CUSTOMERS BEWARE: If you leave the line at the checkout, you will lose your place!

[BowserKoopa1]

2 days ago I had a lady come through my line with a cart filled with tons of groceries. Someone else was in front of her checking out, and she left the line for some reason.
When I finished with the customer in front of her, she had not come back, so we moved her cart off to the side, and I went on to the next customer. As I finish with this customer, the lady comes back. The only problem is, the next customer in line had already unloaded her groceries onto the belt. SL- stupid lady
SL: Are you going to check me out?
Me: I'm sorry, but this lady has already unloaded her stuff.
SL: I had to go to the pharmacy to get a prescription.
Ok, this is not my fault, idiot. If you need to pick something up from the pharmacy, then get it before you check out.
Me: Maam, you stepped out of line, I'm sorry.
SL: That's not fair.
Me: Let me get a supervisor and we'll straighten this out.
Me (what I wanted to say): Then why the fuck don't you finish your shopping first, moron?!
She did not feel like waiting around and decided to go to another line, as if that was going to get her checked out faster. Ok, you'll just have to wait in line at another register too. They're not going to let you cut in line because you feel you are so entitled.
Let me just stop here to say, if I am in the process of ringing out a customer's order and they need to go get something, that is fine with me, as long as they don't take too long and don't hold up the line. Yes she waited in line, but when you leave the line and don't come back in time for your turn, you lose your place, I'm sorry. I don't have time to play stupid games and wait for you.

[underemployeed]

You forgot the exception of if you need to take 2-3 steps to grab something that will be in reach around the checkout area, which is often confused for as long as you can still see your spot from the other side of the store then it is also allowed, and SCs have the powers from that WANTED movie where instead of bullets they curve their sight, im sure normal cashiers can't comprehend the awesomeness that it requires.

(yes everything after the first coma is sarcasm)

[Grape The Cat]

She could've picked the prescription after she shopped, but there I go being all logical.

[tropicsgoddess]

I always get my prescriptions at the pharmacy before I do anything else at the store. It's not. that. hard. Dumbass lady.

[Evandril]

The few times I've needed something that I forgot...if I *KNOW* I can get it fast, I'll ask both the cashier and the people behind me if it's ok if I run and grab something real fast...With the understanding that if 'real fast' isn't fast enough...I lose my place *shrugs* I wish common sense was!

[mikoyan29]

I've done that once or twice. If it's something I really need, I will get it. If not...it can wait. But that is after asking the cashier if it is okay.

[bainsidhe]

Yep, the people that go "Oh, I got the wrong brand of cereal" then wanders off mid-transaction. They come back and go "Oh, I forgot to get baked beans" and wander off, still mid-transaction. Grrr. Just as bad are the people who forget their wallet and assume you and all other customers will stare off into space and wait patiently for their return. I'll suspend the transaction and let them to the front of the line when they return, but they're still behind the person I started serving when they vanished. Shame on them for getting huffy because they had to wait a whole minute when we've been waiting five minutes for the forgetful SC to return. Five minutes is 2-3 customer transactions and I will serve the patiently waiting hoards.

[Pixilated]

The few times I've needed something that I forgot...if I *KNOW* I can get it fast, I'll ask both the cashier and the people behind me if it's ok if I run and grab something real fast...With the understanding that if 'real fast' isn't fast enough...I lose my place *shrugs* I wish common sense was!

I had customers do that as well, although in many cases there was nobody behind them (though someone may have strolled up after they raced off). But yeah, if they didn't come back pretty smartly, I'd ask the next in line to step forward. I'm not about to hold everybody up for the Phantom of the Checkout Line.

[BrenDAnn]

The problem with this at the C-store is that I CAN'T suspend transactions. I have to straight up void the damn things. "I forgot my wallet" and "Oh sh!t, my money's in my car/truck!" are commonly heard around the store, unfortunately.

[Jay 2K Winger]

We had that kind of thing happen at the wholesale club sometimes. If they'd left their cart and there was no one else in their party to hold their place in line, I felt no qualms about pushing their cart back and taking the next customer. If they'd already unloaded their cart onto the belt, however, it was trickier.

At the wholesale club, you see, I can't start ringing someone up until I've scanned their membership card. So if they've filled the belt with their merch, then wandered off, I'm kind of stuck.

[XCashier]

when you leave the line and don't come back in time for your turn, you lose your place, I'm sorry. I don't have time to play stupid games and wait for you.

Agreed! I dealt with a similar SC not long ago. It seems that some folks just do not comprehend that there are other people besides them in the universe, they do not have the center stage spotlight and if they don't obey the rules, they have to deal with a penalty. Don't yell at the clerk, it's not his/her fault that you're too stupid to understand the concept of "waiting in line"!

[retailworker7]

Agreed! I dealt with a similar SC not long ago. It seems that some folks just do not comprehend that there are other people besides them in the universe, they do not have the center stage spotlight and if they don't obey the rules, they have to deal with a penalty. Don't yell at the clerk, it's not his/her fault that you're too stupid to understand the concept of "waiting in line"!

I agree. We can not suspend transactions either where I work so I either have to call a manager to void them or leave the transaction there and jump on our back up register. Stupid customers do not realize what a pain this is. When I am stuck ringing on two different registers stupid people start making two different lines. When this happens I have to call for back-up to take over the second line.

I am luck my co-workers and managers like me and do not get annoyed with me when this happens.

This type of things happen way too often. I have told my co-workers that if this happens when I am working in cosmetics they can page me for help.