Supermarket divider, is this a thing now?

[Whatshallidonowpeople]

I was in the supermarket yesterday, put my shopping on the belt, by the time I'd finished loading it the cashier had started scanning. Got to the end and there was a loaf of bread, he asked if it was mine, I said no. The woman behind me said "she didn't put the divider up so I left it" and then as I left, i heard her say "I refused to do it on principle as she (me) hadn't done it for her." Is that really a thing? She wasn't in the queue when I unloaded.

perfectly ... yes, vertically....

It was a thread in joke section ages ago - people’s reaction to the divider being the wrong way. Was pretty funny.

I always used to put the divider up until I started to frequent a certain local Tesco where the dividers are all filthy. That made me realise how many dirty paws are handling them, now I just go through the self scanning area, no matter what supermarket I'm in. I live alone and shop most days so it isn't a problem, if I did a big weekly shop I'd be forced to handle the dividers. Yuck. I'm not a germophobe but those dividers were disgusting. I considered complaining but just changed store, as the whole place was badly run.

It has never occurred to me to care about whether the person in front has put the divider behind their shopping or not. It’s hardly difficult for me to do it if they haven’t. It just genuinely would not register as a thing to be arsey about.

i have never, ever come across anyone putting the divider down after their shopping.

when my kids were toddlers that was their job, putting the divider down so we could start unloading.

I suppose I might so it if someone is waiting behind and I can reach easier, but otherwise it wouldn't even occur to me.

bloody hell, what an insignificant thing to get would up about.

I may just have to do that Devastated. 😈

Can you imagine being someone who would let it bother you? She must spend her whole life in a state of self-righteous passive aggression!

This reminds me of a story my mum told me.

She was going to get a trolley and a man was just putting his back at the same time, at this shop, like most, you have to out a pound in, so she said oooh can I have that trolley and gave him the pound, he said yes of course, took the money and off he went. When mum finished and went to put the trolley back, there wasn't even a pound in it

Storm, tea cup.

It wasn't even worth mentioning anything after "It's not mine". She's a silly woman.

I normally put the divider down, but sometimes forget. Occasionally I've had someone do a huffy, sighing, exaggerated reach across my shopping to get a divider, clearly seething because they have had to put the divider in place themselves. Maybe I live in the OP's town and have met this woman?

perfectly .... you get a varying degree of reactions ... it’s quite hilarious in a very childish way 😂

I can't wait! 😂

Like @spiderlight I put the divider along the belt instead of across it, again in tribute to the thread started by iirc the wonderful @ChaosTrulyReigns. 99% of people turn it 90 degrees, only one person said "ah, the supermarket belt divider game. How very Mumsnet!" I just lifted an eyebrow and smiled.

I still put the divider down the wrong way round on the vanishingly small off-chance that the person behind me is a MNer who remembers an ancient thread about it.

I always do on this out of habit now.... I’m convinced over the years I’ve had a few knowing smiles from fellow MNers.

Wish I could lift one eyebrow. I do the Headtilt instead.

It’s the ones who want to move it to the ‘correct’ position but can’t bring themselves to do it! You see them fuming inside 😂

I always put the divider on behind me, even if there is no one behind me. Because there normally is, by the time I've finished.

it is a minefield, i tend to reach over and grab the divider after i;ve unloaded to indicate the end of my things. its not always easy to reach it sometimes or there isnt one to reach or whatever, but i do try to do this, i have even gone to another station and nicked one of theirs if needed. it all adds to the shopping 'experience'.

i wouldnt comment if the person in front of me didnt bother though, each to their own.

I really wish you'd bought the loaf of bread!!!

I've had to just sit & think whether I put the divider down after my shopping. I think I usually do, but I did go in for a few bits yesterday and didn't. It doesn't enter my head as being an etiquette thing or something to give a moments thought to. If it's not there I put it there before I load my own shopping,

I'm astonished at how many of you feel annoyed about this even if you say nothing.

i hate the lack of dividers, most of these stores make huge profits, they can afford a few more for their tills..

you do get a' better class of divider 'in some stores though, less likely to fall down as it moves along..

LOL! She was a bit weird but the whole divider thing tends to make my hackles raise a bit, when people don't do what they are supposed to do.

Ideally, the person in front of you, should have put the divider on after their stuff, you load yours on & then you put the divider on, so that the next person can start shoving their stuff on too.

However, some people just don't do this & then you get people just loitering in front of where the dividers are, so you have to try and reach past them without making any physical contact to get the divider, or else say excuse me - when you really don't want to have to speak to any fucker.

Sometimes you get the anxious follower on, who doesn't wait for you to put your divider on and starts loading their stuff on, so you are then forced to move your stuff forwards to squeeze in the divider.

Then you get some lanes with only one bastard divider, so you all end up doing "pass the divider" after each load of stuff goes through.

Not really sure why it winds me up but it does. I never say anything though. Maybe I should offer my local supermarkets a "divider lesson service for uncertain or slightly rude customers"........or maybe I need to drink more wine

Why would I say something to someone that slightly annoys me? It's not compulsory to do it, I'm sure I do things that annoy others.

Haha! No, she was a petty idiot.

I love the people who wait, holding all their shopping, at the end of a nearly empty conveyor belt, until a divider becomes available. I mean, what do they think is going to happen if they start unloading before the divider is in place? Absolute worst-case scenario - the person in front accidentally pays for some of their shopping.

I ususlly pass a divider up, or put one down, as soon as I can reach one but I have to admit, I sometimes wonder how long they would actually stand there if I didn't.

Here’s the original divider thread for those who want a laugh 😉

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/only_joking/2075283-Whod-like-to-join-me-in-a-supermarket-checkout-experiment?pg=2

The OP couldn’t wast time to put the divider down as she had to pack her shopping. It was already being scanned. No doubt the lazy woman behind would have rolled her eyes at a packing delay too.