Supermarket etiquette

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You're in the vegetation section of Tescbury's, because tomatoes are on your shopping list. Someone else has them on their list too, though, and is already picking some out of the crate. Do you:
A) wait?
B) say to them "excuse me", then without waiting for a reaction reach in and start picking some for yourself, then get huffy when they suggest that keeping your mitts out until they finish picking theirs is unlikely to ruin your day?

Asking for a friend.

Do none of you ever speak to other shoppers as if they were , you know, human beings? Like politely saying, can I just grab a few… .

I ve had some quite interesting short chats with randoms about stuff we were both selecting ( including a good suggestion for aubergine pasta, thank you short woman in blue jacket).

Sererus
I'd imagine posters are saying cheerily to emphasize that they're saying excuse me and getting what they need in a polite way after already waiting briefly, not getting their elbows out and barging other people out the way the second they arrive at the produce.

Most places I shop two people can easily access the fruit/veg as long as neither of them do the annoying trolley block and the stand in the centre taking up all the space.

But for full disclosure I find dithering in shops a minor pet hate, so people taking up all the space whilst they slowly decide which shade of apple is perfect falls in the same category as people who are chatting and faffing at the checkout and seem surprised they need to pay and then spend even longer dithering trying to find their purse/wallet, sorting their bag out, chatting away about where they've put their points cards, now actually let me see I could have sworn I had some coupons.

’ people who are chatting and faffing at the checkout and seem surprised they need to pay and then spend even longer dithering trying to find their purse/wallet, sorting their bag out, chatting away about where they've put their points cards, now actually let me see I could have sworn I had some coupons.’

and they always seem to have a long floppy scarf/ shawl which dangles about so they can’t see what is in the wallet they are searching through. Even in summer.

As for the people who want to pay with their phone but don’t seem to have used the app before, have insufficient finds, hold it up the wrong way…..

I’m glad to have found my inner tyrannosaurus after being so boring tolerant whilst creeping around the undergrowth in the Vegetation 🦖

B definitely.

Partly because if I was the person dithering over tomatoes or reading the full ingredients list or whatever, I’d much rather other people got what they needed quickly and then got away from me! Surely no one wants to spend their time with an angry shopper impatiently breathing down their neck, so B is the best route for everyone.

I do A, but it’s Murphy’s Law that when you’re waiting for someone to be done with something, they take ages.

I'd probably shuffle sideways to block them, shoving their trolley with my hip while exclaiming Excuse me in a Hyacinth Bouquet inspired tone. 😁

That's if I was the one already picking tomatoes.....dunno what's with my comprehension today.

B is the best route for everyone.

The mere existence of this thread proves otherwise, and if you actually read it plenty of us are on Team A.

Never had this dilemma. Usually more than one person can pick tomatoes up at a time.

So its not bad manners to block someone's access to tomatoes, or any other produce, while dithering about knowing someone is waiting?

@TheKobayashiMaru

i didnt say that did I.
They could also be being rude and insonsiderate , but given they were there first the second person should wait.

Two wrongs don't make a right.

PS you might want to ask your self why you dilberately ask questions like that.

Does if make you feel good?

@TheKobayashiMaru So its not bad manners to block someone's access to tomatoes, or any other produce, while dithering about knowing someone is waiting?

No it isn't, if you're picking some for yourself. First come first served. And whether you're dithering over it or not is irrelevant. Yes, it's irritating when you're the one waiting, but you just have to suck it up and wait your turn.

B - can't stand waiting for faffers and the undecided

A, but only for a few seconds. Then B.

Reminds me of the time I non-ditheringly picked out 4 tomatoes from a crate of uniformly lovely tomatoes, and a woman came up behind me and accused me of taking all the best ones. She was really annoyed at me. They were all identical, and there were dozens left!

B - I don't have time wait for people to scrutinise fresh produce, or any kind of produce for that matter. I went to get milk the other day and a couple stood right in front of the brand I wanted comparing prices and useby dates. After a short pause, I reached around and grabbed the bottles I wanted. Was met with much huffing, puffing and eye rolling. Whatever, I want to get in and out, I'm not there for the entertainment.

I would wait. People seem to be more unhinged lately, not worth an altercation.

DH had the whole trolley taken, he asked the store manager to intervene after she refused to give it back to him and she was adamant it was hers. In the end he had to start again. He thought he’d see her abandoned trolley at some point in the store but never did.

I haven't seen loose tomatoes in my Tescburys for ages, all prepacks. Of course there can still be a hold up there as people examine the packs to make sure their chosen one contains 6 (or however many) tomatoes of equal size and not 5 decent ones plus a tiddler.

I find mock coughing and sniffing usually makes them hurry up....

@starfishmummy - vile behaviour

Depends as I find there’s often an indulgent shopper who seems to enjoy massaging the tomatoes to check they’re all the perfect firmness when I just want to get home and start dinner. 😁

There are never queues for veg where I shop.

B - no time for ditherers in the supermarket, in and out for me.

I didn't realise this was an actual thing until I did my Sains shop this morning....
I had a cucumber 🥒 on my list so went to the relevant aisle.....crazy 🥒 lady had beaten me to it...driving into crates of 🥒 below the one advertised .
I waited patiently for her to find a suitable 🥒 then promptly picked up the first available cucumber shouting "who has the head space for this,?!"

B