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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to think that people should not reserve places in supermarket queues

28 replies

Wispabarsareback · 02/12/2008 18:06

Oh, there are so many potential AIBU rants that a single trip to Sainsbury's can generate. But what about the whole business of parking the trolley at the till while going off to finish the shopping.

Sainsbury's was busy and there was a queue at every till. But I spotted a till where someone's shopping was being scanned through, and there was a divider at the end of their shopping, with a big space and no-one waiting. When I sped over there, I noticed a full-ish trolley queuing by itself, with no-one attending to it. No-one had started unloading it on the belt - so although I realised that someone probably intended to come back to it, I thought it was quite reasonable for me to go ahead, as I was ready to start unloading - and there was loads of space, as the person in front was nearly finished.

As I got on with this task, a middle-aged bloke rushed back and said 'but I was here first', or words to that effect. To which I replied 'you weren't here - and you can't reserve a place in the queue, that's not how it works!' He remonstrated for a bit, then went off muttering about what a mean woman I was. Am I really? AIBU? Is it OK for people to stake out a place in the queue while they go off to finish their shopping? I'm sure I would never do such a thing .

OP posts:
Lizzylou · 02/12/2008 18:08

YANBU, what a bonkers thing to do.

2AdventSevenfoldShoes · 02/12/2008 18:09

yanbu and you know it, would be different if he had unloaded and run to get something.

MadameCastafiore · 02/12/2008 18:10

YABU he probably just forgot something and ran off to get it - I bet his wife was at home waiting for him after delivering triplets.

ProfYaffle · 02/12/2008 18:10

YANBU - I had the same thing in the basket queue at Morrisons not long ago. There was no sign of the owner of the basket, the whole queue discussed it and we decided it was perfectly reasonable for everyone else to move up ahead of the basket. Basket owner returned and cursed under her breath and joined the back of the queue in a stroppy fashion. Most entertaining

Poledra · 02/12/2008 18:10

Nah, someone in our local shop got very annoyed with me because I would not accept that the bottle of squash sitting at the side of the queue was adequate to keep her place. She had a basketful of stuff to put through and I had milk. She stropped at me for a bit then flounced to the end of the queue. Man behind me was sniggering but I don't know if it was at me or her....

MadameCastafiore · 02/12/2008 18:10

I leave DS there with the trolley to pinch women like you.

tiredsville · 02/12/2008 18:11

Yeah but there was someone in front of him having their shoppping scanned, so he was next. He may have forgotten something. I do this all the time, but never actually hold anyone up.

clam · 02/12/2008 18:12

If there was still a fair time before the current person being served was going to be finished, then maybe. But there was a gap, with the cashier, and you, [ptentially having to wait, and he'd presumably been away some time so no. YANBU.

Original poster
Wispabarsareback · 02/12/2008 18:13

Yes, he probably did forget something etc - but I still think in that case he's still doing his shopping, while I've finished mine and am ready to unload in an efficient fashion. (Love the thought of the wife at home with triplets.)

OP posts:
sunnygirl1412 · 02/12/2008 18:21

My dh has done this at Christmas when the supermarket queues were massive. He left ds1 with the half filled trolley in the queue whilst he finished the shopping - but ds1 had not got to the top of the queue before he got back.

He certainly wouldn't do this on a normal day, and I'd have done exactly what you did, wispabarsareback.

Oh, and incidentally, when I first read your nickname, I read it as Wispa-bare-arse-back!!

ThingOne · 02/12/2008 20:56

I often forget things and need to go back for them. I don't think I'm alone. And I don't think I'm unreasonable!

noonki · 02/12/2008 21:14

YABU - I have the memory of a sieve and do this!

ManIFeelLikeAWoman · 02/12/2008 23:21

OP, YANBU.

To people who say, "oh, I do this all the time" ... By all means leave your basket or trolley to hold your place while you nip back for that one forgotten item.

Ideally, tell the person in front and behind you what you are doing.

But if you;re not back when it's your turn, what do you expect if not to lose your place? We've all got other things to do ...

SparklyBaubleFeast · 02/12/2008 23:29

oh i had a big row in waitrose about this, someone > buying coke and vodka, i had put my basket on, half my stuff, ran off to get the humous and they ignored my stuff and put their stuff on.... and i had half started
they took it to anotehr checkout after i won the battle, i just said, i was there, nothign else.

and they went, but i was shaking

gagamama · 03/12/2008 10:13

"Oh, and incidentally, when I first read your nickname, I read it as Wispa-bare-arse-back!!"

I read it as WIPE-bare-arse-back!

I think leaving your shopping is ok provided you've already started putting it on the belt. I'd probably leave something personal at the til, eg handbag, and tell the cashier I was just popping off, could they start putting it through if I'm not back, thank you ever so kindly, I'm leaving my bag, I won't be long.

fatandiknowit · 03/12/2008 11:41

YANBU

It's very annoying and rude - go round again if you forgot something don't hold other people up.

However, what is even more annoying is the "split" transaction people - they have one trolley of shopping but at checkout divide into two lots seperated by divider and then pay seperately for each....

Why do people do this - it just hold everyone up - sort it out with your friend/relative later surely!!!

However, the supermarket is my absolute least favourite place and consider is to be one of the circles of hell....

ComeOVeneer · 03/12/2008 11:44

gagamama you would leave your handbag at the till ?????

ComeOVeneer · 03/12/2008 11:46

FAYKI I often split rreceipts as I have to do shopping for the school and then submit receipts, so sometimes it really is necessary, and it doesn't really take that much longer!

bran · 03/12/2008 11:47

I remember one time when I was shopping with DH in Sainsburys. We were queueing and there was a husband and wife in two side by side queues, obviously waiting to see which would move the quickest. The other queue appeared to me moving the quickest so the husband left our queue just in front of us. I was quietly jubilant when our shopping started to be scanned before theirs. DH told me I was sad.

This hasn't been an issue since I started using Waitrose as they don't have queues.

Surfermum · 03/12/2008 11:54

If I forget something I load the conveyor belt first then dash off for it. By the time my bits are starting to go through I'm back.

I think if you haven't put your stuff on the conveyor belt it's fair enough if someone else comes along and gets served first. How are you to know they haven't abandoned the trolley as they realised they haven't got their card or something and have gone home.

YANBU.

sunnygirl1412 · 04/12/2008 09:07

Fatandiknowit and ComeOVeneer - instead of splitting the transaction into two seperate transactions, you can divide the shopping up with the divider as described, then simply ask for a subtotal after the first lot of shopping - one button pressed on the till, no time at all, and you have the total for your friend/relative's shopping right there.

ilovejonty · 04/12/2008 09:21

Now I think of it, I've never come across a queue in Waitrose - why is that?

mm22bys · 04/12/2008 09:25

YANBU. I went to the supermarket and did a full weekly shop for the first time in months last week, and it reminded me why I do internet shops.

It was completely overcrowded, and because of all the Christmas stock, they've stocked the start and end of each aisle so there's barely room to move.

And the queues to pay for the stuff!

It's definitely taking the p*ss to reserve a place in a queue, but can't see the supermarket doing anything about it!

(There are queues at our local Waitrose...)

chequersandroastedchestnuts · 04/12/2008 09:29

If he forgot something he could have asked the cashier to get someone to go and get it for him which would have held you up even more.

I think you're being a bit mean - have you never remembered something you've forgotten just at the checkout?

Itsjustsorandom · 04/12/2008 09:31

yanbu - I've had this situation & shunt the trolley to the side.