To ask about self-service checkout etiquette?

[BeKindToYourKnees]

If you leave your basket to one side (where no one is going to notice it) surely you can't expect to go to the front of the queue when you return?

With the latest drip feed she was BU as it was just you in front.

Age is relevant because if my 2 yo bolted in a shop I think I should go after her, a 12yo not.

If the queue had been long it would have been a bit harsh to make her go to the back and wait all over again with toddler/someone unable to function alone in shop.

If I was queuing and the person infront briefly left the queue to chase a child or even to grab an item I'd let them back in front of me.

However if people leave the queue they have to accept that people might not and also that some people wouldn't even realise they'd left and come back.

Doesn't sound like there was a queue though because only you were in it! I think in that case SWBU, and could have just gone after you. Sounds like you wandered up whilst she had gone AWOL. If the queue was busy, and she said to the person behind her, "sorry I've just got to get my child", or even "crap I forgot bread do you mind if I run and get it" I think that would be ok, to come back to her spot. I'm not culturally british though so I may be in the minority.

Unless she was employing a basket based version of this queueing system

I've never seen anyone place-holding with a basket here but that's ridiculous. I bet she was fed up if she had just finished chasing her toddler and just wanted to get on with it, but doesn't entitle her to cut back into her old place in line. Honestly if I saw a basket on the side I'd think someone had abandoned it there and left the store.