Getting stuck in the check out line

Must be lucky in the area I live in! I can't remember the last time this happened. Guess it's likelier to happen more now, what with the credit crunch causing people to live with tighter budgets. About the most irritating experience is going through the self check-out, either at Tesco (Britain's biggest supermarket) or at Asda (owned by Wal-mart). Because I usually like to use my back-pack to put my groceries in, the disembowelled voice of the check out is saying things like "unexpected item, please remove from the check-out area!". Then sometimes the machine doesn't recognise the bar-code, so the operater trying to look after four self check-outs at the same time has to come over! So, it can be a bit of a judgement call as to what will be quickest. Self check-out or operater assisted. Sometimes, I just enjoy going to the health food shop, which is quite small in comparison and miles friendlier! They maybe a little more expensive, but it is good to support them, especially when they're a small independent business!

I would've sighed alot and kept an eye out for another cashier to show up.lol Sometimes things happen and getting mad doesn't help anything to get better or run smoother. It would have been nice if the supervisor had paged a couple of cashiers up though.

If I were in a hurry during that time, I would be upset but will just do the same thing you did. Just try to patiently wait in line until they finish. There is nothing I could do about it anyway. It wasn't the checker's fault nor anybody else's fault. It happens, we just have to deal with it properly.

There are a lot of things wrong with the way the stores check out people. The worst are the grocery stores. Of course I always seem to be behind the person who has to have a price check or get in the line of the inexperienced and untrained new cashier who is having their first day on the job. Having said that the stores could make things a lot better if they designed the checkouts better. They could make the unloading areas longer and lower. They could redign the carts so baskets would fit into them. They could have a "cattle chute" like they do at banks where there is only one line and the first person in line gets the next available cashier so that is there is a delay of one cashier, it does not hold up the line. Unfortunately I have a touch of agoraphobia, literally fear of the marketplace, and I really feel the tension of the checkout line, that is where it is worst. You have to perform quickly, have your money ready, everything goes too fast as there are impatient people behind you. It is not a pleasant experience.

I'd have done what you did. Just hang out and make the best of it. Sometimes you can start up a conversation with someone about it. It's a good time to have a cell phone with games on it to play.

They REALLY need to get a cash and check only line at stores, so customers don't have to suffer that aggravation.

That has happened to me so many times that I lost count and once ( I ) was the cause because my new debit card wouldn't work like it was suppose to and everybody was moaning and groaning and getting pissed, I was so embarrassed!

that was teaching you,how to be patient,it is of no use to you or anyone else,if you get upset.i sometimes do tend to fret but over the years,i have found it of no use.

It happens alot. I would have done the same as you. But with my luck some people wouldn't have been as patient. If there had been another checker, I may have moved.

Oh my goodness, yes it's life and it happens ALL the time! I do get frustrated and it is irritating, but sometimes it's not really the person's fault. I work at a bank, and sometimes people get fraud on their debit card or it's canceled and they don't know it, just to give one example. HOWEVER, for those inconsiderate people who are wasting everyone's time getting price checks on everything, taking items off after they've been rung up, and looking for that last penny in their purse or pocket while gabbing on their cell phone -- NO!!!!!!!!! I understand, okay you want to look for the change so you don't end up with even more change. That's fine. Or if you decide you don't want an item... But, when it's very busy and you are taking your good old time and being a pain for everyone else, that's unacceptable. Sometimes I think people do it on purpose!

I've had this happen before. I just waited it out and picked up one of those magazines that they sell along the check out isle. May as well entertain myself while I'm waiting.

Hey pat! That is the fun of going shopping! It never fails for me that whatever line I am in there is always some sort of problem! And of course there are never any other cash registers open to move to! So where did they expect you to go! The stores know that there is nothing you can do unless you just want to drop your things and leave! And I have seen people doing that!

I always pick the slow line. Seriously, I could be second in line and then the person in front of me has "issues". Or I'll get into a line that is equally as long as other lines and hardly move. Then there's my, I should kick my own butt for this, when I'm like fifth in line and see a shorter line...go to that shorter line and then get stuck behind someone with "issues" !!! Ok that's my rant. I've gotten better handling my frustration with this, considering, like I said I always pick the slow line. Now, I just take for granted that I am going to be in the slow line and try and try to think about other things.

I would have been patient. The cashier can't help that the management did not have other cashiers. It is nice that you were patient, some people are not patient at all. It is a good thing no one got upset, it would have made the situation worse.

I hate it so much when those kind of things happen. Yesterday, when I was buying birdseed the bag came open and spilled all ove the checkout belt. I was first in line so I had to wait until it was cleaned up and got rung up. I would have hated it if I were third or fourth in line though. Those things seem like they happen more often than not though.

Boy. What a shopping experiance you had. The shop manager should have been more alert to avoid these situations which will drive away customers. Hope you have a better experiance next time.

Its even worse when they sit there taking their time writing a check. Who uses checks at grocery stores these days! I stick to debit or cash. Anyways when the check doesn't seem to go through and they sit there trying to wait then wait for a manager to come and investigate. Others will be nice enough to at least just say well just take the cash and i will find out the problem later. Nope you have a lady in her middle ages trying to be determined to get that dorn check to clear. RRR!

It depends on what I was buying. If the items I needed to buy were things I really needed then maybe I would have waited, but I probably would have just left.

I would have just went to the other check out line. I hate waiting in line and when people take forever and ever to check out. I wish they had a check out line for like every single indiviual person. That would be very helpful.