Just popped into Wilkinsons to buy a packet of Rennies. It should have been simple, I had the correct change, knew what I wanted, knew where in the shop it was located, I should have been in and out, right?
Wrong!
I selected a till with two people ahead of me in the queue, one at the front was a chap who looked to be in his late 40s/early 50s. The checkout lady scanned his items and THEN he considered packing them. Once he'd completed this task, which took some time as, for some reason, he felt the need to re-examine everything he'd just bought as he packed it, she asked him for payment of £7.63.
This did not surprise me. I'm half his age and have managed, somehow, to adjust to the concept that retailers expect payment in the form of cash, credit/debit card or cheque in exchange for goods and services. However, he looked slightly startled before burrowing in his pocket for his wallet which he went on to extract, open and take a crisp £10 note from with no haste whatsoever. After completing this clearly arduous task he asked the checkout lady for one of the £1 scratch cards she had displayed by her till. She duly extracted one for him.
He considered this for a moment or two before asking if she could also fetch him a £2 one. She went to do so.
No, no. Not THAT £2 one, an identical £2 one from three checkouts away, because there's no way two scratch cards from the same till would be winners. She went and fetched him one. Now, £1 + £2 = £3 plus his original shopping of £7.63 is, obviously, £10.63. So why did he look surprised when she asked for an increased amount?
"Don't worry, love, I have the exact change!" He declares, burrowing once more in his pocket and extracting a huge handful of the same. And begins counting out 63p in the smallest denominations possible. I can SEE a 50p and a 10p in his hand! Just give her those!
Finally, he's done and the next lady gets served. She only has a small christmas tree and a pack of baubles. Her friend pays whilst she attempts to open a carrier bag. And attempts. And attempts. And attempts. Before finally admitting defeat and asking the checkout lady 'Can you open this?'. Who knew that if you grasp each side firmly and pull, that the bag will open as if by magic?!
So, am I being unreasonable to suggest that we set aside a day in town centres for idiots to hold up each other and the rest of us to know to keep a wide berth? I'm thinking a Tuesday but am open to suggestion for other, more suitable days.