I hate it.
That’s all there is to it.
I went shopping this morning and all was going well… I got my salad, my broccoli and carrots, my milk, my etc. etc. and everything is going according to plan when I get to the check out.
Huge lines at all 4 stations. No big deal. I’m in no rush, so I’m not bothered. But the people around me! Boy, they seem so appauled by this that they can’t stop talking about it. Strangers that would never talk to one another are brought together in their bond of impatience and frustration. Friends and neighbors converge to proclaim their misery!! It’s a beautiful sight to behold! And pathetic.
It’s finally my turn to place my items on the conveyor belt that brings the groceries from one end of a table, to the other end, where the checker can scan them and pass them on down the line to the bagger (if there is one).
Well, I’ve carefully placed all of my items on the belt (in order). Frozen foods, refrigerated foods/drinks, and room temperature foods/drinks. I’m patiently waiting as the person in front of me is finishing up with their purchase when it happens.
And it always seems to happen, no matter what… every time I’m in line at the market. I always wonder, will it happen again today? Will today be the day it doesn’t happen? Why the hell does it happen?
“It” is the person that comes up behind me as I’m arranging my items on the conveyor belt, or right after I’ve finished arranging my items, and gets right up close and starts fuddling with the items in their shopping cart. I have all of my items on the belt and there is a 6-12 inch space on the belt and they start cramming as much of their crap in that small space as they can, sometimes pushing some of my items forward to make more room for their stuff. What’s with this?! What are you trying to achieve? Why does this always seem to happen to me? Does it happen to anyone else?
I can tell you, you’re not going to get out of the grocery store any faster doing this. It helps nothing at all. Just wait! Wait patiently until there’s ample room, then start placing your goods on the belt. There will be time. I promise you. They will have to check out all of my stuff, I will have to pay and the bagger will have to finish bagging and during all of this, space will open up on the conveyor belt, and your can begin loading up your beer, pork rinds, canned tuna and assorted snack foods and drinks. You will have time. Believe me. Everything will go fine, and you will get out of the store in the same amount of time as you would have if you crammed all of my crap on top of itself, and shoved all of your shit on the belt right away. You are saving nothing… not time, not space, not length, not volume, not mass, not anything.
Take a step back, and relax.
Another thing I noticed at the store today was they covered up certain magazine covers at the checkout line with a nearly transparent white card. I guess the magazine covers are just too offensive for people anymore. Perhaps some child might see a little too much leg, cleavage or George Bush (cleavage?).
I finally made it out of the store, packed all my stuff in my car, and got the hell out of there.
Grocery stores are getting stranger by the minute.
