To think you should not get in a checkout queue if you don't have have your shit together

[PookieDo]

Massive queue in a fairly small but very rammed shop today

Woman queuing at till in front of me gets to the front and cashier calls out 'next!'

Woman realises she doesn't have her husband or small child with her or the basket with the shopping in. So she calls out to them and neither react. Small child is hanging around In the doorway getting in everyone's way. So she gets this basket off child and starts to process this. Husband then takes another 2 mins to stroll over to wife with more shopping. Woman then sends small child over to something else to pick up, which they can't see due to the MASSIVE queue of people patiently waiting so more faffing ensues while she tries to point and give directions, the child can't see it so in the end someone nice in the queue hands it to the child.

Cashier patiently stands and waits while likely dying inside at the needless arseache this is causing

Is this a new thing, joining a queue before you've actually finished the shopping and then continuing to shop while standing at the till?

Grumpy rant over

[n0rtherrn]

You are all very precious, try a little tolerance

No.
People need to get their shit together before joining a queue.
Some people are just selfish and thoughtless in their own little 'me me me' bubble.

[Alisvolatpropiis]

People who needlessly cause queues are the bain of my working life. I hate them. And no, I can't "chill out" about it, because zero queues is one of the targets in my job.

[Shellsandstones1]

I'm afraid that I saw a woman who beat all-comers tonight at my local petrol station. It's a slightly awkward layout outside but there are a couple of parking spaces as well as the pump spaces. There was a massive queue as a car appeared to be abandoned at the "behind" pump, and everyone was trying to get in to use the pump in front. Chaos.
The car owner had paid for his petrol but fancied sitting in the cafe bit and eating a massive selection of nosh, oblivious to the chicane outside.

[Patriciathestripper1]

josh I actually forgot my purse once when getting petrol, was told to drop it in when next passing!!
West cork is the best 😍

[PookieDo]

If someone did this like today then gave me a cheeky smile and complained about their bloody husband/bad day and apologised I would laugh it off.
It's when the queue fuckwits don't even have the courtesy to even try to be sorry and get the fuck out ASAP. I mean she did not need to send small child milling around for a packet of bloody crisps as if they were some essential item. The kid didn't even give a shit about the crisps but mum was like GO GET THE CRISPS. THOSE ONES. THERE. YELLOW PACKET. ON THAT SIDE.

Loo roll? Yes I may have forgiven

[Smellbellina]

Used to love these customers when I was a cashier, gave me a breather.
Didn't like the customers who would have a go at me about them though, like I rule the masses from my till. They could have it right back

[SofaToad]

Once we were standing behind a group of overseas students who all wanted to pay for their shopping individually. It was going OK until there was some kind of discussion about who was paying for a banana or something, waving of money and refusal to resolve it, they completely ignored everyone, queue was getting longer, checkout woman just sat there. Our shopping was waiting to go through. I left it and walked out.

On the other hand we were behind a lady who was short of a penny to pay for her groceries, her husband had vanished and she was worrying about holding us up. We gave her a penny, she paid, thanked us profusely and went.We were packing our shopping into bags and she came back and handed us a penny, insisting we took it.

Have also had the place saving at an otherwise empty checkout.

And the pushing into the Lidl queue.

I am the one that charges off to get something while the shopping is going through, then lobs it through the air to companion to catch so as not to hold anyone up.Then work my way to the front to join companion or go through the exit barrier and load up from the other side.

[PokerRoomRules]

Norma you've really got this one wrong. Any person with awareness and consideration would go back and queue again for the items they've forgotten.

[OlennasWimple]

YANBU OP

If you aren't ready, you wave the person behind you through, surely?

[5foot5]

I can only say YANBU and I agree with you entirely. But I was once, unwillingly, in the other position.

When I was a kid my DM would do the supermarket shop and when she was nearly done would put me in the queue with the trolley while she went to get the last few bits. I always hated this and said "Oh Mum" but she brushed it off. Then one day she went too far. She had disappeared for ages and I got to the front of the queue so I let the people behind me go next. Then the next people and still no sign. Eventually there was only me so I started to unpack the shopping and let it go through. Yes we got to the point where money needed to change hands and still no Mum.

I had to explain to the cashier and then go running round the shop looking for her. I found her standing browsing some shit like she had all the time in the world and only reluctantly responded to my frantic urging to hurry up and pay. I then protested quite strongly that she had put me in that position but all she said was "Well l am here now"

I think what pissed me off most was her apparent inability to see why I was making such a fuss. After that I completely refused EVER to save a place ever again. Even if she said she was just nipping off to get a tin of peas or something I would leave the queue, which drove her mad but I wasn't risking it again.

I dunno, maybe it was a time of life thing made her lose track (although she would have been nearly 15 years younger than I am now and I don't think I have ever gone into a shopping trance in a supermarket)

This must have been more than 40 years ago so it obviously made a big impression on me!

[AmberStClare]

It's the people who appear so shocked about having to pay for their shopping when asked for money. They stand there looking at the contents of their purses with such worry. Forget 'Who let the dogs out' I feel an overwhelming urge to break into a chorus of 'Who let the moths out'

[Euripidesralph]

I love the argument that we should all be a little more tolerant

See actually I think what these people do is the highest form of entitlement and arrogance

Currently my life is insane....I am a single parent to two small children and I work full time in a senior role and am moving house....so here's the thing....I expect no leeway. ..my life choices are my life choices
I go out of my way to handle my own life....my situation means I confess I am disorganised sometimes. ..so I offset it ...if I am not ready to pay I move to the side of the aisle and sort myself out before getting in the queue

If I am running late I resolve it myself rather than x pecking anyone else to do it for me
So precisely why am I expected to be tolerant of other people who are not prepared to be considerate?

Is their time more important than mine? Is their comfort more protected than mine?

Should I be late for the next meeting , or to pick my kids up because someone is too arrogant to consider that societal rules do not apply to them?

People say tolerance but this sort of crap can mean the difference to me to being 15 minutest late to nursery and getting a 25 pound fine because my day is so tight it might be the only time I can get breakfast stuff for the next morning

OK granted I'm taking all this a tad personally and I've had a long day but oh my dear god its so fucking frustrating

[affectionincoldclimate]

A portentous mother letting a toddler scan various items on the self checkout , while demanding he correctly identifies each before scanning it (!!) which he was doing slowly because he's 3. Nothing wrong with that except it was 6 pm rush hour in a small Sainsbury's local with queue snaking around the shop on the hottest day of the year which she seemed to be completely oblivious to in that smug self satisfied way. There is a time and place for everything...

[PookieDo]

No I agree, and if everyone did this then there would be chaos. This order is there for a reason - because it's time efficient. Today I did have time to stand in the queue but there have been times when I need to catch a train or be somewhere and other people faffing about with no regard for others is unfair.
Of course i would be tolerant of someone who clearly had difficulties with money or communication and I might even choose to leave if it was going to take too long


I would never have a massive go at the cashier about it that is really not acceptable - it isn't their fault someone is an idiot.

[KimchiLaLa]

M&S the other day. I get in a queue behind a trolley with a few items in it. I'm only buying one item. Wait for a while. Owner does not turn up. Ask people in front if trolley is their's - they say no. So I figure oh ok, someone has dumped their shopping here. Push trolley aside and stand behind other people. Few minutes later I hear a loud sigh and a huff. Turn around and see trolley owner there, shooting me evils. "I'm sorry!" I said, "but there was no one here and I did ask". "Oh it's fine", owner says in a way that indicates It was not fine, "I was just browsing the cards".

Right. So now we are allowed to place mark queue slots with trollies, while we stroll off for a leisurely browse. WTF.

[EverythingUnderTheSun]

I used to live near a shop where queue place-saving happened all the time. I would tut loudly (in my head ) but was secretly impressed as the people that did it were so organised. None of this faffing around - they timed it perfectly with one person inching forward in the queue whilst the other grabbed stuff from around the shop, done and ready to pay when they needed to. It always seemed to be non-uk born people doing this, which isn't an obscure Daily Mail rant (!), but I wondered if it was the queuing method in some countries, or a sort of adaptation to the traditional British Queue..?

No faffing should be the rule though.

[PookieDo]

Hands up I have sent a teenager off for some bog roll or cat food whilst in the queue, like a challenge Anneke request GO GO GO and they duly go off like the clappers but if they've not returned by the time I Am about to pay I will leave it behind.

[FeralBeryl]

Another one is the Fucking security gate at the airport
We queued patiently, for hours plazzy bags with liquids in hand, belts off, bags ready only to get behind loads of people still wearing their rucksacks, jackets on covered in metal bits, iPads buried at the bottom of bags etc.
The poor security fella was as apoplectic as us. Held everyone up massively and the true indignity was that they'd stood prattling on that this was their 9th country this year and were very well travelled! Every single one of them did it.

[EverythingUnderTheSun]

I think I may unintentionally be a security gate faffer, apologies Beryl.
I just don't get it - you need octopus arms. Trying to hold a cardigan, bag, iPad separately from bag, liquids in plastic bag, whilst taking shoes off...

[BonnieF]

It baffles me that so many people appear to be taken completely by surprise when asked to pay for their shopping. The then start rooting around in theor bag for their purse, get flustered, can't find their loyalty card, forget their pin etc etc....

FFS it's not difficult!

The best people to be behind in a supermarket queue are scowling impatient blokes who are looking at their watches every 10 seconds. At least they want to get on with it...

[GnomeDePlume]

My DH's pet hate are purse faffers. These are the people who once they have paid for their shopping insist on standing at the end of the till reorganising the contents of their purse, sorting change, putting the cards back in all the right slots, neatly folding the till receipt before putting it in its special place etc etc.

He also gets the rage when after he has carefully arranged all the shopping on the belt so that it comes off in the right order for packing the checkout person reaches over the top and takes something to scan from the middle of the belt.

I try to only go shopping with DH in Tesco where we can use the scan gun!

[LondonNicki]

In some cases people are just disorganised and not thinking of others. In other cases there might be a good reason why someone isn't behaving exactly as expected - like dementia or autism etc. The person might look completely 'normal' but might be having difficulties.

But in this circumstance there is no suggestion that the woman had dementia or similar difficulties. What a strange conclusion to jump to.

[RunYouJuiceBitch]

One thing that does my head in is when I'm paying cash and the change consists of both notes and coins. Cashiers always put the note in your hand first then pile the coins on top of it.

If I'm not wearing clothes with pockets that I can just shove it in until I'm out the way of the next person, I need to get that money in my purse. I have been known to drop it everywhere if it remains in my palm any longer than absolutely necessary. First you need to tip the coins into the coin part, then fold the note in half and shove it into the back of the wallet. I do this quickly - I am not a queue-faffer, quite the opposite - but it still slows me down more than I'd like.

I usually end up staggering away from the checkout with trolley/shopping bags in one hand, purse and change balanced in the other and receipt between my teeth. Once I'm clear of the next person, I start the separation of coins and notes.

1. It would be easier if they put the coins in my palm first, THEN the notes... at least then I could get the coins into the purse immediately and walk away with just the notes in my hand rather than risk dropping coins all over the place.
   

1. This minor problem bothers me way too much; I need help.
   

I tend to pay by card more often than not anyway these days. Best thing for everybody, I think.

[Ceto]

If I get held up in a queue, I see it as a chance for me to have a bit of a rest from rushing around!

Lovely for you, but not everyone has the time for a rest. And most people would rather have it anywhere other than in a supermarket queue.

A couple of weeks ago I reached a till where someone with a trolley was paying and there was a woman behind him who I assumed was with him, so I went there and started unpacking. Woman protested loudly and said her shopping was just coming and, sure enough, a young man with a trolley turned up. I said very calmly "Too bad, I was in the queue in front of him, you don't get to keep places in queues" and carried on unpacking. She went terribly huffy and eventually said "Oh, all right, don't make such a fuss about it" so I smiled brightly and said "No, I'm not making any fuss". They stropped off to another till where I was happy to see them still waiting as I paid and left.

[Ceto]

What also irritates me is the obsessive organisers. That's the people who take ages lining their shopping up incredibly tidily on the belt, frequently rearranging it as they do so. I wouldn't mind if there was some logic to it, e.g. keeping cold stuff together, but that doesn't necessarily seem to be the case - and even then I don't see the point in it as the cashier just pushes everything through fairly randomly and they have to be sorted the other side anyway. But then they similarly take hours organising their bags perfectly before they pay.

Plus I always feel they're judging me for being such an untidy cow when I just put the stuff down as it comes out of the trolley and hurl it into the appropriate bags once it's gone through the till.