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AIBU?

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Original poster

Checkout tills

134 replies

FloraPostalOrder · 04/12/2019 21:23

I've read lots of threads on here, over the years, complaining about women checking out at supermarkets. The complaint, or question, is often "Why do people seem shocked at the end, as if they're surprised that they're expected to pay?" Why do they have to fumble in their bag to get their purse out? Why don't they have their money or card ready? Why do they wait until the very last minute? Why do they keep everybody else waiting?

Answer: They are not surprised that they are expected to pay.

What I'm hearing is "I've only got one item and I'm paying by contactless, so hurry the fuck up"

Well it's confounding me, because even when you don't have children with you (which makes it even harder) you have to unload onto the belt, then get your bags open in the trolley to receive your purchases, then pack as they are flung down the belt, trying all the time to guesstimate weight of items so that bags are of equal carryableness. put cold stuff altogether to avoid thawing.

Then, as you are tucking the last item in the only available place you can find, the cashier tells you that's £92.50 please. Your back is now a bit achy, you stand up straight, to stretch it out a bit while you open your bag for your cash/card. And somebody behind you who has one item and contactless card in hand is thinking "Why hasn't she got the money ready?? Didn't she realise she'd have to pay!!??"

I've seen this complaint so often.

If you have a lot of shopping to load onto conveyor and then pack into bags, are you supposed to do it purse in hand? What is so irritating to see a fellow human being do a huge family shop single handed, and then take an extra 30 seconds to open bag and locate method of payment?

How can you 'have your money ready' when you are engaged in unloading and packing?

I'd like to hear some opinions.

OP posts:
NoSauce · 05/12/2019 06:58

my2bundles I can’t make out whether you’re agreeing with me or not.

SnowsInWater · 05/12/2019 07:04

Last time I was in England I forgot that the cashier doesn't pack your bags at the supermarket and was standing there merrily waiting, you would have hated me!

SavoyCabbage · 05/12/2019 07:05

Well, I didn't know this was a thing!

I do put my card in my pocket whilst I'm waiting but I do that for my own benefit. Not for the people behind me. Nor do I watch the people in front of me pay. Or pack.

MinervaSaidThat · 05/12/2019 07:05

OP, you say:

What is so irritating to see a fellow human being do a huge family shop single handed, and then take an extra 30 seconds to open bag and locate method of payment?

And then:

It takes less than seconds to take my purse out of my bag

Which is it?

I wouldn't be able to chat to the checkout lady, who happens to be my sister in law. How else can I keep up contact?

Are you taking a while so you can talk to your SIL?

Based on your comment ‘give it another 50 years’, I’m guessing you’re around 70-75? In which case I would wait patiently, older people can take longer. I wouldn’t appreciate anyone making my mum hurry. (But she doesn’t take 30 seconds to take her purse out anyway).

NoSauce · 05/12/2019 07:09

It doesn’t take anyone 30 seconds to open their bag and find their purse.

Unless the purse isn’t in there.

refraction · 05/12/2019 07:12

It's actually taught me a lot about people. The more intelligent and well travelled and well read people are, the more tolerant they are of other people who might not be as swift of mind.

I don't think this is true. Some people just hate faffers. Happens all over not just in the supermarket.

Elodie2019 · 05/12/2019 07:25

What's the reason people are still doing a big shop themselves by going to the supermarket?

A lot of people prefer to handpick items themselves.

I hate hanging around waiting for delivery, can't stand the 'rush' to unpack at the door, don't like the fact that the delivery drivers are timetabled to squeeze a million deliveries into an hour.

Dislike having a fridge/cupboards bursting with food,

Don't like 'substitutions, always have to go out and buy the missing ingredient.

BumHairDontCare · 05/12/2019 07:29

She looked so surprised when she had to pay

Really? 🤔 I've never in my life seen anybody go through the checkout, after having done a shop and then been surprised to discover they have to pay for their items.

If you use a manned till you need to accept there are people doing big shops and it'll take a while. Have a little patience and if you're in a rush use the self service! Why are people so intolerant of others with less speed/dexterity?
Personally I use scan as you shop to avoid the faff of getting everything out and back into the trolley and it's just quicker/easier.

EmmiJay · 05/12/2019 07:33

@NoSauce I didn't suggest OP do it. I said I do that Confused If she wants to faff about at checkout or whatever it is she's getting at let her, I say.

BuggerOffAndGoodDayToYou · 05/12/2019 07:33

Not being able to pay immediately as you are still packing is totally understandable (although I do make sure I do t have to SEARCH for my purse). It’s the ones who stand there while someone else packs their shopping and THEN look surprised when asked for payment, then they have to nearly empty their bag looking for their purse OR they realise that it’s at the bottom of a bag full of shopping.

Also the people in the queue for the bus / takeaway coffee / train ticket... they get to the front, say what they want and don’t even contemplate looking for their purse until told how much they need to pay. In that situation there is NO excuse for not being ready to pay.

ScreamingValenta · 05/12/2019 07:34

I felt a little impatient the other day. The woman in front of me handed over a load of money-off coupons. When the cashier scanned them, it turned out several of them were out of date - all that's fair enough - but when the cashier told her they were out of date, she had to go through the out of date ones with him one by one, squinting to read the small print.

GiveHerHellFromUs · 05/12/2019 07:38

If there's someone behind you with 1 item and you've done a big shop you'd surely just let them go ahead?

Goldensummer · 05/12/2019 07:45

Most supermarkets have self checkouts surely and the big ones have those self scanners you can use to scan pack on your way around the shop.

Surely the days of people with one item stuck behind someone with a big shop are few and far between?

Insideimsprinting · 05/12/2019 07:47

I have to say that having been for a weekly shop many times with two young kids under 5ni have never bee that fumbled, if that's even a word. I have never faffed on etc. I'm not aware that there is a magic formula or anything but I have seen those fumblers and I do find it puzzling as to how they seem so frazzled etc.
You know that part of your shop is coming, you know it's a pain I the arse, especially if kids are in tow but again I have just managed to get my head down and get through and just don't get the faff.

onanothertrain · 05/12/2019 08:09

I think it's more likely that people feel you are taking your time because you seem to be gossiping with the cashier and that irritates them. If it even happens and its not just that you feel harassed.

BlaueLagune · 05/12/2019 08:15

I'm with you OP - in the scenario you describe in your post, clearly people need to be more patient.

I HATE it when they start scanning through the next customer's items before I've packed mine

Yes, or start scanning mine before the person in front of me has packed theirs. I always stop them and ask them to wait until the person in front of me has finished (this isn't in Aldi or Lidl by the way).

take your card out hold it in your mouth while packing

I'm not doing that so the person behind me waits 2 seconds less. I don't belong to the faffers of this world, but there are limits!

onceandneveragain · 05/12/2019 08:31

"There is no way on gods earth is put anything in my pocket. Certainly not my purse" seriously op who do you expect is going to hace the opportunity or inclination to rob you in the spare seconds between you arriving at the till (get purse out while unloading/queueing) and paying. You don't even have to keep the whole purse out, just get the one card you will be paying with and hold onto it.

You can think I'm rude for rolling my eyes behind you, I can think your rude for taking up my short lunch break by unnecessarily extending a simple task. Who cares what random strangers think as long as they're not actively rude to you?

Doggodogington · 05/12/2019 08:42

I place my items on the belt in groups- raw meat, fridge items, cupboard items, etc. Then I put my bags in the trolley, I have those trolley bags with poles that sit across the trolley. I have my card in my pocket on its own as I hate carrying a handbag around while shopping.

TroysMammy · 05/12/2019 08:46

When my items are on the belt I put the card I'm going to pay with higher up than the others so I can just pluck it from my bag. No fumbling.

my2bundles · 05/12/2019 08:49

No I won't take out the card and hold it while packing onceandnevetagain. Maybe don't do a shop on your lunch break if the few seconds it takes for some to open their purse inconveniences you. It's a supermarket, people do full weekly shops there, they arnt going to stop because joe blogs wants to buy one thing in their lunch hour plan ahead and buy that item at another time if you carnt tolerate normal shopping behaviour.

Kazzyhoward · 05/12/2019 08:50

It's not the people who quickly get their purse out of their handbag, quickly and efficiently, who are the problem.

It's the ones who have to check every pocket of their jacket, or the ones who have to virtually empty their huge handbag, who are the problem. Even when they get their purse/card wallet, they then have to flick through all manner of debit, credit and loyalty cards to find the one they want to use. Then, just as you think progress is being made, they start fumbling around elsewhere for a 5p off coupon, and so it goes on.

Ijustwanttoretire · 05/12/2019 09:00

I don't think it's your kind of shopping people get irate about OP, it's more the women who have 3 items. put them on the conveyor, watch them go through, have a chat with the checkout operator, THEN look surprised at needing to pay. That's who annoys me anyway. And I AM old, and still manage to have the few marbles I have left together enough to realise I need to pay...

NoSauce · 05/12/2019 09:31

If you’re just doing normal paced packing, going in your bag to get your purse then pay and leave you’re doing nothing wrong.

Anyone that thinks that’s not ok is being ridiculous.

onceandneveragain · 05/12/2019 09:32

Nobody would ever be bothered about someone taking a "few seconds" to open their purse. But it never is a few seconds. And nope, I wont, I'm allowed to be annoyed if I want 😁 and who says im just buying one item? I can do a whole shop in twenty mins....Because I'm not a faffer.

I couldn't care less how much shopping someone has....that's what the shops for. It's the faffing about payment at the end that irritates.

Also for thbeposter who was surprised... lots of shops don't have self check out....none of the Aldis, m and s, or lidl by me do.

ACautionaryTale · 05/12/2019 09:36

Put purse or card under bra strap whilst scanning. No need for hands.

Or just pay by phone or watch.

Its the people who wont move away from the tills until their bag is done up better than fort knox (yes I'm talking about you mother) that annoy me