We’ve changed where people wait in line in order to give plenty of space between customers and staff for health reasons. Yes, we have tons of signs, but no, customers don’t read them. 

This customer approaches our lane to unload, but my coworker is still cleaning it.

Me: *Pointing* “Sir, you’re actually going to wait there by the big orange arrow, and we’ll call you over when we’re ready.”

The customer looks confused and puts a hand around his ear in the “I can’t hear you” gesture. I’m talking very loudly — I have stage training and know how to enunciate — but I am on the other side of the bag stand and wearing a mask.

Coworker: *Even louder* “You need to wait over there until we call you!”

Customer: *Extremely upset* “Well, there’s no reason to yell at me! I just couldn’t hear!”

I, along with another coworker and the shift leader who came over to make sure there wasn’t trouble all reply at the same time:

Us: “That’s exactly why I/she had to yell!”

I was hoping that wearing a mask from the eyes down would get rid of the concept of “resting b**** face” but apparently, it’s just mutated into the vocal cords.

This story is part of our Anti-Masker roundup.

Read the next Anti-Masker roundup story!

Read the Anti-Masker roundup!

I work in a big chain supermarket in the UK and overhear this far-too-frequent situation. Due to the current lockdown, there is a one-way system in place: the queue of customers waiting at the top end of the checkouts are being directed to either a checkout or the self-service machine.

A woman is in front with a big trolley of shopping and there’s a man behind with a basket. The woman has a scan-as-you-shop device, so my coworker tells her to wait for the scan-as-you-shop till at the self-service area to become free.

My coworker speaks to the second customer in the queue:

Coworker: “Okay, do you want to go to checkout sixteen, please?”

Male Customer: “No, thank you.”

Coworker: “Okay, do you want to go to self-service?”

Male Customer: “No, thanks.”

Coworker: “Then where do you want to go?”

Male Customer: “A normal checkout!”

Coworker: “Checkout sixteen, then, please.”

Male Customer: “Thank you.”

This has become a common occurrence recently.

I am a customer in this story. The cashier is going on break after helping me and has turned her light off. She is almost done with my order when another customer puts their five items down. There are self-service registers designed for smaller orders and several are open. The cashier notices the second customer.

Cashier: “Oh, I’m sorry. My lane is closed.”

Second Customer: “What?”

Cashier: “I’m going on break.”

Second Customer: *Staring blankly* “What?”

Cashier: “My lane is closed and I’m going on break.”

Second Customer: *Looks at me* “But you’re helping her.”

Cashier: “Right, because my lane was open when she joined, but now I am closed.”

The customer looks at me and then at the cashier, clearly expecting something.

Second Customer: “But you are helping her.”

I can tell the cashier internally throws up her hands.

Cashier: “Okay, it’s fine. I can help you.”

I am walking out of the cash office to put my cash drawer in the register. I have to recount it in front of a manager before I start my shift to make sure I have my required float. My cash light is off, signaling I’m not ready to accept customers yet.

A woman walks up with her young daughter — maybe ten — and places a greeting card on the belt.

Me: “I’m sorry, miss, I’m not ready to accept customers yet, as I have to still count my drawer. Cash #1 would be happy to help you.”

Mother: *To her daughter* “Now, honey, we have to go stand at the end of the line behind everyone. Now we’re last because this lady should have been ready to take us. We’re going to be late for Granny’s birthday because of this lady.”

Me: “I do apologize, miss. It should only take me a minute if you would rather wait?”

Mother: “No, it’s fine. You have just provided my daughter with a good lesson. When an employee is at work, they should be ready to serve at all times. Now you have shown her that stupid people like you are what’s wrong with the world, and you can’t do anything about stupid people making you late for things.”

The mother and daughter walk off into my coworker’s line — one customer deep — and huff and puff while I count my drawer. I hear the mother complain to my coworker about how I’m slow and should really have been ready to serve her immediately.

Coworker: “We are all required to count our drawers and enter it into the system before taking on any customers, and her shift hasn’t even started yet, so she is well within company policy to make sure everything adds up before taking on any customers.”

The mother has been served and starts heading past my register. She stops and says to her daughter:

Mother: “When Granny gets upset that we’re late, we can come back and thank this lady for ruining everything.”

Just as she has finished berating me, I am done counting and flip my cash light on and ask to take the next customer in line.

Daughter: *To her mother* “See mommy? She’s open now. Didn’t Granny say, ‘If you don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say anything at all, to you when you were a little girl like me? You called that lady stupid and I think she’s smart.”

The mother turned beet red and hurried out the door.

Related:
In Line And Out Of Line, Part 11
In Line And Out Of Line, Part 10
In Line And Out Of Line, Part 9
In Line And Out Of Line, Part 8
In Line And Out Of Line, Part 7

We are a married couple in our late twenties expecting our first child. While we’re standing in the return line, we overhear an older woman in her fifties being rude to the girl who is trying to help her. 

Rude Woman: “Do you know what you’re doing? Are you new here?”

Clerk: “No, ma’am, I am not new.”

Rude Woman: “Well, we’re going to sit here until you figure out how to do this. I want to order this item, at this price, and have it shipped.” 

We turn to each other and comment on how rude the woman is being and that she should just order the item online. Little do we know, the older man standing off to the side is the rude woman’s husband.

Rude Man: “We don’t want to order it online. Why don’t you just be patient and wait your turn?”

My Wife: “The issue isn’t us waiting in line, as we just walked up anyway, but that your wife is being very rude to the girl trying to help her.”

The man directs his next comments to me instead of my wife.

Rude Man: “Why don’t you just mind your own business, duuuuuude?” 

He sarcastically says the word “dude” as if I am some punk teenager disrespecting him.

Me: “I am minding my own business, duuuuude. Why don’t you tell your wife to be kind to the clerk?” 

The man starts acting as if he is going to brawl with me.

Me: “Really? What are you going to do about it?” 

While the rude man is backing down, it ends with my wife waving a diaper changing pad in front of us.

My Wife: “Okay, you two are done!”

The rude man cowered down, turned around, and ignored us for the rest of the time we were in line. Here we thought it was typical for older generations to reprimand younger generations to be courteous and show respect, not the other way around!