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Checkout capers

(94 Posts)
Jaxie Mon 17-Oct-16 15:21:24

Yesterday I was next in the queue at a Waitrose checkout when an assistant indicated she was going to open the one right next to me. I was just about to move my trolley over when a young woman accompanied by her 9 or 10-year-old son came from the back of my queue, pushed in front of me and was served first. I addressed her," I thought we queued fairly in England; you are doing a fine job of teaching your son to be selfish & grabby." She just smirked at me and said nothing. What do gransnetters think about this situation? Should supermarkets have a convention that people are served fairly?

merlotgran Mon 17-Oct-16 15:25:19

Unless they were going to close the checkout you were on you would have been better off staying where you were if you were next.

tanith Mon 17-Oct-16 16:01:50

Unfair but probably quite typical I'm afraid. I think twice about challenging any behaviour nowadays as you can never gauge the reaction anymore. Some people are very volatile and over react to any criticism. Its not right but maybe sensible.

Ana Mon 17-Oct-16 16:06:16

People at the end of a queue are looking out for an opportunity to move to a quicker till - it happens all the time. You were lucky the woman just smirked - many would have given you a mouthful!

Charleygirl Mon 17-Oct-16 16:14:22

I normally stay in my queue as that has happened to me before also. For once I have kept my mouth shut on those occasions.

Penstemmon Mon 17-Oct-16 16:14:59

Oh dear! Sadly there are folk, from all walks of life, who have a view that they are more important than anyone else and can take priority!

In Waitrose this week waiting to pick up 10 pairs of black school sox for my DD for the DGDs. The counter was staffed by one assistant who was obviously fully occupied with a customer. The queue grew and grew. We all grew impatient. I caught the eye of another Waitrose person who said she would go and get someone. We waited. No-one came. A woman, two or three people behind me in the line, caught the floor manager as he tried to walk by and spoke to him. He disappeared. A few minutes later he returned with her click & collect order and off she went! shock Eventually another person arrived to serve but it took 25 minutes to pick up the sox. Could have almost driven to the nearest John Lewis and got them direct! I have contacted the store! grin

LadyGracie Mon 17-Oct-16 16:24:11

No manners and no discipline anymore I'm afraid. I wouldn't say boo to a goose for fear of reprisals, so much badness in society these days, it's very sad.

DanniRae Mon 17-Oct-16 16:53:23

I'm not brave enough to say anything but I would have tutted very loudly!

Penstemmon Mon 17-Oct-16 16:56:41

My world does not feel as dangerous as the one some of you live in! confused

DaphneBroon Mon 17-Oct-16 17:00:43

Hope you have tweeted? I had reason to, twice, once about people driving the wrong way round the Waitrose car park one way system. "No entry " signs appeared the following week smile And the second time to moan about builders vans taking up the disabled spaces on a Saturday afternoon. Immediate response!

rosesarered Mon 17-Oct-16 17:01:54

Danny grin very British.

rosesarered Mon 17-Oct-16 17:02:24

Sorry Danni

rosesarered Mon 17-Oct-16 17:04:20

It's usually those people that move fastest that get to the next till, but sometimes the assistant speaks directly to somebody ( usually about the third person in line) to move queues.I never worry about it.

BlueBelle Mon 17-Oct-16 17:22:05

Now hold on a bit you were all queuing and an assistant opened up a new till now it's very normal for a number of people in the original queue to see it as an opportunity to go ahead and try to change, isnt that all there was to it in all honesty when I first read your post I thought the woman had seriously pushed in front of you in the queue, but it was just an opportunity taken and she beat you to it
i would say that sort of thing happens every day as you were already next in the queue to be served why did you feel the need to move ....you should have stayed where you were.... hardly anything to get upset about

merlotgran Mon 17-Oct-16 17:29:15

I agree, BlueBell

Also, where was the other woman from if it had to be pointed out that 'we queue fairly in England?'

Mars?

Wobblybits Mon 17-Oct-16 17:40:43

If I arrived a the checkouts and was confronted with an empty checkout or a queue. now which one would I join ?

NotTooOld Mon 17-Oct-16 18:41:48

BlueBelle, I think you rather overreacted there, TBH. In that sort of situation it's really first come, first served. Not worth getting uptight about.

Bellanonna Mon 17-Oct-16 18:44:54

I'd probably have moved across too

merlotgran Mon 17-Oct-16 19:06:52

If I've already queued and am next in line, unless the person in front of me has only just unloaded a full trolley on to the conveyer belt I'd stay right where I am and let those behind me fight it out to be first at the newly opened till.

Otherwise you lose your place at the checkout you've just been on which is a bit of a bummer if you end up last in both queues.

NotTooOld Mon 17-Oct-16 21:44:15

Sorry, my previous post was in answer to Jaxie, not BlueBelle, Sorry, BB!

Anya Mon 17-Oct-16 22:24:20

Thought by the title I was going to have to check out my jar of capers in case there was a recall.

Life's too short to worry about the little things.

merlotgran Mon 17-Oct-16 22:42:38

Aldi has a system of announcing, 'Dear Customer. We are about to open till No 5. Please load your shopping on to the conveyer belt.'

They don't actually put anyone on till No 5 until the conveyer belt is full so you stand there, looking and feeling daft having unloaded all your shopping, hoping that somebody will turn up because in the meantime, tills 2,3,and 4 are moving along nicely without you.

Shanma Mon 17-Oct-16 23:57:56

I have come to realise that whichever queue I go to, for whatever reason , that is the one where something will go wrong. The machine will break, or someone will get in a kerfuffle and forget the pin number for their card. I just stay where I am and let fate take it's course. Just make sure that I am not the one in front of you at any checkout because i am a jinx smile

BlueBelle Tue 18-Oct-16 06:27:41

Nottooold apology accepted I was wondering what I d done wrong Lol

The woman didn't commit any big wrong doing she saw an opportuniy and took it just as you were about to Jaxie, but she was quicker, that's not being rude or inconsiderate

The thing that you're not getting is YOU were trying to commit the same ' rude act'

Greenfinch Tue 18-Oct-16 06:57:28

Storm in a tea cup ! I have to admit that I used to hold this polite rule but now ,if all the cashiers are busy at Lidl I lurk until they open another so that I can be first.Sometimes it works sometimes it doesn't. No body ever objects. Perhaps it is different in Waitrose .??