Sort of a brain burp.

[MoxisPilot]

There's this one particular cashier at my Navy Exchange that makes me cringe. And it's not that she's rude, but she's FAST; she tends to tell people, "Swipe your card", then when they start to do it, she tells them, "Hit enter!!", and basically directs them through the process before they can finish with the first task. She sounds more and more aggravated as the exchange progresses.

When I have someone barking orders at me before I can complete any particular task, I start to frazzle. I screw up. I drop things. I stutter - badly. And I feel like I'm disappointing them by not being fast enough.

This happened yesterday, and I spilled the contents of my purse, trying to fish out my ID. I dropped my credit card. As I was signing my name, she tried to take the pen (assuming I was finished?) and I wound up dropping it, too.

Now, I know I need to say something next time; the only reason I haven't so far is because she's damned intimidating.

Does anyone else have a cashier like this? IS anyone else a cashier like this? Can anyone explain this behaviour?

I really don't like feeling like I'm incapable of functioning when I just need to buy some groceries!

[Primer]

Is she the only cashier on duty? Is there any way to avoid her and go to someone else? I know that at some commissaries there is only one line, and you go to the next available cashier. Can you keep an eye open for her, and if she is up, then let the person behind you go to her instead?

[MoxisPilot]

Is she the only cashier on duty? Is there any way to avoid her and go to someone else? I know that at some commissaries there is only one line, and you go to the next available cashier. Can you keep an eye open for her, and if she is up, then let the person behind you go to her instead?

...I feel very, very stupid for not thinking of that. >.>

[SpyOne]

There's this one particular cashier at my Navy Exchange that makes me cringe. And it's not that she's rude, but she's FAST; she tends to tell people, "Swipe your card", then when they start to do it, she tells them, "Hit enter!!", and basically directs them through the process before they can finish with the first task. She sounds more and more aggravated as the exchange progresses.

If you wind up stuck in her line in the future, you might try something like this:
"Swipe Your card"
(don't swipe yet)
"Hi, my name is MoxisPilot, and I don't respond well to people addressing me like they are my drill sergeant. I am familiar with this process, and quite capable of completing it on my own. If I run into any problems, I'll be sure to ask for help. But barking orders at me only upsets me, which causes me to move slower and make mistakes, a situation I believe we both wish to avoid."

The problem is, you need to stay calm so your anger doesn't show through. Every time you "let it go" and don't say anything, you're banking more anger in that file, and it is likely that when you finally do say something, it will be like opening the floodgates, and ALL that anger will come out, in something a lot more like, "Listen, you bossy bi&^*, I'm the customer and you are the cashier, so where do you get off giving me orders!"

Being passive-agressive means you are generally a pleasant person, until suddenly you definitely aren't.

[MoxisPilot]

The problem is, you need to stay calm so your anger doesn't show through. Every time you "let it go" and don't say anything, you're banking more anger in that file, and it is likely that when you finally do say something, it will be like opening the floodgates, and ALL that anger will come out, in something a lot more like, "Listen, you bossy bi&^*, I'm the customer and you are the cashier, so where do you get off giving me orders!"

Being passive-agressive means you are generally a pleasant person, until suddenly you definitely aren't.

Generally, I stay pretty calm about things; but yeah, with this situation, you're probably right.