Melba's Jammin' > wrote:

> 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.

I've seen that at some stores, but never at this one. At least at
"rush hour" (5:30-6:30pm). And even when there is an employee
directing traffic, I usually still fend for myself and choose my own
line.

-sw

"brooklyn1" > wrote in
:

>
> "sandi" > wrote in message

>> I wonder if taking a picture inside a stove vs. outside
>> is the difference?

Hot stove in the store?? ;-)

> Gotta be careful how hot... wouldn't try it with a microwave
> oven either. hehe
>
>

Dan Abel > wrote:

> In article >,
> Dave Smith > wrote:
>
>> Often? The way I figure it is first come first serve, and customers
>> making larger purchases deserve some respect.
>
> I like the way they do it at the military commissary here in the US.
> It's like a bank, there is only one line. You don't have to worry about
> which line to get in. When you get to the front of the line, you just
> go to the next free checker.

Many of us can relate better to Fry's Electronics ;-) 75 yards of
checkout line, with 150 yards (both sides of the line) of checkstand
merchandising for the impulse buyers.

-sw

In article >,
Dave Smith > wrote:


> I still have trouble with the idea of a store being expected to keep a
> checkout station open to accommodate the the shoppers buying the
> smallest amounts and making the customers with more purchases wait
> longer when they are making more profit from a cart full of goods than
> 12 or less.

If 10 people buy 10 items each, or one person buys 100 items, then
ignoring checkout costs, the store makes the same amount of money.
During checkout, it should cost the store the same to scan and bag those
100 items. The only difference is accepting payment from 10 people
versus one. The store knows darn well that people will not wait in line
to buy one item unless it is a quick checkout station. They'll go to
the convenience store instead.

--
Dan Abel
Petaluma, California USA

Dan Abel wrote:
> In article >,
> Dave Smith > wrote:
>
>
>> Often? The way I figure it is first come first serve, and customers
>> making larger purchases deserve some respect.
>
> I like the way they do it at the military commissary here in the US.
> It's like a bank, there is only one line. You don't have to worry about
> which line to get in. When you get to the front of the line, you just
> go to the next free checker. If somebody has a lot of stuff, they don't
> hold up a line, they are just at the checkstand longer.
>


I like that idea. It beats playing checkout roulette. No more checking
out the number of people in line and the number of items in their cards,
not to mention how many of them are the old girls who will wait until
the cashier tells them the total before they start the search for the
purse and wallet and fumble around in their change purse to try to get
the right change. Heaven forbid they keep an eye on the cash register so
they can get out their money ahead of time instead of holding up the
people behind them.

Dan Abel wrote:
>
>> I still have trouble with the idea of a store being expected to keep a
>> checkout station open to accommodate the the shoppers buying the
>> smallest amounts and making the customers with more purchases wait
>> longer when they are making more profit from a cart full of goods than
>> 12 or less.
>
> If 10 people buy 10 items each, or one person buys 100 items, then
> ignoring checkout costs, the store makes the same amount of money.
> During checkout, it should cost the store the same to scan and bag those
> 100 items. The only difference is accepting payment from 10 people
> versus one. The store knows darn well that people will not wait in line
> to buy one item unless it is a quick checkout station. They'll go to
> the convenience store instead.


True. But they can one one person through with woo items faster than
they can do ten people with ten items because it is usually the cash
transaction that takes up the time.

Dave Smith > wrote:

> Dan Abel wrote:
>> In article >,
>> Dave Smith > wrote:
>>
>> I like the way they do it at the military commissary here in the US.
>> It's like a bank, there is only one line. You don't have to worry about
>> which line to get in. When you get to the front of the line, you just
>> go to the next free checker. If somebody has a lot of stuff, they don't
>> hold up a line, they are just at the checkstand longer.
>>
>
> I like that idea. It beats playing checkout roulette. No more checking
> out the number of people in line and the number of items in their cards,
> not to mention how many of them are the old girls who will wait until
> the cashier tells them the total before they start the search for the
> purse and wallet and fumble around in their change purse to try to get
> the right change.

But then you have to wait for the person to unload the cart. A
cashier can ring up items twice as quickly as a person can unload
the cart. That's not making the best use of your cashiers' time.

-sw

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


Around here, they are likely to be packing *in the queue*; no need to
come back :P

Sqwertz wrote:

>
> 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."

How about if you cut in front of anybody if their number of items is
more than or equal to 3 times your number of items? Say you have 3 items
and they have 9 or 10 items, bingo! You cut in front of them! They're
buying way too much stuff anyway. That would be soooo cool. Teach those
high-number item *******s a right jolly good lesson. :-)

Of course, I get to cut in front of you cause I just only have one item
to get - my weekly supply of Depends.

>
> -sw

Dan Abel wrote:
> In article >,
> Dave Smith > wrote:
>
>
>
>>Often? The way I figure it is first come first serve, and customers
>>making larger purchases deserve some respect.
>
>
> I like the way they do it at the military commissary here in the US.
> It's like a bank, there is only one line. You don't have to worry about
> which line to get in. When you get to the front of the line, you just
> go to the next free checker. If somebody has a lot of stuff, they don't
> hold up a line, they are just at the checkstand longer.
>
I finally made a scene at local market the other day when the kid
standing in front of me with nothing to purchase waved over its mother
who had a shopping cart full of stuff and was standing in another line,
at which time 2 other kids standing in 2 other lines joined her in front
of me.

I didn't exactly go "postal" but i made my dissatisfaction so apparent
the manager opened another register for me.

If it had been the first time it had happened i wouldn't have got quite
so upset but it seems to be the new thing with long lines and families
with lots of kids, have the individual kids stand in various lines and
the parent rushes to whichever kid gets to the register first.

Im not quick to anger but after the 3rd or 4th time this has happened to
me in a crowded market i got quite angry, which given the response of
the parents and kids to my indignation only made matters worse.

I had 2 items and if they had just waved me ahead of them i would have
just frowned and went ahead, but they acted like i was 'disrespecting'
them, actually said as much to me and THAT set me off!

Its amazing how some people will feel 'disrespected' when they are
called on their lack of respect for other people.

Grrr....just thinking about it gets me angry.
--
JL

On Mar 26, 3:55*pm, Mark Thorson > wrote:
> Dave Smith wrote:
>
> > I still have trouble with the idea of a store being expected to keep a
> > checkout station open to accommodate the the shoppers buying the
> > smallest amounts and making the customers with more purchases wait
> > longer when they are making more profit from a cart full of goods than
> > 12 or less.
>
> You bring up an interesting point. *Trader Joe's
> doesn't have express lines, and they usually are
> pretty quick to open a new checkstand if the
> lines are getting long. *(I wonder how many of
> their customers get heart attacks when they
> ring that dang bell.) *However, I don't usually
> notice people with very full carts shopping at
> Trader Joe's.
>
> A regular supermarket would seem to be very
> unfriendly toward single people if they did not
> have express lines. *I shop frequently, visited
> 3 grocery stores just this morning, but usually
> make small purchases.

This is somewhat tangential, but here are some lyrics that mention the
grocery store express line:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Sometimes I wish I had Tourette's. That way anytime I wanted to I
could say, '****, ****, ****, ****, ****, ****, ****, ****!' ****,
sometimes I wish I had Tourette's."
Smelly old man at the grocery store.
Beer's not cold at the grocery store.
No express line at the grocery store.
I can't take much more! Oh, ****.
"Sometimes I wish I had Tourette's. That way anytime I wanted to I
could say, '****, ****, ****, ****, ****, ****, ****, ****!' ****,
sometimes I wish I had Tourette's."
Slowpoke drivers on the interstate.
They won't let me merge on the interstate.
Rubberneckin' ****ers on the interstate.
Fill my soul with hate! Aw, ****.
"Sometimes I wish I had Tourette's. That way anytime I wanted to I
could say, '****, ****, ****, ****, ****, ****, ****, ****!' ****,
sometimes I wish I had Tourette's."
--performed vocal only, Dec. 22, 2004 at the Hi-Pointe, St. Louis, MO
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

--Bryan

In article >,
Sqwertz > wrote:

> Dave Smith > wrote:
>
> > Dan Abel wrote:
> >> In article >,
> >> Dave Smith > wrote:
> >>
> >> I like the way they do it at the military commissary here in the US.
> >> It's like a bank, there is only one line. You don't have to worry about
> >> which line to get in. When you get to the front of the line, you just
> >> go to the next free checker. If somebody has a lot of stuff, they don't
> >> hold up a line, they are just at the checkstand longer.
> >>
> >
> > I like that idea. It beats playing checkout roulette. No more checking
> > out the number of people in line and the number of items in their cards,

> But then you have to wait for the person to unload the cart. A
> cashier can ring up items twice as quickly as a person can unload
> the cart. That's not making the best use of your cashiers' time.

Maybe that's why only the military does it this way? They aren't
exactly known for efficiency sometimes.

sniff, sniff

Anybody else remember back in the old days when the checker unloaded the
cart?

--
Dan Abel
Petaluma, California USA

"Dave Smith" > wrote in message
> It is not efficient for me to be standing in a long line to check out
> 20-30 items while people who came into the store while I am in line, gets
> their one crummy item and checks out while I am still waiting in line.
>
> I have to admit that most of the local grocery stores are much more
> efficient than they used to me. At one time there was a limited number of
> grocery stores in this area and one of them was notoriously slow. There
> were a couple times when I was waiting in line so long that the ice cream
> I was getting started to melt, I walked out and told someone they will
> need to put everything back.

If I went to the store and only bought ice cram, I'd be PO'd if I had to
wait for a few people with full carts. I'd probably go to another store.
It is in the best interest of the store to satisfy as many customers as
possible. At time, the 12 or fewer lane would be empty and they would take
a person with a 15 to 20 item and get them through quickly. Other times
there may only be two lanes open and neither would be express.

There is always the self checkout option, but I hate it and refuse to use
it.

In article >,
"Ed Pawlowski" > wrote:

> If I went to the store and only bought ice cram, I'd be PO'd if I had to
> wait for a few people with full carts. I'd probably go to another store.
> It is in the best interest of the store to satisfy as many customers as
> possible. At time, the 12 or fewer lane would be empty and they would take
> a person with a 15 to 20 item and get them through quickly. Other times
> there may only be two lanes open and neither would be express.
>
> There is always the self checkout option, but I hate it and refuse to use
> it.

The self-checkout lane at one of our local supermarkets also offers
someone ringing the register and someone bagging and pushing the cart
out at the same price. It reminds me of when the banks offered Internet
access at additional cost to me.

leo

On Thu, 26 Mar 2009 12:55:16 -0800 in rec.food.cooking, Mark Thorson
> wrote,
>You bring up an interesting point. Trader Joe's
>doesn't have express lines,

The one nearest me, in Torrance CA, does.

On Thu, 26 Mar 2009 05:37:57 -0700 (PDT), Bobo Bonobo®
> wrote:

>That's a really excellent idea. You do a service to your community.

I must live in a community that knows how to count.

The *only* time I see people with more than the x limit in a line is
because there was NO LINE in line when they got there. Around here,
checkers in the limited lines take... in fact they *tell* people to
come over to their check stand if they don't have any customers who
fit the sign limit (my god, they're allowed to *think*). If someone
who fits the sign's criteria comes up after they've invited another
customer over, that person has to wait until the transaction is
finished.


--
I never worry about diets. The only carrots that
interest me are the number of carats in a diamond.

Mae West

On Mar 27, 1:05*am, sf > wrote:
> On Thu, 26 Mar 2009 05:37:57 -0700 (PDT), Bobo Bonobo®
>
> > wrote:
> >That's a really excellent idea. *You do a service to your community.
>
> I must live in a community that knows how to count. *
>
> The *only* time I see people with more than the x limit in a line is
> because there was NO LINE in line when they got there. *Around here,
> checkers in the limited lines take... in fact they *tell* people to
> come over to their check stand if they don't have any customers who
> fit the sign limit (my god, they're allowed to *think*). *If someone
> who fits the sign's criteria comes up after they've invited another
> customer over, that person has to wait until the transaction is
> finished.
>

Ideally, that's the way it should work. Perhaps you do hail from a
more civilized community.

> --
> I never worry about diets. The only carrots that
> interest me are the number of carats in a diamond.

Carrots are yummy when cooked with a nice pot roast.


--Bryan

Dan wrote:

> Anybody else remember back in the old days when the checker
> unloaded the cart?

They still do, at Raley's and Bel Air.

Bob

Dan Abel > wrote in

> Anybody else remember back in the old days when the checker
> unloaded the cart?


All 3 of the local grocery stores do here. Kroger/King Soopers,
Safeway & Albertsons.

"Sqwertz" > wrote in message
...
> Dave Smith > wrote:
>
>> brooklyn1 wrote:
>>>
>>> They usually have only a couple three low quantity checkers (for people
>>> who
>>> want to get done quickly), but they'll have 15-20 full service
>>> checkers...
>>> you'd be very annoyed if you had a full cart and had to wait for 3-4
>>> ahead
>>> of you to check out with only a few items each.
>>
>> You must have larger grocery stores. Most of the places where I shop
>> have only a dozen checkout counters and rarely have them all open.
>
> I think he only shops at Walmart. My grocer only has 14, 2 of which
> are self-serve. And even the CostCo only has 14. None of sich are
> all ever in operation that I've seen.
>
>> I have to admit that most of the local grocery stores are much more
>> efficient than they used to me. At one time there was a limited number
>> of grocery stores in this area and one of them was notoriously slow.
>> There were a couple times when I was waiting in line so long that the
>> ice cream I was getting started to melt, I walked out and told someone
>> they will need to put everything back.
>
> That was out Albertson's. No matter how many people were in he
> store, they only ever had no more than 2 lanes open (virtually
> nobody ever shopped there). There was consistently as many in line
> as there were in the isles.


Albertsons is the worst place ever to shop in a hurry. Every time I went
there (St Pete during lunch break) there was one retarded cashier working
and she always seemed to know everybody in line ahead of me. Can we have
the family reunion in the county jail please?

TFM®

"Dave Smith" > wrote in message
...
> Dan Abel wrote:
>> In article >,
>> Dave Smith > wrote:
>>
>>
>>> Often? The way I figure it is first come first serve, and customers
>>> making larger purchases deserve some respect.
>>
>> I like the way they do it at the military commissary here in the US.
>> It's like a bank, there is only one line. You don't have to worry about
>> which line to get in. When you get to the front of the line, you just go
>> to the next free checker. If somebody has a lot of stuff, they don't
>> hold up a line, they are just at the checkstand longer.
>>
>
>
> I like that idea. It beats playing checkout roulette. No more checking out
> the number of people in line and the number of items in their cards, not
> to mention how many of them are the old girls who will wait until the
> cashier tells them the total before they start the search for the purse
> and wallet and fumble around in their change purse to try to get the right
> change. Heaven forbid they keep an eye on the cash register so they can
> get out their money ahead of time instead of holding up the people behind
> them.

No shit. That drives me ****ing nuts. It's like, didn't you know you were
going to spend money here? Didn't you have a ****ing clue as to an
approximation? Why did you start filling out the check when the cashier was
finished?

They have a service that's new to me as I haven't used a check in years (I
use a debit card). You simply hand the cashier a blank check, they run it
through the scanner, your account is debited and they hand you the check
back.

I was in line behind one of the ancient ones as she fumbled for her pen.
The cashier said, "Ma'am, you'll get your check back."
Grandma Moses found her pen and appeared to write her autobiography with her
shaking hand.

The cashier repeated several times that she'd be getting her check back.

Autobiography finished, God's mother finally hands over the check. It's
scanned and passed back to her within seconds.

5 more minutes pass as the cashier has to explain why she didn't keep the
check.

If I'm just buying a few items with cash, I can get really close to the
total mentally. I hand them the money before they ever have to redundantly
tell me what is displayed on two 14 inch lcd monitors for the world to see.

I think all this boils down to the fact that most people are inherently
stupid.

TFM®

sf wrote on Thu, 26 Mar 2009 23:05:33 -0700:

>> That's a really excellent idea. You do a service to your
>> community.

> I must live in a community that knows how to count.

> The *only* time I see people with more than the x limit in a
> line is because there was NO LINE in line when they got there.
> Around here, checkers in the limited lines take... in fact
> they *tell* people to come over to their check stand if they
> don't have any customers who fit the sign limit (my god,
> they're allowed to *think*). If someone who fits the sign's
> criteria comes up after they've invited another customer over,
> that person has to wait until the transaction is finished.

Yes, I've been invited into a fast lane by a cashier who had no
customers and then had someone come along later and audibly count my
number of items :-)

--

James Silverton
Potomac, Maryland

Email, with obvious alterations: not.jim.silverton.at.verizon.not

Dave Smith > wrote in
:

>
> It is not efficient for me to be standing in a long line to check out
> 20-30 items while people who came into the store while I am in line,
> gets their one crummy item and checks out while I am still waiting in
> line.

I sometimes pop over to the supermarket in between getting off the train
and my bus arriving. I want only a few things (bread, milk etc.), and
standing behind someone checking out 30 items while I miss my bus is not
efficient for me.

Don't assume that people who buy small amounts a) only every buy small
amounts - I also do large grocery shops at the same supermarket or b) only
come in once in a blue moon - some weeks I may buy small amounts on several
days.

--
Rhonda Anderson
Cranebrook, NSW, Australia

Core of my heart, my country! Land of the rainbow gold,
For flood and fire and famine she pays us back threefold.
My Country, Dorothea MacKellar, 1904

"Sqwertz" > wrote in message
...
> brooklyn1 > wrote:
>
>> Never heard such ridiculousness, public stores cannot enforce policy that
>> goes against law. There's no such law that prevents taking pictures in
>> stores open to the public..
>
> It's not a law, but stores are allowed to kick your ugly ass out of
> you don't abide by their rules. This *is* a policy of every grocer
> and other retail store I've been in for 20+ years.
>
> There is no law that gives you the right to take pictures on
> *private property*, Jerry. And you're an idiot if you think that.



Long live Jerry.

TFM®

"Dave Smith" > wrote

> True. But they can one one person through with woo items faster than they
> can do ten people with ten items because it is usually the cash
> transaction that takes up the time.
>
>

Dude, your spell checker needs a tune up.
I feel drunk after reading that.

;-)
TFM®

On Mar 27, 8:03*am, TFM® > wrote:
> "Sqwertz" > wrote in message
>
> ...
>
> > brooklyn1 > wrote:
>
> >> Never heard such ridiculousness, public stores cannot enforce policy that
> >> goes against law. *There's no such law that prevents taking pictures in
> >> stores open to the public..
>
> > It's not a law, but stores are allowed to kick your ugly ass out of
> > you don't abide by their rules. *This *is* a policy of every grocer
> > and other retail store I've been in for 20+ years.
>
> > There is no law that gives you the right to take pictures on
> > *private property*, Jerry. *And you're an idiot if you think that.
>
> Long live Jerry.

I bet his author appreciates that.
>
> TFM®

--Bryan

"sf" > wrote in
>
>>That's a really excellent idea. You do a service to your community.
>
> I must live in a community that knows how to count.
>
> The *only* time I see people with more than the x limit in a line is
> because there was NO LINE in line when they got there.

If there was ever a line in line here, someone would surely snort it up.

TFM®
Pulling your leg.

"James Silverton" > wrote in message
news
> sf wrote on Thu, 26 Mar 2009 23:05:33 -0700:
>
>>> That's a really excellent idea. You do a service to your
>>> community.
>
>> I must live in a community that knows how to count.
>
>> The *only* time I see people with more than the x limit in a
>> line is because there was NO LINE in line when they got there.
>> Around here, checkers in the limited lines take... in fact
>> they *tell* people to come over to their check stand if they
>> don't have any customers who fit the sign limit (my god,
>> they're allowed to *think*). If someone who fits the sign's
>> criteria comes up after they've invited another customer over,
>> that person has to wait until the transaction is finished.
>
> Yes, I've been invited into a fast lane by a cashier who had no customers
> and then had someone come along later and audibly count my number of items
> :-)


Being the rude ******* that I am, I'd simply tell them to shut the **** up
and get back in line.

I can picture Swertz and me in a wrestling match in the express lane. Heh.

TFM®

James Silverton wrote:

> Yes, I've been invited into a fast lane by a cashier who had no
> customers and then had someone come along later and audibly count my
> number of items :-)

Heh. Did you just ignore them? It happened to me once, I
was called over by the cashier and just minding my own
business as she scanned my stuff when I hear her rebuke
some guy behind me. I called her over here, sir. He must
have been too cowardly to speak up, just conveyed his
displeasure non-verbally. (laugh) I turned around and this
retired guy with probably all day to kill had the good grace to
look embarrassed.

nancy

Rhonda Anderson wrote:
> Dave Smith > wrote

>> It is not efficient for me to be standing in a long line to check out
>> 20-30 items while people who came into the store while I am in line,
>> gets their one crummy item and checks out while I am still waiting in
>> line.
>
> I sometimes pop over to the supermarket in between getting off the
> train and my bus arriving. I want only a few things (bread, milk
> etc.), and standing behind someone checking out 30 items while I miss
> my bus is not efficient for me.
>
> Don't assume that people who buy small amounts a) only every buy small
> amounts - I also do large grocery shops at the same supermarket or b)
> only come in once in a blue moon - some weeks I may buy small amounts
> on several days.

You have a good point. It's a service available to me in the times
I'm just picking up a few items when usually I buy a lot more than
that. Probably most people who shop in that store fall into that
category. It's nice to have. If I think I will have to wait on line for
any length of time just for 1 or 2 items, I would probably just skip
it.

nancy

Nancy wrote on Fri, 27 Mar 2009 09:26:15 -0400:

>> Yes, I've been invited into a fast lane by a cashier who had no
>> customers and then had someone come along later and
>> audibly count my number of items :-)

> Heh. Did you just ignore them? It happened to me once, I
> was called over by the cashier and just minding my own
> business as she scanned my stuff when I hear her rebuke
> some guy behind me. I called her over here, sir. He must
> have been too cowardly to speak up, just conveyed his displeasure
> non-verbally. (laugh) I turned around and this
> retired guy with probably all day to kill had the good grace
> to look embarrassed.

There is quite a lot of satisfaction in saying nothing and watching
some-one turn purple :-)

--

James Silverton
Potomac, Maryland

Email, with obvious alterations: not.jim.silverton.at.verizon.not

On Fri 27 Mar 2009 02:00:57a, Bob Terwilliger told us...

> Dan wrote:
>
>> Anybody else remember back in the old days when the checker unloaded
>> the cart?
>
> They still do, at Raley's and Bel Air.
>
> Bob
>

Heinen's, a locally-owned chain of supermarkets in th Cleveland, not only
does that, but they do not allow you to take your shopping cart to your car
in the parking lot. All carts go to a loading area. You retrieve your car
and drive past the loading area where they place all your bags in the trunk
or back seat. They also do not accept tips for this service.

--
Wayne Boatwright

"One man's meat is another man's poison"
- Oswald Dykes, English writer, 1709.

In article
>,
Dan Abel > wrote:

> Anybody else remember back in the old days when the checker unloaded the
> cart?

The upscale place here (Byerly's) still does. The cart bed is the same
height as their 'counter' and they can open the end of it to slide the
products out. They also have baggers. No carry-out, thought * drive
thru pick up instead.
--
-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."

James Silverton wrote:
> Nancy wrote on Fri, 27 Mar 2009 09:26:15 -0400:

>> Heh. Did you just ignore them? It happened to me once, I
>> was called over by the cashier and just minding my own
>> business as she scanned my stuff when I hear her rebuke
>> some guy behind me. I called her over here, sir. He must
>> have been too cowardly to speak up, just conveyed his displeasure
>> non-verbally. (laugh) I turned around and this
>> retired guy with probably all day to kill had the good grace
>> to look embarrassed.
>
> There is quite a lot of satisfaction in saying nothing and watching
> some-one turn purple :-)

(laugh) You're evil. I like that.

Just a few weeks ago something happened, strangely enough
in the About 10 Items or Fewer line I mentioned earlier.

I got on line and the woman in front of me became a little
flustered. Seems she had too many items for that line.
She said would you like to go in front of me? I have too
many items. Verbatim, I said No, stay, I'm not in a hurry.

Suddenly this hostile cashier hissed at me, I can take you
over here. Uh ... okay. She says You know, Line 10 is
open. That's great. Was there a survey of what lines
were open and I failed the test? All I can think is that she
heard enough of the conversation with the too-many-items
lady to think I'd been giving her a hard time. Because this
cashier was ****ed off at me.

nancy

On Mar 26, 1:55*pm, Mark Thorson > wrote:
> Dave Smith wrote:
>
> > I still have trouble with the idea of a store being expected to keep a
> > checkout station open to accommodate the the shoppers buying the
> > smallest amounts and making the customers with more purchases wait
> > longer when they are making more profit from a cart full of goods than
> > 12 or less.
>
> You bring up an interesting point. *Trader Joe's
> doesn't have express lines, and they usually are
> pretty quick to open a new checkstand if the
> lines are getting long. *(I wonder how many of
> their customers get heart attacks when they
> ring that dang bell.) *However, I don't usually
> notice people with very full carts shopping at
> Trader Joe's.
>
> A regular supermarket would seem to be very
> unfriendly toward single people if they did not
> have express lines. *I shop frequently, visited
> 3 grocery stores just this morning, but usually
> make small purchases.

I like it when a person goes thru the self-check line with a grocery
cart FULL of stuff. Isn't the self-checkout supposed to be a form of
express lane? And of course, the person takes about 10x longer to go
thru the self-chekcout than normal b/c h/she is scanning, bagging,
figuring out where to put the 10+ bags of groceries, etc. etc.

And whatever happened to letting someone go ahead of you when you have
50 items and they have 3 or 4? I've even been on the offering side
and the person DECLINED. ?!

-goro-

l, not -l wrote:
> On 27-Mar-2009, "Nancy Young" > wrote:
>
>> I turned around and this
>> retired guy with probably all day to kill had the good grace to
>> look embarrassed.

> Hey, now you listen to me missy!!!!! ;-) Retired guys have things
> to-do also; often, things that are just as important as yours. We
> have appointments, dates, lists of errands to run; we don't all sit
> around all day watching Matlock reruns and figuring out ways to get
> in the way of "working" people. Hell, sometimes we are even running
> errands and doing things for "working" friends and family who think
> "the retired guy's" got nothing better to do. I'm retired; but, I
> have a full life and deserve the same respect as "working" folks -
> the big difference, I've already served my time working for "the
> suits".

(laughing) You kidding, being retired is a lot of work. I know that!
Just saying, no need to be getting nasty or bent out of shape
because some witch had what you thought were too many items.
It would not have killed the guy to just chill instead of making a
(silent) fuss. My stuff was already being checked out when he
walked up. What did he think, they'd back it all out and send me
packing? He was a jerk who seemed to think he deserved to
breeze in and out of the place.

nancy

On Thu, 26 Mar 2009 07:21:47 -0700 (PDT), Bobo Bonobo® wrote:

> On Mar 26, 9:05*am, blake murphy > wrote:
>> On Thu, 26 Mar 2009 05:37:57 -0700 (PDT), Bobo Bonobo® wrote:
>>> On Mar 26, 7:32*am, 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.
>>
>>> That's a really excellent idea. *You do a service to your community.
>>
>> you wouldn't force-feed them laxatives?
>
> That would in no way make the punishment fit the crime. Are you too
> simple to realize that?
>>

if the punishment fit the crime, you would go shit on your neighbor's lawn,
not poison his dog. are you too simple to realize that?

blake

"Ed Pawlowski" > wrote in message
...
>
> "Dave Smith" > wrote in message
>> It is not efficient for me to be standing in a long line to check out
>> 20-30 items while people who came into the store while I am in line, gets
>> their one crummy item and checks out while I am still waiting in line.
>>
>> I have to admit that most of the local grocery stores are much more
>> efficient than they used to me. At one time there was a limited number of
>> grocery stores in this area and one of them was notoriously slow. There
>> were a couple times when I was waiting in line so long that the ice cream
>> I was getting started to melt, I walked out and told someone they will
>> need to put everything back.
>
> If I went to the store and only bought ice cram, I'd be PO'd if I had to
> wait for a few people with full carts. >
If the store is crowded and it's summer I'll use the customer service desk
when all I have are a few perishable items like meat... but I don't ever
remember going to a stupidmarket for just ice cream. In fact I never buy
ice cream at a stupidmarket during warm weather even if it's not crowded
because it will be melted before I can get home... even if all I want is
like a one serving thingie I'll stop at a quick-serve like Friendly's (they
have a drive-thru), Cumberland Farms, or Stewart's. For ice cream I almost
always stop at Stewart's, there's one like two miles from my door... I buy
my gas there and I dred that their ice cream flavors of the week will be
something I can't resist. Stewart's has pretty good ice cream, they have
lots of flavors, there are three each week on special at almost half
price.... about half my stops there I'll bring home two half gallons.
http://www.stewartsshops.com/

On Thu, 26 Mar 2009 19:25:48 -0500, Sqwertz wrote:

> brooklyn1 > wrote:
>
>> Never heard such ridiculousness, public stores cannot enforce policy that
>> goes against law. There's no such law that prevents taking pictures in
>> stores open to the public..
>
> It's not a law, but stores are allowed to kick your ugly ass out of
> you don't abide by their rules. This *is* a policy of every grocer
> and other retail store I've been in for 20+ years.
>
> There is no law that gives you the right to take pictures on
> *private property*, Jerry. And you're an idiot if you think that.
>
> I suppose you think you're allowed to take pictures and video inside
> a theater or at a concert, too?
>
>> pictures can be taken in any public place
>
> Retail stores are not public property. And there are plenty of
> places that *are* public property where you cannot take pictures
> (such as government buildings).
>
> Think about it, then make some more of your crazy-assed claims.
>
> -sw

sheldon's ignorance is truly awesome in some ways.

your pal,
blake

"l, not -l" > wrote in
:

> Far worse, IMO, than the 20 item folks in the 10 item line are the
> ladies who seem surprised that they are asked to pay for their
> groceries (not sexist, just probability, since 90+% of the shoppers in
> the store are female). She stands around watching the checker scan
> the items; then, completely caught off-guard when told the total of
> her goods, spends 5 minutes rooting through her purse to find her
> wallet/credit card/checkbook.

Not something I notice much myself. However, it might be a little different
in supermarkets I frequent. I'm rarely standing around watching the
checkout operator scan. If I'm doing a large grocery shop I'm unloading my
trolley on to the belt and then heading to the other end and putting the
filled bags into my trolley before there's no room left on the little
platform thingy. I'm usually juggling money and bags at the end.

My supermarket does have a handy feature with EFTPOS now where I can swipe
my card at any time while the checkout person is scanning things - select
whether I want to pay the purchase price only or want cash out as well.
When the transaction is finalised I just select account (IIRC - might
actually do that bit earlier too) and enter PIN. If I'm doing a big shopI
can quickly swipe my card between unloading the last things onto the belt
and starting to load bags into the trolley.

--
Rhonda Anderson
Cranebrook, NSW, Australia

Core of my heart, my country! Land of the rainbow gold,
For flood and fire and famine she pays us back threefold.
My Country, Dorothea MacKellar, 1904