Why does this not surprise me?

[Pagan]

Is this a gender-specific behavior? I've never had men blocking the aisles like this ... but, a LOT of women.

I don't know. I see just as many men doing it here as women. And they're even less likely to respond to "excuse me" than women. But of course, they're manly men doing manly things....like buying capers.

I have no use for the whole "shopping" experience.

I have no use for the "shopping" aspect either when it comes to groceries. I'm a hunter, not a gatherer when it come to that. Now, if it's boots....well, that's a completely different story.

[Aethian]

My Mom...will shop for three hours for one weeks worth of groceries...
Me... I will take 30 to 45 mins.

My Mom... ALL DAY for clothes shopping (we do this once every two years)
Me... Four pairs of jeans and shirt/sweatshirts through the year at differen times... All in all a hour if I can't find the good fit the first time

My Mom... 2 hours to eat a meal...cause talking or watching tv or reading is important
Me... 30 mins. Sorry have to be 30 mins at work and I don't turn that off elsewhere. Unless of course it is date time with boyfriend and then it's an hour cause we get into serious talking then....only time he really does talk too.

My Mom... WILL block aisles...
Me... Move as quickly as I can to get the heck out of the store

[JLRodgers]

I, being a male, once spend four hours "shopping" didn't buy anything, I was just checking out a mall in a city that was basically the size of my hometown

But other than that, if I'm in a store for more than 30 minutes (well, actually picking up stuff), it's fairly obcious that someone got in my way. I've been known to completely fill a shopping cart (almost up to the top rim) and the bottom rack -- and be done shopping in under 30 minutes. Took like 50 min for the complete trip (there, back, and checkout) but shopping was under 30!

At the same time I do sometimes make two trips to the store so to speak. I'll go in without a cart and see where everything is I need (if they have it, etc). Then I go get a cart and pick it up in the quickest fashion possible. And that's just for a few simple reasons.
It's a lot easier to find stuff when you don't have a cart to slow you down, plus you get around easier and quicker -- like around the people taking up an entire isle chatting away.

Once I find the stuff I get a cart and go right to it without hesitation, and straight to the checkouts.

[Tee]

I've noticed that as well. The guys at our store will walk in, grab what they need, and be done in 5-10 minutes.

The women (Almost without exception) will take 3-4 items longer for the same item count (Or more).

Generally, I'll walk through the whole store, browsing, but moving quickly, I only stop to grab something, then get back to moving.

Unless I spot something of the following:

Model Rockets
Things that go BOOM
Anime/Manga
Sci-Fi/Fantasy Books
Video Games

In which case I put my cart in the most out of the way place I can find, then proceed to check the items out, making sure I'm not blocking anything, and if someone is standing nearby and may need me to move, I let them know if they need me too I'd be more than happy too.

Reminds me of a question from my 8th grade Social Science course, teacher asked "You're leaving a building and you're late for an appointment, there's a old woman trying to get in the door you're about to go out, do you hold it open, or try to make up lost time?"

I was in the MINORITY in saying I would indeed hold it open for her, before we even would go out. W T H ? !

[Triscuitty]

Man, this happens to me every single time I ever go to Wal Mart. What I hate even more is when a group of people all have to walk side-by-side down an aisle, so there's no possible way to get around them, and of course they're waddling as slowly as possible. I'm typically a very patient person, but there's something about Wal Mart shopping that just saps all that patience right out of me. Grr.

[powerboy]

With me, I try to get out as fast as possible. I hate when they will have family reunions in the middle of the way.

[Peppergirl]

What the hell *IS* it with Wal-Mart, anyway???

My work schedule is such that I work 3 really long days and am off for 4 straight. This allows me to do alot of my errands during the morning-afternoon hours when MOST people are at work.

Well, except for at Wal-Mart apparently.

My microwave went kaput earlier this week and after doing some comparison shopping on websites, I found a cheapie model at Target that I wanted. I went there, they didn't have it. UGH - the 2nd choice was at Walmart.

So I trudged on over there. It was about 1pm on a Thursday. The parking lot was jammed and, while walking in, the aisles were jammed with people with tons of stuff in their carts, moseying along and blocking my path no matter how many shortcuts I took just to get the damned thing and GET THE HELL OUT.

After I got home, it occured to me that it was very close to the first of the month, and that the Walmart I go to is in a low-income area. Only a guess, but I'm thinking that's why it was so packed with people. Ugh.

Disclaimer: I'm not picking on anyone on welfare. I'm merely theorizing as to it being so crowded in the middle of the day on a Thursday.

[AdminAssistant]

After years in Arkansas (where there is literally a Wal-Mart EVERYWHERE), I have finally broken the spell of 'Wal-Mart'. I go to Target for 'stuff', and a grocery store for everything else. I'll never go back.

Now, I do spend time browsing in the aisle. Partially because I'm on a diet ('lifestyle change') and I do need to evaluate nutritional info and compare/contrast. But I do try to make sure I'm not in someone else's way.

[Peppergirl]

After years in Arkansas (where there is literally a Wal-Mart EVERYWHERE), I have finally broken the spell of 'Wal-Mart'. I go to Target for 'stuff', and a grocery store for everything else. I'll never go back.

I've almost broken it too, Admin. The only time I ever go is when they have something I want, and it's cheap. In this case, I only went because Target didn't have what I wanted. 9 times out of 10 I end up TOTALLY regretting going there. It's just not worth the hassle, just to save a bit of money.

Case in point: My mom has gotten kinda cheap in her old age. She used to get up early on Wednesday mornings and do the bulk of her grocery shopping at Walmart, then go to Publix (Grocery in part of the south) for their sale stuff.

Anyway, I noticed the other day that she hadn't told any crazy wal-mart stories in awhile and asked her about it. She said "I just CAN'T do it anymore. I just don't have the energy to fight the crowds and deal with the idiots there just to save 10.00 a week or so"

[Geek King]

She said "I just CAN'T do it anymore. I just don't have the energy to fight the crowds and deal with the idiots there just to save 10.00 a week or so"

That's pretty much why I don't go anymore, unless its between 2am and 8 am. Every other time I've gone, all the lines were open, and it still took over twenty minutes just to check out. And It looked like I was in one of the faster lanes. (old cashier or metro-looking male cashier, no soccer moms in line. )

I don't envy the cashiers that have to deal with it everyday.