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?

I have had someone in frontof me put there shopping through and then say to the cashier "I'll just pop to the cash machine"

We then had to just wait while the person walked to the front of the supermarket to get their cash and one back to pay!

As an ex cashier here i woulndnt allow that.I have been known for people to pop back for things and find i have served others and they are back to the end of the queue.Also i tell people off for encrouching on others personal space.
The best was though was a couple standing right beside the card machine.Woman trying to put her pin in,so i asked them to move back give the woman some space.

They did but with a face like a slapped arse,but they went to a manager and told on me.But when i showed the manager where they where standing he he told them off.Haha,he said it was a security measure and i was right.

As a shop assistant, can I just ask that you all please think of us poor buggers when you're shopping.

I don't know about other shops, but with mine, if we have to void items too many times then we can get in to trouble. So someone not putting the divider up and purposely having the cashier scan wrong items only for them to have to void them could get that cashier into serious shit.

This also goes for the times when I've already started scanning someone's shopping for them to then bugger off for something else and the person behind thinking that I can just serve them in the meantime. That would mean having to void items and again that could get me into trouble. This is why some cashiers have to wait for the first customer to return and can't serve you first.

I get really pissed off if the first person shouts over their shoulder "oh it's ok, serve them first" no it's fucking not ok cos I've got to void all your shit and I know I'll be asked to come in to the office to explain why and warned not to do it again whilst feeling like a criminal.

Yes Until!

Exactly what I said. You are being inconvenienced as a customer but at least your job isn't on the line

Something similar happened to me yesterday. Saw a parking space in the high street and went to park. A man was standing in the space looking down the road but as it was next to a bus stop I assumed he was looking for the next bus or about to cross the road. When I got out of the car he approached me and said "You are very rude - I was saving that space for my wife". I said "didn't realise - sorry" and walked off with him shouting after me. Saw his wife appear and ask him what was going on - she'd obviously parked further up and walked down to meet him. With hindsight I would have suggested it would have been more effective if he'd lain down in the space to save it :)

Weirdorama!

ugh people are arseholes really aren't they 😩
Had a similar experience on holiday a few weeks ago went for breakfast which was a buffet, walked in loads of empty tables and chose one and sat down. Myself, OH and kids weren't sitting there 2 mins and a woman stormed over and was literally roaring "hey that's our table we chose that one" and I said there was literally nothing on the table how the fuck were we supposed to know youd chosen it??? And she continued ranting an raving about how they chose the table and we took it absolute crazy person
This went on a few minutes everyone looking at the deranged weirdo having a meltdown but no way was I moving for her the mad bitch. she finally admitted defeat and sat at the table (also empty) right next to us 😂

user omg if I was her (wouldn't be but anyway) I would have sat as far away from you as possible in sheer embarrassment!! I can't believe some people! Absolute nutters!!!!

dusstarr73 did you live near me? I have many ishoos quirks. One of them being people encroaching on my personal space. I remember queuing for something once and the lady behind was edging closer and closer, I'm sure if I was sat down she would have sat on my knee! I didn't say anything but i think it was written all over my face at this point. Cashier piped up asking if she was okay and was there a problem. Then told her to move back give me some space and wait her turn

I have never seen a queue reserver, I would love to though, although I tend to either be a complete walkover or hysterical curser, I can't seem to find my in between mode in these situations so I'm not sure how I would handle it.

I was once in a low queue in a supermarket, basket/small item queue in a small supermarket, two of these tills open and one queue, all happily going to the next one open when a man comes in and goes straight to the top passing us all out, I very nicely said (as I was next) "Sorry this is the queue", he came up in my face and scream and the top of his lungs "Fuck off" and spat on me, the cashier served him first anyway and then said "You are better off just getting rid of these people", I was raging, and a bit shocked/upset so said nothing, I still kick myself for that years later

Buffets in hotels are always a problem, especially if the meal is going to be allocated to your room. What do you do? Leave the key there? Might just be a wee key card so someone might not notice

I frequently let someone with only a few items in front of me when I've got a trolley (at Lidl) - especially if I'm not in a rush and feeling relaxed. However, like others, if they assume, I'm less likely to do it.

I do get pissed off at people starting to load the conveyor belt behind me, when I'm still obviously loading it myself . Especially at Lidl, where the ability to pack fast after scanning is essential, I'm careful about the order I put things onto the conveyor and they're mucking up the space I've got to do it. I'll put the divider in front of their stuff and ostentatiously push it backwards to give me space which may or may not result in some of their stuff falling off the back of conveyor

I have occasionally been guilty of running to get another thing but in my defence, only if my stuff is already on the conveyor and the person ahead of me is going to take longer to pack and pay than it would take for me to run and get back . I also apologise to the person behind me.

NoCabbageInMyEye

I was driving into a petrol station one day, and as I approached a pump, a guy got out of a jeep and reserved that particular pump for the jeep driver. I just left them to it. Saaaad.

nocabbage That is awful and I think it's terri;e that the cashier served him. The manager should have been called and thrown him out!

snowgirl29 Im in Dublin so you never know.

What I'm not getting about the parking space reservers is how did they get there first. Surely they came in the car too, so if they are there at a parking spot wasn't the car there too? So why not just park it?

Foxes I imagine you both arrive in car together, enter car park-it looks busy.
One person says I'll jump out and find a space, person left in car drives around until they see spouse madly waving having reserved a space?

Chopstick is was the "Customer Sevices Manager" . I was raging because they had security there too and surely she could have called them to step in, the man looked like he had a few drinks on board, or at least that's how his breath smelt, he was that close!! It's one of those situations where you are too shocked to think what to say but end up having conversations in your head for ages later -like this morning- where you come up with the perfect response

FoxesOnSocks

Some people get out on the ramp etc and run between the cars to stand in the space

If a new checkout opens its survival of the fittest.I dont think if your on one queue and move it doesnt give you automatic rights to be first.

I often stay in the old queue when a new checkout opens because most people go for the new till.

Totally agree until the other day a couple came to the checkout with one basket, put the contents of the basket on the conveyor belt. After the usual niceties and checking re bags etc I started scanning. Woman looks at me as if I'm stupid and says, "no just that is mine!" And points to a packet of cat biscuits (No divider used) - am I fucking psychic? Tools.

Never known anyone get hauled up for too many voids in our place though. It's a good job though - in the same shift I scanned a reduced label which came up as £256.17 which had me when I saw the panicked look on the customer's face.

As for this type of situation covered in the OP. I have seen it and told people to move away. The "I'm popping back for something, is that ok?" Brigade can be annoying. I always want to say "No! Get your shopping off the belt"

The worst for me though are the, "I've got the right change love" and waiting an age for them to root in their purse on a busy shift. There's plenty of change in the till! Grrr

DH and elderly MiL flew back from Malawi via Heathrow. They had a long, shit journey overnight, and were knackered. MiL insists on being first in queues, so, in spite of assigned seats, DH wearily took up position at the front of the BA queue at Heathrow. She stood beside him. The queue built and built. Just as the desk opened, 7 people in BA uniform came charging in to the front of the queue.

DH was not bothered, assuming they were the crew for the flight. But (go BAA.) the check in desk asked them and, No, they were crew being flown, but not working.

There was a small, polite round of applause when the check in person firmly sent them to the back of the queue where they had cheerfully barged in front of a knackered elderly lady and 200 odd other patient queuing people.

Go BAA. Shame on you BA staff.

I posted something very similar a few years ago - the same thing happened to me. I couldn't believe it. So yes, I've experience it too & it's utterly ridiculous.

I had an octogenarian (I'm guessing) tell me to fuck off a couple of weeks ago- I think they were in a mad rush. My crime? I had packed all my things and moved the trolley to the other side and they were so far up they were in front of the server and the credit card machine so i couldn't pay.

To make matters worse they were pushing their trolley into my legs. Strange. Rude.

I made them mad. I just stood there after my "excuse me" was ignored and looked at the cashier who also said nothing. So i just told the cashier very calmly- "unless this gentleman would like to pay for my shopping or move out of the way I'm not sure anyone is going anywhere"