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AIBU?

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Original poster

For shouting at woman in the supermarket?

138 replies

JustWantToWalkOut · 12/02/2009 22:47

I was in the queue at asda earlier having already had a tiring and stressful day. I just wanted to go home and relax. So I put everything on the conveyor belt and as it's going through I remembered something else I needed. I knew I would be able to get out of the house tomorow so I apologised and made a dash to get it. The women behind me in the queue tutted loudly and looked at her watch

Then one of my items didn't have a barcode so they had to phone through and get someone to check it. Woman behind me is getting increasingly angry.

When that was sorted I began having trouble packing as everything was just piling up in the bagging area and our Asda have a new policy of only giving you new bags when they think you can't fit anything else in the ones you have so everything was just falling all over. The woman behind me starts muttering "for gods sake" and shifting her weight from foot to foot, winding herself up.

Then when I went to pay, the card wouldn't work. First two times it said "card not accepted", we wiped it, blew on it etc etc...woman behind is practically exploding...and then finally on the 3rd attempt it accepts the card but I accidently put the wrong pin number in. So took it out, put it in again "card not accepted" tried again and FINALLY it got accepted and accepted the pin ok.

So, I'm just packing the remainders of my shopping and bitch woman behind me marches up, scoops all my stuff up and just throws it all in the trolley and said "times up, soz" my eggs were broken in the process.

A big argument erupted which I'm not proud of but the woman behind the till said she didn't blame me for saying something.

But I HATE confrontation and now feel like shit

Would you have reacted in the same way or should I have let it go to save a row?

OP posts:
blissa · 13/02/2009 14:23

What a cow!

Ok so we have probably all felt a little exasperated at the check out, and yes she may have had a crap day too, but to throw your shopping in your trolley is totally unacceptable. Well done for standing up to her and I'm glad that ASDA refused to serve her. I hope she went home and felt like a right twat.

What an example to set to the little girl

Ohforfoxsake · 13/02/2009 14:27

Am strangely satisfied that she didn't get served after all ....

MorrisZapp · 13/02/2009 14:38

I'd have felt like breaking your eggs too but would just have tutted instead.

Sorry to break with thread consensus but I'm struggling to believe she threw your shopping or even touched it.

If she had thrown your shopping with enough force to break your eggs surely this would be a police matter. I'm not buying this one.

DaddyJ · 13/02/2009 14:39

'I was in the queue at asda earlier..'
Shopping at Asbo is bad for your health!

Actually, supermarket shopping as such is a pain.
Should be un-invented.

BlueBumedFly · 13/02/2009 14:40

Cow! Shame you did not hand the broken eggs over to her (egg by egg) so she could go and replace them.

Good for you for sticking up for yourself, why do people think that they can bully others!?!?

BlueBumedFly · 13/02/2009 14:40

Cow! Shame you did not hand the broken eggs over to her (egg by egg) so she could go and replace them.

Good for you for sticking up for yourself, why do people think that they can bully others!?!?

MorrisZapp · 13/02/2009 14:41

btw I shop in Waitrose and Asda, and see absolutely no difference in queue etiquette between the two of them.

In fact it was in Waitrose that I came close to violence myself (but just tutted, natch) when a guy in the 'green queue' put his shopping on the conveyor belt and then walked off to another queue, helped himself to a carrier bag, and brought it back to qualify as having brought his own carrier.

I stared him into the ground.

SirPuke · 13/02/2009 14:44

Bitch! YANBU

I have been known to deliberately slow down if I get a rude, obnoxious person tutting behind me/putting pressure on me to hurry up in a queue. I do the same if a driver tail-gates me in a 30 zone becaues I dare to stick to the speed limit. Immature and pathetic I know, but it makes me feel in control, prevents me from exploding and winds up the perpetrator beautifully!

DogMa · 13/02/2009 14:49

So, I was standing in a queue in Tesco's.........

I was buying a large bag of Winalot for the dog and was standing in the queue at the till.

A woman behind me asked if I had a dog.

I couldn't resist, so on impulse, I told her that no, I was starting The Winalot Diet again, although I probably shouldn't because I'd ended up in the hospital last time, but that I'd lost 50 pounds before I awakened in an intensive care ward with tubes coming out of most of my orifices and IVs in both arms.

I told her that it was essentially a perfect diet and the way that it works is to load your trouser pockets with Winalot nuggets and simply eat one or two every time you feel hungry & that the food is nutritionally complete so I was going to try it again.

I have to mention here that practically everyone in the queue was by now enthralled with my story, particularly a guy who was behind her.

Horrified, she asked if I'd ended up in the hospital in that condition because I had been poisoned.

I told her no, it was because I'd been sitting in the road licking my balls and a car hit me.

I thought one guy was going to have a heart attack he was laughing so hard as he staggered out the door.

Stupid woman..........why else would I buy dog food ??

higgle · 13/02/2009 14:52

Last time I went to Asda at Cribbs Causeway someone had let their child poo on the floor and the cleaners were having to deal with it, rather put me off. also some male C**v
treated me to a tirade of fould abuse for not walking in a straight line in the aisle with my trolley, there are some wierd and scary people out there.

Wispabarsareback · 13/02/2009 14:53

MorrisZapp I'm with you on this. And I would have been deeply irritated if I'd been behind the OP in the queue - I've posted before about people going off for things they've forgotten and making everyone wait.

I'd have been tempted to do a little egg-flinging in the same situation - but the idea has honestly never occurred, even to hot-tempered me. Must make myself forget it now...

Ohforfoxsake · 13/02/2009 14:56

PMSL Dogma

So, you've never forgotten anything when you've got to the front of the queue? If so, do you go and get it and join the end of the queue?

Personally I'd apologise and run to get it, and if you want to tut and get uptight about it, please feel free

fanjoforthemammaries7850 · 13/02/2009 14:57

I was drawn into a situation like this today. There was a queue at the checkout and the member of staff was taking ages and chatting to everyone, and the person in front of me was taking forever.

I have to admit I was getting quite stressed as I was getting late to pick DD up from playgroup (but didnt throw the woman's stuff into her trolley!). The old biddy behind me was tutting, and said to me loudly "isn't it terrible, some people have nothing better to do than stand around talking all day". I was very remembering this thread!!

Ohforfoxsake · 13/02/2009 14:59

Yes! Desist with the pleasantaries forthwith!

What a shame.

fanjoforthemammaries7850 · 13/02/2009 15:00

I must point out I wasnt tutting! But must have looked stressed so the old biddy thought I was onside!

MorrisZapp · 13/02/2009 15:01

Thanks wispa. Obviously it didn't occur to the OP that the feeling of having had a bad day and just wanting to be relaxing at home was not unique to her. Most shoppers feel like that, and it just adds to the hassle when somebody in front seems to want to milk their turn at the checkout for all that it is worth.

I accept that when it's an old lady you just have to smile sweetly as one day that will be you, but I see no reason why the young and able should feel the need to faff about and keep eveybody behind them waiting almost as if it gives them some kind of credibility.

Pass me that egg...

DaddyJ · 13/02/2009 15:01

lolol @ DogMa

these supermarket threads are turning into my personal favourites
might have to lobby MNHQ for a grocery section

Habbibu · 13/02/2009 15:07

Oh, now now. This woman clearly has such a busy life she hasn't even got time to say the two syllables of "sorry". Who says soz over the age of 15?

StealthPolarBear · 13/02/2009 15:07

Lol dogma
It's a pity she didn't pick up a personality from aisle 12
Just a word in defence of asda - the general public are idiots, wherever I shop (sainsbury's is the worst for pushing their trolley up in the queue behind, while you're waiting to pay) but the staf in our local asds are lovely

algee · 13/02/2009 18:24

Oh, at dogma, can hardly wait for my nextpedigree chum shop... laughed my head off! And to the op as a supermarket 'tutter' myself, I applaud your restraint... in fact, this post jhas made me reconsider my 'tuttering'!

starbear · 13/02/2009 18:45

DogMa tear rolling down my face and PMSL. Please next time you tell that story let me be behind you. I adore a good laugh [Grin]
[Grin][Grin][Grin]

Helen31 · 13/02/2009 20:34

Dogma - thank you for sharing. DH and I are in awe at your ability to spontaneously make up such a fantastic story. Assuming it's not true?

Divineintervention · 13/02/2009 20:36

You should have taken a leaf out of John Prescott's book and 'chinned' her!!

FfreckleFface · 13/02/2009 21:27

I'm sorry, but I have to say that YABU.

I have read this entire thread, and not one other person seems to have picked up on your saying that you were held up because,

"I began having trouble packing as everything was just piling up in the bagging area and our Asda have a new policy of only giving you new bags when they think you can't fit anything else in the ones you have so everything was just falling all over"

That policy is there for a reason. This is exactly why I don't shop at Asbo, but stick to Waitrose...who waits to be given carrier bags now? I ALWAYS have my own old carrier bags, or bigger, and easier, bags for life with me.

Yes, the woman behind you went about things the wrong way, but by shouting back you brought yourself right down to her level. I probably would have been tutting had I been stuck behind you. Going back for something you have forgotten is not on, demanding free carrier bags is not on, and neither is expecting the rest of the queue wait while you try and remember your PIN. (4 digits, that's all!)

Maybe an online shop would be better for you.

Quattrocento · 13/02/2009 21:33

I live in a time-starved environment. I allot precisely 1 hour to food-shopping. Then I have to run to collect the DCs from tennis/swimming.

Sooo, do I want to stand in a queue behind a dippy female who (a) can't remember what to buy (b) can't remember her bags and (c) can't remember her pin code? No, of course I don't.

Not that I would have said anything, of course. I would have stood there inwardly cursing the day the dippy female was born, but I would have forced a smile ...

So of course the other woman was being unreasonable but so were you. Especially for starting a ruck in a supermarket FGS

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