Supermarket etiquette

[Picklesandpies]

I've just been into Lidl to do my food shopping. Very quiet. Got to checkouts with my trolley full of food - joined queue with only one person in front so nearly done, the next checkout didn't have anyone queuing but a man with a big basket of shopping came behind me. I was only a third of the way through loading my shopping onto the conveyor belt when he started loading his own on! As you will know if you shop in Lidl, they aren't long conveyor belts, so I ended up with a tiny space to fit the rest of my shopping on - things were falling off because I was having to balance them on top of my other items! I apologised to the checkout assistant and he said 'I'm trying to make you some more space' - not that it was his fault of course. I put all my food into my trolley, without packing it in the bags so I was quick checking out. As I was stood at the side packing my food into bags the other man paid and when he was finished I said (politely and in a non aggressive manner) - 'excuse me, but would you mind not putting your things on the conveyor belt before I've finished unloading mine as it's makes it really difficult'. His answer was 'Well if you stacked it better then I wouldn't need to would I?' I replied that that was rude and rather arrogant, and he just said I was rude for telling him what to do. Surely by him loading his items on really close to mine that's being rather prescriptive over how I can load my own items on? The woman next to me said 'well said' and that she would have felt the same as me but AIBU in thinking that you just fucking wait for someone else to load their things on before you start with your own? Why cause unnecessary pressure?!

Disclaimer - I know this is a very first world problem, sorry!

Well I would have said something whilst he was doing it rather than after.

He was rude, but you should have said something at the time

I'd have said it at the time. Don't even say do you mind, make it a "stop putting your things on, I'm still using this"

He was BU and rude though.

Sorry I'm not finished, or just keep shoving his back till all of your fittted on. You would have been quicker if he just waited! He's a twat.

It's rude.

I don't put my shopping up til they have finished putting it on the belt or if they clearly only have 1-2 items left to put up and loads of room on the belt.

But I would of said something as he actually started doing it, such as 'excuse me, do you mind I haven't finished' then push his stuff back if he carried on.

I'm probably abit passive aggressive tho if people are being rude.

You can't have a pop at him after the fact. Tell him as he starts doing it.

Just a simple 'sorry, would you mind waiting until I'm finished losing my items please?' And no actual need for the 'sorry' but we are in Britain...!

This ALWAYS happens to me in lidl. Something about the panic induced by the insanely fast checkout people I reckon - people feel they have to get all their items on the belt before the person starts scanning them. Drives me potty too.

I have heard this a few times about lidl. It's bloody weird.

Next time just shove his things backwards towards the end to give yourself more room

Don't they have dividers, like every other supermarket?

I've had it happen to me in several supermarkets. I always say I haven't finished and then take as much space as I can going backwards - keep pushing the interloper's food back towards the end of the belt. Some get huffy but I don't care! It is a very rude thing to do.

YABU to wait until after the fact. Why not just say something at the time?

Say something at the time, not after.

I haven't finished loading my stuff.
I need more space.
Could you wait, please?
I have a full trolley.

And keep pushing back his stuff. Manspreading with groceries

I know I should have said something at the time. I didn't feel brave enough in that moment and he had left me so little room I didn't dare stop to say anything as I still had so much to fit on (and meanwhile someone else had joined the queue behind him so didn't want to be accused of holding anyone up.)

I would have said something at the time too. But yanbu as it's very annoying.

I'll be more prepared next time

Course they have dividers. I would have said something along the lines of 'I hope you're not expecting me to pay for those' about all his shopping that was in danger of getting mixed up with mine.

Never understand all this rush rush rush when it has zero impact on how fast you get through a checkout etc. The man would have had plenty of time to unload his basket while the OPs shopping was being scanned.

I had this in Aldi not too long ago. I said to the woman behind me "I'm going to need more space than that, there's still a lot in my trolley". She shrugged and ignored so I started piling my stuff on top of hers. It was fun as she had one of those staggered shelf things you put tins on so you can see them in your cupboard!

These days if my OH is with me, one of us stands at the back of the belt with 1 or 2 items until the other has unpacked, as if politely waiting in the queue - then we move forward.

It's so rude to start loading when you can clearly see the person in front needs the belt.

And yes, they do have dividers but I was nowhere near that point! I had two thirds of my trolley left to load onto about 50 cm of conveyor belt! I put a divider on at the end of course.

....and this I why I place my trolley at the start of the conveyor belt whilst I'm unloading, and only move it when I've got all my goods on, and have placed the divider bar. Then and only then can they get near enough to load their stuff up.

Knowwhereyourheadis that's brilliant! How convenient that she would be buying one of those stackers!

I would have said something at the time. Not afterwards as that seems goady and argumentative imho.

Great advice Peapodpopper - I'll do that next time. Although on a normal day in Lidl that might mean people end up queuing by the fishfingers!

I kind of see what you mean Twoo but it wasn't meant in that way. I was just under too much pressure at the time to say anything and needed a minute to think clearly. I was really polite - didn't expect any agro. If it was the other way round and I'd annoyed someone unintentionally then I'd have just said sorry and moved on.

I've never experienced this, although I don't shop in Lidl (we don't have one). But I would have done as several other people have suggested - politely request he waits, or push back his stuff to fit yours on. He was very rude.