Lack Of Register Meets Not So Closed-Minded

My big box store has lights we turn on at the checkouts so that customers know which lanes are open. My shift is over in five minutes, so I turn out my light signaling that this lane is closed. There are several other checkouts available.

However, people who are not paying attention keep coming over to my lane as the line is the shortest; the people who have noticed that I am closed have gone to other lanes. They always manage to sneak in as my back is turned while finishing up transactions, and when I turn around, they have emptied their entire carts onto the belt already.

I’m incredibly annoyed as it’s now fifteen minutes past when I was supposed to leave, and I don’t have a walkie to ask a coworker to take over. And then, a customer hits me with this line in a very condescending voice:

Customer: “You know your light is off? How are people supposed to know this lane is open?”

Me: “I’m not open, which is why the light is off. People just keep ignoring it despite several open checkouts being available. They just don’t want to wait.”

Once again, my back is turned doing the payout when I hear my manager.

Manager: “Excuse me, ma’am, please do not unload at that checkout. It’s closed, and she was supposed to clock out fifteen minutes ago.”

Sure enough, another woman was trying to come to my lane. My current customer heard it all. I had already called her out, and now she was indirectly being called out again by my manager.

I avoided that register any other time I was asked to jump on as people just went to the first register they saw, whether or not it was open.