Yes, ma'am, I move the belt myself to irritate you.

[Despina83]

What is it with these customers who don't understand that the belt at the register moves automatically when an item passes through the sensor? They seriously think that we sit there turning it off and on just to bug them. I had one woman who was already pissed at me because, admittedly, I screwed up. But she was a bitch about it. Anyway, she had taken everything out of her bag and strewn it over the belt. As she was putting everything back inside, she moved one of the items and it triggered the belt to move automatically. She gave an exasperated sigh, gritted her teeth, and said, "Would you stop DOING that, please??" Even though I had just recahed down to switch it off. She apparently thought that I moved it myself as a way to purposely make things difficult for her. Before she left, she was also kind enough to instruct me on how I need to do things with the NEXT customer. Reminds me of the women who got mad at me when a greeting card of hers passed under the sensor and failed to stop the belt, thus squishing the card in between heavy items. We switch it off as fast as we can when that happens, but we're not sitting there controlling it the whole time. We even had one guy complain that we made the belt move while he was unloading his basket just to "irrate" him. These people need to try cashiering for one day so they can have a frickin' clue.

[Aethian]

Maybe they remember the days when the cashier had to step on a little peddle that tells the belt to move? I know some older Mom and Pop stores that still have those.

[Familytradition]

Last supermarket I worked at still had a peddle to move the belt. However I doubt anyone would purposely move the belt just to annoy anyone (unless it was our mates coming through)

[fireheart]

My store has the sensor thing. I haven't had anything as bad as that, although like some conveyor belts, the plate at the end lifts up, so if you have anything too thin on there, it gets sucked down there where we usually cannot reach it.

I have seen money (usually 20's or 50's) get sucked down there, greeting cards, magazines, a credit card (yes a credit card...I kid you not) as well as those Maggi Recipe things. The other stuff is easily replaceable, but I tell all my customers to NOT put ANY money whatsoever on the conveyor belt. If they ignore me and it gets sucked under, then it's their fault for not listening to me and they can't complain. (I do have quick reflexes though and a lot of customers tell me this)

EDIT: Oh yes...I do get the idiots who shove all their groceries to one end. What really annoys me though are the number of people who put heavy stuff on the conveyor belt. I am fairly strong, but when you get about 10 of them in a 5-hour shift, it's easier NOT to lift them without risking a back or shoulder injury. We have them in the computer instead.

[Jory]

I've never had anything get sucked into the vast unknown of my conveyor belt's underside... except magazines, a few pages get sucked in occasionally, so I offer the customers the chance to grab a new one (since usually it's the magazines right at the check stand).

I am consistently amused, however, when I see people freaked out that their groceries are 'running away' and try to stop them, at the expense of theirs and other people's groceries. I especially like it when people try to move stuff away from the top of the conveyor where the movement sets it off, and the moment they pull back the belt just moves it all forward again. Squished groceries are a go.

I don't really understand why people hold on to their groceries (usually when they have baskets) and won't let them go, even when I've already taken all the items from the first customer off the belt..

I'm actually surprised no one's complained me. I will start the sensor on purpose sometimes, I like to when people place their purses and what not on the belt and are rooting through them. I'm kinda mean like that. ^_^

[Stormraven]

Well, some of those people may be like me - I hate having my groceries scattered all over the belt. I want them in one place so I can look them over and be sure I haven't missed anything in the cart or basket. Yes, I'm mildly compulsive. I do manage not to yell at the cashiers for it, but it does frustrate me no end.

It's why I've taken to using self-checkout when it's available.

[Chromatix]

The checkouts in Finland usually have "no cash or cards on the belt" signs (well, the local equivalent, which is incomprehensible to Anglophones). I assume they still get people who don't understand that things *can* get lost down the little gap at the end.

Myself, I've been used to the sensors since, well, forever, so it's pretty intuitive. I pack my stuff together fairly neatly so that as much as possible can fit on, unless there's nobody in front of me in which case it's not worth it. I certainly try to put relatively big and heavy things first, because I'll need to put them in the bottom of the bags.

Nitpick: it's spelt "pedal".

[DataJager]

I have to agree. Cashering should be mandatory. Granted all the cashiering I ever did was at a drugstore, so I've never had belt troubles.

Maybe a "Selective Service" Job Corps -- when you turn 18 your name is put into the system and every so often you're called up to do some horrible menial task to keep your views of yourself and life in check. That way, everyone would know what it's like to be a server, cashier, salesperson, janitor and so forth. People would probably have a lot more respect for those who do those jobs. I know I look up to janitors.