Moaning People Like You Are Why Some People Wear Earbuds

(I have a tendency to get a bit fidgety or distracted, which often makes shopping when I am in a bit of a rush a difficult task. When Apple comes out with those little wireless earbuds, I realize that I can just keep them in while I go through the store, since music has always helped me. As I use the self-checkout lines whenever possible, I usually leave the earbuds in even as I’m heading up to pay, which is what I do on this particular day at [Major Retail Store], where the lines are very long due to the holiday, even at the self-check. The cashier supervising the self-check is actually checking customers out as well as watching the machines, and when I’m next to go over she beckons me over to her station.)

Me: *pulling one of my earbuds out and shoving it into my pocket* “Sorry about that. I usually take them out if I go to a regular cashier line.”

Cashier: “No problem.” *laughs* “At least you were paying attention to the line movements.”

(We’re very close to the line still waiting, and while we’ve been talking she’s been scanning the few items I have. The next person in line, a man who’s barely thirty, suddenly speaks up.)

Customer: “She shouldn’t have been served at all. Anybody who walks around with those things in their ears all day deserves to wait until they learn some respect.”

(The cashier and I exchange a confused look.)

Cashier: “Um… sir, she was next in line, and she responded immediately when I called for her.”

Customer: “That doesn’t matter! If she’s going to be rude, she should shop online like everyone else her age.”

(I suddenly realize that the earbud I’ve left in is in the ear turned towards him.)

Me: “Sir, you realize that I took my left earbud out, right? That stopped my music automatically. I only left this one in because I was hurrying, so I didn’t waste anyone’s time… or be rude.”

Customer: “If you didn’t want to be rude, you would interact with the world like a normal human being!”

(I’m really not sure how to respond at this point, and the cashier looks just as baffled as she mutters how much my total is. I turn away from the other customer to use my credit card, which somehow makes him madder.)

Customer: “Oh! Now you’re just going to ignore me? Typical teenagers!”

(He stomps off to one of the self-checks, which he has left sitting open for at least a full minute while he rants at me. I look at the cashier, still a bit bewildered.)