Am I rude?

[air3296]

I had a slightly awkward experience at the supermarket today and would genuinely like to hear what people in the UK think.
It was around lunchtime on a Saturday, and the supermarket was really busy, with quite a long queue for the self-checkouts.
The person in front of me had a fairly large shop. As they scanned their items, they took their time packing everything into bags, repeatedly hesitating and changing their mind about which items should go where.
I didn’t really mind that, as everyone has their own pace.
However, after scanning all their items, they still didn’t pay. Instead, they continued taking their time rearranging everything in their bags, while occupying the checkout and holding up the queue.
At that point, I said: “Could you please pay first? We’re in a rush.”
I wasn’t asking them to stop packing altogether. I just thought they could pay first and then move aside to finish packing, so the next person could use the checkout.
Now I’m wondering whether what I said was considered rude or impolite by British standards.
What’s the general etiquette at self-checkouts in the UK, especially when the supermarket is really busy? Was I being unreasonable, or was my request perfectly fair?
I’d genuinely appreciate honest opinions, even if you think I was in the wrong.

would never make anyone wait more than one minute for hole

I should hope not

Of course it was rude! And embarrassing for both of them probably

No they were rude for not getting out the way at the earliest opportunity

yes and they should have also paid for OP's shopping while they were at it

bloody freeloaders 😂

In fairness this sounds a lot worse than ‘not going at the speed of light ‘ ……

Absolute rubbish! The person was in a busy shop holding up other people. That’s incredibly selfish. Pay for your things and then move to the side and sort them out. The world doesn’t move at a snail’s pace to revolve around them! I would have been a damn site ruder to them!

I've just read this exact thread on Reddit.

What was the consensus?

often times, self-checkouts never let you approach the speed of a bicycle

If you don't hold your face in the exact expression the machine wants, it starts to unravel and claim unexpected item in the bagging area, throws a tantrum and takes its self off to its own sulking corner until one of the checkout staff is able to drag themselves away from the plethora of mutli-coloured flashing beacons

the machine gets temporarily calmed, you shift your facial expression and it has another meltdown

meanwhile, some impatient random behind you decided you're going to delay their interview with the pope and tells you get a shift on

The faffing about would really have annoyed me too, but I wouldn't say anything. If I was the one packing and somebody said the same to me I would probably have had the same response - go even more slowly just because I could.

sure you would 😄

lots of Walter Mitty Main Character types on here today

either that, or they pick their targets carefully

just ensure that wool is real and not the wolf's hunting jacket

I think it depends on how you asked and your tone of voice. But, inherently, no, I don't think it would be rude to point out that there's a queue and perhaps they could pay and finish repacking elsewhere.

My pet peeve is people doing exactly this at airport security - standing blocking the conveyor while they slowly gather up their possessions instead of carrying the tray to the tables provided for that purpose.

Of course there's despits (new word for them) i find Aldis worse and some even queue alongside you saying i m paying cash. One time a woman of disrepute parked herself alongside as Card/Cash tills.
Yes you numpty doesnt mean stand alongside and i said am waiting here she then starts people behind me (trying to make me feel ashamed) look at this person told me not to stand here!
Worse one was a cashier (indian woman) scanned items like i was yawning just waiting 2 seconds for each item scan. Then kept repeating 'Thank you' EVERY 10 seconds !!

You’ve embellished the situation with your own experience. This is not how the OP describes what happened .

I only shop in places with self-scan.

I could see why it might be seen as a bit rude. It's simply Not Done. You need to wait for them to shift their arses and wait your turn. People have all kinds of reasons for being slower than others would like.
Equally, a small number of customers are through no fault of their own simply unable to regulate their emotional response to being held up. It's not possible to tell from outward appearance which person is struggling and which one is just a pain in the arse. Too many of us make the pain in the arse judgement call. We probably all need to chill out a bit.

Unnecessary faffing and a complete lack of awareness, I understand where you were coming from OP.

It was a bit rude. I hate people who bimble and fuck around at the till point but in my experience, if you say anything to them, they slow down to a sloth like pace.

😆

I've chosen a very common scenario and given it a nice base coat of absurdity

while taking the piss out of a shop tailgater

does it not confirm to your very strict ideas of rules on policing content?

what are these rules?

can you point me towards them?

Top of my supermarket annoyances are people who take their WHOLE family shopping - mum, dad, children. It's a recipe for slowness and clogs up the aisles. And a very inefficient use of family time too. Hope you weren't with your WHOLE family OP, because in my eyes a big shop isn't a day out when others are trying to just whiz round and get things done.

I am not originally from the UK but I'll give my opinion anyway ...I'd say slightly rude. There are normally several check outs, not just one or two, so someone taking a bit more time shouldn't make such a big difference to anyone, one will become available very soon. It is not worth potentially embarassing someone in front of other people for the sake of a few seconds or a minute more in the queue.

Why on earth do people still waste hours of their existence on trudging round a supermarket on a Saturday. Online groceries!

If I'm self scanning I don't bag anything until I've paid, because whenever I put my bag on the packing area it complains that there's an unexpected item and I have to wait for a member of staff to override it, which can take ages because they're overseeing a lot of tills. It then often complains again when I'm partway through scanning.

However, I only really self scan at the till when getting a handful of items, and it doesn't take to bag. If I'm getting a larger shop I scan and bag as I go round the shop, so am very fast at the till as I only need to pay

Because I often don't meet the minimum spend for an online shop

Incredibly rude to have said something. Surely you know that the only acceptable (British) reaction is lots of huffing, foot-tapping and passive-aggressive glaring?