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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Supermarket conveyer belts.....

83 replies

caroline161 · 10/10/2017 15:00

So this really gets my back up but have never voiced it before. So there you are at the checkout putting your stuff from your large trolley load of stuff onto the belt and someone comes up from behind and starts putting things on the belt from their basket/trolley. You haven't finished putting your stuff on and before you know where you are their stuff starts moving along the belt. So AIBU and what pleasant comment can I utter when this happens to me again?

Lighthearted, I know there are worse problems but it just gets up my nose.

OP posts:
scurryfunge · 10/10/2017 15:03

Trolley placement is the key. Unpack with your trolley at the end of the conveyor and not alongside it. No one can get near Smile

ditzychick34 · 10/10/2017 15:03

Totally gets my goat, I try passive aggressive "oh sorry, am I in your way?"

moonlight1705 · 10/10/2017 15:06

Personally I would somewhat passive aggressive and place the shopping splitter thingy behind their shopping and say 'Oh wow, I forgot I needed all of this....thanks' Grin

ThursdayLastWeek · 10/10/2017 15:06

I’ve never had anyone do this!

I’m not saying it doesnt happen of course, I’m just surprised because it so obviously goes against supermarket 'etiquette'!

MrsHathaway · 10/10/2017 15:07

I only get this in Aldi. Paddington Bear stare and "I'm going to need more space than that."

Surely it's just lack of self-awareness? I mean, it doesn't actually save them any time, as they have to faff about moving everything.

theknackster · 10/10/2017 15:11

Nobody starts putting anything on the belt until the person in front has placed the divider down, surely? My 'AIBU' here is whether to huff and stroppily reach for the divider if the person in front doesn't do it themselves when they're 'done'...

Hufflepuff719 · 10/10/2017 15:13

I've never had anyone do this.

Place your trolley so the person behind can't put their stuff on yet.

If you don't have a trolley, stand at the end of the conveyor belt near the baskets so they can't.

jay55 · 10/10/2017 15:17

Be really slow, handing things one at a time to the cashier?

Blahblahblahhhhhhh · 10/10/2017 15:39

This very phenomena happened this very same day to me as I unpacked my purchases in aldi waitrose.
I just got the deviding bar and slid all her crap goods up till i had enough room.
The check out assistant said "your very brave, she stabbed my cousin".
I did a wee in my pants and ran for the door like the chicken I am.

Lorddenning1 · 10/10/2017 15:44

This always happens to me in Aldi, it drives me mad, my fella had to step in last week and tell the guy we needed more room, the guy had a proper strop on Angry
This weeks annoyance, so I'm waiting for the lady to scan my shopping, with my trolley (again in Aldi) another women comes and stands next to me, near the card machine waiting for her turn, I kept turning around looking at her to say what are you doing, back off it's not your turn yet, so it come to paying and I can't get near the card machine so the server said cash or card, I said well I think this lady is going to pay for my shopping and turned to look at her, she didn't even get the hint and move, so rude!!!

thenorthernluce · 10/10/2017 15:44

If you were me last week, sleep deprived and towing a screaming newborn in the pram while trying to wrestle with a basket full of groceries, you snarled at the man behind you loading prematurely "I haven't finished yet!!!"

He was terrified.

Needalifeoverhaul · 10/10/2017 16:00

This has happened to me and i was so rude! I think I just did the passive aggressive thing of loudly tutting, huffing and puffing without saying a word. Really was stuck for what to say...

Needalifeoverhaul · 10/10/2017 16:01

Sorry meant it not I was so rude...i wish I had been....

MrsHathaway · 10/10/2017 16:04

"your very brave, she stabbed my cousin".

!!!

Sparklingbrook · 10/10/2017 16:13

As PP says always have your trolley behind you to avoid personal space issues and cheeky conveyor behaviour.

If Aldi and Lidl did Scan as you Shop it would be perfect, because the checkout business is just rubbish from start to finish.

Beansonapost · 10/10/2017 16:28

Why can’t you just turn around and ask them to wait?

Why be passive aggressive?

bigbluebus · 10/10/2017 16:31

I don't mind if they weigh up the situation and leave you plenty of room but I have been known to tell people - politely- who don't leave me enough space to move their things whilst giving them one of my hard stares.

SaigonSaigon · 10/10/2017 16:39

Yep it's awful. I just think people don't care. Their shopping and time is more important than yours. It's almost as bad as those who are basically hurrying you up to pack, pay and go so they stand right by the card payment machine as you put your pin in. It's just so rude. I don't get it.

StraussN · 10/10/2017 16:41

I've never had this happen.

Mayvis · 10/10/2017 16:50

I was in Lidl. They announced the opening of a checkout, so I moved along to it. Man with basket already there. He unloads his basket but right at the end of the conveyor, rather than down near the cashier end. I had a whole trolley to unload but now couldn't as we had to wait for a cashier to arrive and turn the belt on.

Welwyncitydweller · 10/10/2017 19:23

I did this to someone totally by accident! I wasn’t well and head was fuzzy, simply didn’t notice person in front hadn’t finished loading. She was unpleasant about it. It’s happened to me and I’ve just said “oh hold on, not finished yet” in a friendly way.

LadyWire · 10/10/2017 20:08

I have an extremely passive aggressive reaction to this. I start spacing my shopping out on the conveyor belt so that however much space they've left me it isn't enough and then I stand there tutting and sighing until they move their stuff. This is in lieu of screaming "don't you put a single item on this checkout until I have finished unloading my trolly and I have placed the divider. Don't you understand basic queuing etiquette???" because I am British and therefore have to put on a veneer of politeness.

ladyvimes · 10/10/2017 20:11

This has never happened to me! I would probably stop and give a pointed look (I’m so assertive)!

MrsEileithyia · 10/10/2017 20:14

I’ve been on the other end of this! I was in Asda 37 weeks pregnant and my basket was heavy. It wasn’t on a conveyer checkout, it was the kiosk counter. The customer in front of me was an Asda employee with all her stuff already in bags and paid for but she was having a good chat to the fella serving behind the till. I popped my basket on the empty side of the till thinking nothing of it but the woman turned to me and said “the youth of today have absolutely no manners whatsoever!”

I was really Shock

I don’t think I was being rude. I was secretly chuffed that she called me a youth because I’m nearly 30.

abigailgabble · 10/10/2017 20:18

Shock this has never happened to me and it sounds like pandemonium!!