on Facebook about this today - moaning about cyclists on the Granite Way.

It's a cycle path. The clue is in the name. Not a (dog) walkers' path or a runners' path.

I don't think that's a new thing.

It's very easy not to start!

Of course, it's an addiction. Everyone knows that. Everyone knows how difficult it is to stop.

The point that the PP was making, and that I was quoting, was 'anyone under the age of 50'. Anyone over 50 would have grown up and entered the adult world brow-beaten to take it up. The societal pressure to smoke has gone.

Smoking is an addiction. If it was so easy to stop, I am sure that many would.

I think some of them are born with, or develop very early on, an addictive personality and if it's not smoking it will be something else. Even healthy things like sport are addictive to some people.

I think a poster explained why she started as a teenager - to fit in and be cool. When I realise people are smokers it often does put me off them because it means they were one of the cool kids at school or aspired to be and I was the opposite. However, I totally understand the addiction part.

Could you quote the part of my post in which I suggest the cashier should 'berate customers for not bringing their own bags'?

Nowhere do I suggest anything of the sort. Here is my post again:

No, I still think that the default should be to assume that everyone nowadays takes their own bag.
Customers should have to actively ask for a bag, for lots of good reasons.

The cashier need say nothing. The onus is on the customer to ask for a bag.

I'm shocked at the way you have twisted my words to suit your own odd agenda.

The amount of personal information people freely give out online

Smoke

I still think it can't be a lot of fun working for minimum wage - in a place with frequent shoplifters and potential violent robbers after the cigarettes behind the counter - and then being treated like you're stupid by so many customers for not realising that they need a bag, whilst taking longer to serve the queue because you're putting the scanned purchases back on the counter rather than into a bag, before they then ask for one.

Like it or not, you have to react to what people are like, not what they should be like; and if you berate customers for not bringing their own bags, you'll just get anger and/or abuse from a fair number of them.

No, I still think that the default should be to assume that everyone nowadays takes their own bag.

Customers should have to actively ask for a bag, for lots of good reasons.

Rely on AI for everything. They even post wrong information and seem shocked that AI got it wrong and a person corrected them

I think they all decided to not give a shit about the shopper's experience some time during the pandemic, and then it has increased. They don't even reserve the pallets for night fill to the later evening anymore, it's just any old time.

on the matter of busy supermarkets, have supermarkets recently decided to stock shelves at all hours rather than just when it’s quieter? The main issue for me is the stocking pallets and the online shopping pickers, and then the ordinary shoppers on top of that. It gets v busy.

But you're just one of loads of customers they will serve that day. If lots of their customers do invariably want/need a bag, it makes sense for them to ask everybody as a matter of routine.

Even amongst the people who always take bags to the supermarket with them, the very nature of local convenience stores lends itself to last-minute unplanned-for purchases. Getting the weekly shop at Tesco is an 'event' that people put thought into; realising that you're out of milk and dashing to grab some much less so.

I barely post any more either because Facebook in particular has turned into a sewer of AI slop, local whinging and ads.

I think most people with any intelligence look back at their social media behaviour from a decade ago and cringe at themselves. I'm sure you're no worse than a lot of people. I never posted stuff like that but there was a period when I genuinely thought people might care what I'd had for lunch or that I'd just spotted a squirrel in my garden. Madness.

Honestly it's such a bizarre phenomenon, looking back on it. like a period of collective insanity. I think people who still post a lot on social media now (over the age of about 20) are a bit desperate.

I miss the ability to easily chat to friends I rarely see but I'm so glad its in decline.

Maybe they both enjoy driving and so they do half each; or they see driving as a boring chore, so they each do their bit and also have chance to relax, read or scroll on their phones when the other is doing their bit?!