My wife and I were shopping in one of those large warehouse chains where they check your receipt as you leave. We’d finished picking up more stuff than we probably needed, from thirty-six heads of lettuce (I like salad a lot) to a huge container of paper towels and more and got into a checkout line.
While we waited to pay, we heard a shout of pain, followed by a number of expletives, and an “I’m sorry.” Turning, we saw a large man rubbing his hand and another smaller man moving his cart from the line on our left to the line on our right. The large man began haranguing the smaller man for not watching where he was going, eventually cursing the smaller man, who began responding in kind. The large man went to get a manager while the smaller man remained in line. Everyone in the store was watching, whether like us and fearful of a fight, or unlike us and hopeful for a fight, I don’t know.
After a few minutes, we were finally being checked out by the distracted cashier and the smaller man also was being checked out. The large man was still talking to the store manager at the customer service desk. We were leaving the store and stopped to let the receipt checker look over our receipt and cart. She told us there was a mistake, that we were double charged for our single container of paper towels, and led us to the customer service desk.
While I waited for a few uncomfortable minutes listening to yet more complaints by the large man, my wife filled out a customer service card thanking the receipt checker. We were refunded the price of the second paper towel container, and left just behind the smaller man.
So while it takes two to distract a cashier, an exit check may have a silver lining.
