Lack of awareness or arrogance.

I used to work on a bank counter. You got to know many of the customers well, it was a small branch. Actually, I feel the onus lies with the cashier/receptionist/checkout operator.

Yes, it’s nice for a chat when there is no one else waiting, but extremely annoying if it’s busy with a queue of people. I hoped I got the balance right, with a smile and “Well, good to see you, take care, bye for now” and pointedly looking over their shoulder ready to serve the next customer.

As for OAP’s doodling around the supermarket at lunch time, or on a busy Saturday, no one was more scathing about this practice than my sister (when she was working). Now retired, her attitude has changed. “ Why shouldn’t I shop at lunchtime if I choose to?”

Short memory.

Probably loneliness (and self absorption because lives alone and lonely!!)

Actually, I feel the onus lies with the cashier/receptionist/checkout operator.

Agreed!

Annoying but could be she hasn't spoken to a living soul in a while, I would try to think that just to self help my blood pressure rise. Or, I would be plain speaking and butt in saying that I was in a rush, ie, Could I just do this and then you can continue your chin wag!

I would give her the benefit of the doubt, she's probably totally unaware. And lonely perhaps. I tend to do everything at a fast pace and certainly get annoyed at the tills but I keep it to myself.

There are plenty of ways to tell someone that times up without hurting their feelings, cashiers should be well versed in this if they can see someone waiting for service. Is there anything else I can help with, no, ok, well it’s nice to see you, have a nice afternoon, good bye…etc

I just tell people now yo getbon with it. M&S foidhall is where I get most frustrated. Hardly any talks open, queue for ages, too kuchen chat with the cashier then a rummage in bag fir sparks card, payment card or finding the exact cash. Why,if you've been standing waiting, cant you get your payment ready. I just think to myself that I've already used up more of my life than I have left I font want to be stood here while you fanny around looking for your sparks card! Too long and I just say excuse me do you have faster tills that could be opened please!

My guiding principle these days is to try very hard to be tolerant. In some instances people just are self absorbed, but others may be desperately lonely, bereaved or living with Dementia. As my late Father became frail, I would always think if I was behind someone taking their time in a queue etc, how would I want Dad to be treated? Don’t get me wrong, I am no saint, but I do think that you don’t know what crosses people have to bear and a little kindness costs nothing. Having said that gritting your teeth inwardly and counting to ten also helps.. ?

Oh my goodness what happened to live and let live , are we all so busy we cant wait a few minutes for someone to finish their conversation.

I often see this type of person in the post office. The assistant looks embarrassed as she is facing the queue. Meanwhile the customer drones on and on. I put it down to loneliness and try to be patient.

Some people are plain lonely and just don't see anybody to talk to.

Inside a GP surgery! Goodness, forgotten what mine looks like. Dh receiving palliative care, due to excruciating pain worsening over past 3 weeks all consultations with GP, Oncology service are over the phone. Been to pharmacy every day for past two weeks (except Sunday)for collection of medication. In fact, I am on way there again just now waiting in car, only 3 allowed in at a time. That woman is using valuable time that could be allocated to other people or at least prevent delays for other people. Would find it hard not to tell her so.

I used to try and make the effort to use the small post office counter in a local shop to post off my occasional ebay sales parcels, both to give them the custom and because it gave me exercise walking there. However, the counter is now 'personed' by a young chap, who as well as being extremely slow, spends a long time chatting to the other staff on the general shopping till so that it's impossible to get a word in to ask him for other things such as stamps. The final straw was that on the last occasion he was also engaged in vigorously scratching his balls, so I now go to the next nearest post office, even though that necessitates a car drive to get there. Oh well, I suppose it showed he was capable of multi-tasking!

Infuriating, I am sure but we could be that lonely person one day who never sees a soul apart from shopping, doctor's appointments and hair or chiropody appointments. I am not the world's most patient person, but I do keep trying to be a better person and remember 'Karma'. What comes around goes around.

I just read this morning that the French supermarket, Carrefour, have introduced 'blablabla' tills so lonely people can have a chat with the till operator and others who choose that till. I use the self checkout in supermarkets. I know it probably does someone out of a job but life's too short to wait behind someone telling their life story.

Sago - I have a relative who behaves this way. She has no formal diagnosis of any mental health problem but we all know she has OCD and suffers with generalised anxiety which is why she has to talk and repeat her story continually. It's very wearing to be on the receiving end of this but when I find my patience wavering, I literally pinch myself and remember that her life is so much more lonely and challenging than mine. Not sure how I would react to watching a stranger behave like this though, especially if I'm in a queue behind her.

I think when people are in full.flow in.a conversation they do become unaware of their surroundings. I know I do sometimes, them am v apologetic if I realise I have inconvenienced someone.

Another person's habits are often so annoying - thankfully I'm perfect.

pinkcosmos That was my constant annoyance when I was still working. I promised myself that when I retired I would never shop in a supermarket at lunch time so far I have mostly managed it.

oh dear! saw at least a couple of references here to "elderly people"

here, it is the youngsters that seem to monopolise(?) the supermarket aisles!

Operalover

Oh my goodness what happened to live and let live , are we all so busy we cant wait a few minutes for someone to finish their conversation.

That's fine if you are not in a rush to get back to work.

I have happily waited for people in front of me to finish their conversations - if I have nowhere else to be.

I’m not overly bothered about chit chat between receptionist / client, cashier/ shopper, unless I’m in a hurry. I do try to assume, especially if they’re elderly, that they perhaps don’t have much interaction.

What really gets to me, is a situation where receptionists are talking among themselves, and you have to wait for them to finish. Or having been kept waiting at the doctors for example, with no apology.

I normally say something though.

I lead an extremely hectic life and get maddened beyond belief by people hogging supermarket aisles, fussing with change or coupons in queues and chatting to receptionists etc while people queue behind them! I literally have to time my day to 5 minute windows as I work and help with 6 young grandchildren! So these people will often mean that I am late to collect a child from school or getting to a meeting. I understand that people are lonely but they are not the only people in the shop etc!
This morning I was made very cross by a young mum at the nursery, who double parked her car, stopping me from parking by the roadside, so that she could get her toddler in without him getting wet and meaning that my own small charge had to walk some way in the rain (there was ample room if she had been more considerate) and then proceeded to chat to nursery staff while standing under the porch so that we were stood getting wetter and wetter! I am afraid I did say to tiny grandson loudly “sorry you are getting wet we cant get past that lady sadly”
I do think there is a sense of entitlement with a lot of people and an arrogance which is infuriating! I was brought up to think about other people around me and I get stressed if I am at the head of any queue even if its no delay of mine, just by virtue of knowing others are waiting!

It's very common here in Spain. The cashier/receptionist is all yours until you done. The post office is the worst, long long queues, much gossiping and general fiddling about. Cars will stop in the street so the drivers can gossip. Sometimes, in our supermarket , the staff will stop mid scan to chat with random people. I've learnt patience.

I have encountered this in the Post Office. A woman sending a Money Order to the Philippines and the operative having difficulty (or not knowing how to do it) and calling for help from the shop until there were 3 staff dealing with one query. I said to the the counter staff were they aware the queue was out the door and was snapped at and told this was a difficult process and to be patient. I replied it surely didn't need 3 people to deal with it. I was gratified to be quietly applauded by the people in the queue. My transaction was to collect a parcel and it took 4 minutes the woman in front was still there after 45 minutes. This was not the customers fault except the time she chose to send her Money Order but the staff should have been a bit more organised. This is so annoying as the post office is a single use counter and you can't go elsewhere as an alternative.