In article >,
Sqwertz > wrote:

> I've devised a new tactic. When somebody in line in front of you
> has more than 10 items, I just cut in front of them, look back at
> them and point to the sign, and say, "This lane is for people with
> 10 items or less".
>
> And since that worked so well, loookie he the next person in
> front of me has about 14 items, so lets do that again... Worked
> again [evil stare].
>
> And then the next person in front of me already had her stuff on the
> conveyer. She was apparently watching this, counts her stuff, then
> looks at me and asks if I'd like to go in front of her, too. I
> said, "Nah - I don't want to press my luck."
>
> I'm going to do that more often. Since the stores won't enforce
> these policies, then it's up to the customers.
>
> What's interesting to note is that both people I cut in front of
> went to other lines after being called on it. It'll be interesting
> to see how many people do that, and how many will stand there in
> back of me mumbling obscenities. And how many follow me home and
> come back later that night with automatic weapons.
>
> -sw

Don't blame it all on the customer, Steve. Although I don't know the
details in your experience, sometimes the cashier for the express lane
will hail me (or someone else) to that lane if there are no customers
there and we're in line at another busy lane. Sometimes a light shopper
will appear right behind me and I am quick to explain that I was asked
to come there.

Store managers are damned if they do and damned if they don't. The
manager at my local Cub says his practice for opening another lane
(assuming he has the staff available) is based on one + one + one: One
customer's groceries are being rung up, the next one may be unloading
his/her cart, and there's one more person in the line. If there is more
than the third person, he'll summon someone to open another lane.

Sometimes it's beyond his control. I remember one busy day and I
kvetched about it to him. "I know, I know. I don't like it either --I
had one person not show up and two call in sick."
--
-Barb, Mother Superior, HOSSSPoJ
http://web.me.com/barbschaller - pot pie
"What you say about someone else says more
about you than it does about the other person."