Conveyor Etiquette

[RealUnimportant]

I've read stories here for a long time, and have of course heard other stories elsewhere for years, but I've never personally seen this level of entitlement in person before.

So I'm in the local supermarket, just grabbing a few great deals on products I'd normally buy anyway, and I make my way to the checkout. I start laying my stuff out, then shift out of the way as someone starts unloading their stuff onto the checkout opposite (shared entry lane).

I'm about finished, and the other person's halfway done (bigger cart, more crap) when Douchebag Hero turns up, joins the line behind my lanemate, and just DUMPS THEIR WHOLE BASKET'S CONTENTS into all the remaining free space on the conveyor.

It's crazy. The lady who's been blocked from unloading her shopping is understandably annoyed. I am surprised. And DH is, for no obvious reason, almost apoplectic. When the lady starts asking him to move his stuff back so she can finish unloading, he starts yelling "I'm sorry" like a petulant child, sarcastic and obviously not actually bothered about anyone's inconvenience but his own... I point out a: she's still unloading, and b: I've finished and there's plenty of room on my belt without causing anyone any issues.

DH turns the reddest face I've ever seen in my direction, and spit-yells: "I KNOW WHAT I'M DOING!"

Fuck it, so many levels of done. I am a teddy-bear, but I look like a big, scary man with a huge beard & a paunch, and I can be just as sarcastic. "Evidence would suggest otherwise, mate."

DH deflates. I'm honestly still surprised it even impacted on him, but he seems to have this sudden flash of realisation, and just scrapes his stuff back into his basket & wanders off to find another aisle.

My aisle-mate was still putting things on the conveyor when I'd finished and paid, just to give you an idea of how premature DH was being.

[greek_jester]

Well played, sir! Well played.

[ThanosIsKing]

My aisle-mate was still putting things on the conveyor when I'd finished and paid, just to give you an idea of how premature DH was being.

Something tells me that's not the only thing he's premature with

[wolfie]

Sounds like the OP is the one who doesn't understand conveyor etiquette. After all, EVERYONE knows that self-proclaimed VIPs are to be given priority. [/sarcasm]

[raudf]

At least the puppy got the hint when his nosed was rubbed in it hard enough. And hopefully the memory of the embarrassment will teach him better manners for conveyor belts!

[Mr Hero]

I'm about finished, and the other person's halfway done (bigger cart, more crap) when Douchebag Hero turns up, joins the line behind my lanemate, and just DUMPS THEIR WHOLE BASKET'S CONTENTS into all the remaining free space on the conveyor.

I did no such thing!

[Crossbow]

"I KNOW WHAT I'M DOING!"

Oh, good. At least you're aware that you're being an asshole. Most twatwaffles like yourself never figure that out.


Then again, your response probably kept things from getting physical.

[icmedia]

I was at the store the other day, with maybe 5 items. The lady in front of me had already emptied her cart's contents onto the belt. As such, I put down a divider about 6 inches behind her items, then set mine down. As her final items (a row of 2-liters) neared the scanning area, she looked back at my items, looked at me, and then physically hunched her arm and entire body over her 2-liters...as if maybe the cashier and I were in cahoots to rob her of her glorious caffeinated sugar water. WTF, lady.

[bainsidhe]

A few months ago, I was the DH it seems. A woman was busily emptying her cart and had already placed a divider partway down the belt behind her goods. In checkout language, I considered the space behind the divider fair game, since I thought that meant she knew how much space she needed. Apparently not. She ran out of space and used the divider to sshhoooooovvveeee my groceries back another foot. Then she told me how rude it was to not wait when someone is still emptying their cart. Had she waited to put down the divider, I would have waited before unloading my own groceries. Guess she was worried I might taint them somehow if the divider wasn't put down right away. *sigh*

[Dreamstalker]

I hate it when customers do that; or worse, don't use a divider at all. Unless there's obvious space on the belt, I can't tell whose order is whose (a lot of people wait until I pick an item up before putting another one down, so there can be sizable spaces on the belt in a single order). If an SC gets snotty, I just tell them that's what the divider is for and to use it if they don't want their stuff mixed with someone else's.

As for the ones that shove a hand over the keypad and into my face when I'm at the end of their order...get your hand out of my face before you lose it.

[sms001]

Quick aside - I call those conveyer dividers "minglenots." I think it came from whoever did the sniglets concept back in the 80's/90's. One of my favorite portmanteaus ever.

[RealUnimportant]

A few months ago, I was the DH it seems. A woman was busily emptying her cart and had already placed a divider partway down the belt behind her goods.

That bolded section there absolves you immediately of any and all DH-ness. You followed etiquette, they did not.

[Evannah]

Who does that? Seriously, that's bad. Good on you for setting him straight!

[Dreamstalker]

"Minglenots"; I like it. Consider that word permanently borrowed

[XCashier]

DH turns the reddest face I've ever seen in my direction, and spit-yells: "I KNOW WHAT I'M DOING!"

Fuck it, so many levels of done. I am a teddy-bear, but I look like a big, scary man with a huge beard & a paunch, and I can be just as sarcastic. "Evidence would suggest otherwise, mate."

DH deflates. I'm honestly still surprised it even impacted on him, but he seems to have this sudden flash of realisation, and just scrapes his stuff back into his basket & wanders off to find another aisle.

Right on, RU! Thank you for standing up to DH and making an SC see the error of his ways. Now let's hope the lesson stays with DH...