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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Rude woman in tesco

208 replies

TorianaTollywobbles · 14/01/2011 20:23

This is my first AIBU so please be gentle!

In Tesco earlier. Woman in front of me in queue, unloading her shopping from small trolley. I leave a gap, put a divider on and start unloading my shopping also small trolley. The following then happens:

Her: What do you think you are doing? (aggressive tone)
Me: errr.... unloading my shopping
Her: well I have a full trolley you know
Me: ok will move my stuff down a bit, is not a problem, you only had to ask nicely
Her: silence

So was I BU unloading my shopping before she had finished? Didn't think I was, have done it before and no problems.

So AIBU or was she?

OP posts:
MrsPennySworth · 15/01/2011 14:34

I'd usually wait until the person in front has finished as there's not really any point in starting loading earlier as you're not going to get through any quicker by the time they have packed/paid etc.

It does annoy me a bit when people start doing this behind me or when they stand super close to me invading my 'personal space' ! As if they are thinking that if they stand a bit closer then they will get through the check out quicker! (this especially annoys me when I'm paying and putting my pin number in - feel like shouting 'just BACK off !!!!!')

I love a supermarket story thread Grin

BelleDeCinsault · 15/01/2011 16:30

Unfortunate that you can't switch it off once you have unleashed the AIBU, all you can do now is hide the thread.

To change the subject, I have discovered today that Tesco checkout staff are not allowed to put two of the same item through at the same time. Its to stop chancers coming back in with their receipt saying "but I only bought one". Annoying as it messes with my packing schedule...Hmm

Muira · 15/01/2011 16:42

Lately, DH and I were at self-service till in Tesco. The machine kept breaking. The guy at the self-service till next to us had loads of stuff. These two things meant that there was a massive queue. From the back, a loud-mouthed yappy woman, started shouting 'can't you see there's a fucking queue?' went up to this poor guy and started taking his stuff off the self-service counter and stuff he had scanned, putting it on the floor, and trying to scan her own! Staff were giving her hell when we left. Poor guy!

MrsNonSmoker · 15/01/2011 16:42

YABU, first time I have ever said it to anyone on here, its just common courtesy to wait.

Nancy66 · 15/01/2011 16:44

so, the rude woman in Tesco was actually YOU. that would have massively pissed me off as well.

AnyFuleKno · 15/01/2011 16:45

thanks for starting this thread Toriana, it's been very educational! Also dare say this will be remembered alongside other MN foibles such as eating grapes in the supermarket...

monkeyflippers · 15/01/2011 17:20

Muira poor guy! mental woman!

crazygracieuk · 15/01/2011 17:28

I'm gobsmacked at the number of yabu you have got. I think it's totally fine as long as you give the person on front adequate space.

eaglewings · 15/01/2011 17:41

this is said in a whisper

perhaps the lady in front of Tori had had a bad day and this was the last straw for her which is why she over reacted to feeling squashed?

mumsgotatum · 15/01/2011 17:44

YANBU...hark at all the self righteous on here!

sparkle101 · 15/01/2011 18:03

YABU. For all those people who say as long as you leave enough space, how rude and presumptuous of someone to dictate how much space I can have for my shopping. It is no quicker. The conveyor belt is a set length, unless the customer in front of you has a full length washing line taking up the whole belt you will do doubt have been packing (once they had finished) and fill in the last space when the customer in front is paying. How is that quicker?

PatPending · 15/01/2011 18:46

I don't think I've ever had anyone starting to load their shopping before I've finished loading mine.
Surely most people stand at the end of the belt to load though so it wouldn't really be possible unless you move along as you load?Confused
Or am I missing something obvious?

PuppyMonkey · 15/01/2011 18:49

Have to agree definitely not the thing to do, terrible invasion of space and intimidating and impatient of you. Those who say not a problem are the sort of folk who'd do the same thing, I presume. How annoying to have so many rude people around.

OldBagWantsNewBag · 15/01/2011 19:33

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

MrsFruitcake · 15/01/2011 20:00

YABU. It's very rude to do that IMO.

It has happened to me a couple of times and I was a bit Hmm but didn't say anything because I am too polite. I do, however, give very good evils!

Ingles2 · 15/01/2011 20:03

Have to say it doesn't bother me normally....
what does bother me is if someone moves into the 'paying space' before I've paid.
Dh has just told me he tells the cashier that person will be paying when it happens Shock Grin

antlerqueen · 15/01/2011 20:08

I would assume the sort of people who do things like that are the same sort of people who get really anxious behind the wheel and try to pass all the cars in front of them because they are SO important and they are GOING TO BE LATE and THEIR time is not to be wasted for somebody elses convenience/ privacy etc.

Sorry for the rant.
YABU.
A little bit.

antlerqueen · 15/01/2011 20:11

privacy may have been the wrong term here. general 'space'..

moshchops · 15/01/2011 20:28

I think you was rude. She shouldn't of had to ask, you shouldn't of done it in the first place.

roses42 · 15/01/2011 20:34

You were very rude, why could you have not waited untill she had finished unloading her groceries?

heartspain · 15/01/2011 22:02

In Spain, the checkout operators scan the shopping at breakneck speed. In some supermarkets they scan one person's shopping, swing a divider across then scan the next customer's shopping into a separate section. The first customer packs and then pays after the next customer's shopping has been scanned. Gets very confusing.
There is also a custom that people with 1 or 2 items are waved to the front of the queue. Seems to work.

sausagerollmodel · 15/01/2011 22:45

YABU someone did this to me yesterday when I had a full trolleyload of shopping to unload and a 3 year old in tow, she (the shopper) only had 4 or 5 items AND kept wandering off to get more things. She left me about 6 inches of space to load 30+ items so I had to keep moving her stuff back - in the end I got fed up with this (she had wandered off to get more stuff) so I moved her stuff OFF the conveyor belt onto a basket at the side. Then someone else came and joined the queue and put their stuff on. In the end she came back and said to the queue jumper "Excuse me, I put some shopping there" so I had to own up and say "Sorry, I had to move your stuff because I needed more space, I've got a full trolley to unload." the queue jumper apologised and said, "sorry, go on love" and was really nice about it.
So in conclusion I am saying it's best to wait, you aren't going to get served any quicker by putting your shopping on too soon. It is vv annoying for the person in front if they have to keep asking you to move your shopping.
And don't get me started on "absentee" queuing, people who wander off to get more stuff... I know you weren't one of those but it is v annoying all the same!

WillYouDoTheDangFanjo · 15/01/2011 22:59

YANBU

I am astonished that people are precious enough to want a conveyor belt all to themselves until they deign to lay down the precious plastic rod of demarcation. Utter nonsense.

Providing you left sufficient space, you were just saving time and not being rude in the slightest.

I can (just) remember the days when "next customer please" thingies were introduced. Before that, everyone just left a respectable gap before loading their shopping.

Teenytiny · 15/01/2011 23:01

I agree its one of my pet hates.i always wait till someone has finnished putting their shopping on the belt before i put mine on. but she was rather rude to have a go at you. x

Maisiethemorningsidecat · 15/01/2011 23:07

YABU - always wait until the person has finished unloading their trolley. How odd not to - and quite frankly if I'd been her in the mood I was in today I'd have said the same to you, and possibly worse!