Some People!

Tonight I made the mistake of being in a grocery store on a Thursday evening in my neighbourhood. Now, while it only took me 10 minutes to search the store for my various items, it took double that to check out. The express lane had a ridiculous line-up, as did all of the "regular" checkout lanes. I opted for my usual choice, the self-serve checkout. There's something that makes me feel like I'm on a game show as I quickly scan each item, toss in into my bag and push buttoms on the screen. I joined what appeared to be the shortest self-serve line, judging both by how many people were in the line, and how many items were in each cart. I neglected one important detail: competency. Having practically grown up on a computer, I view the self-serve aisle as a convenience. Some adults appear to view it as a challenge to overcome. I painfully watched as one woman, with an overflowing shopping cart, got very frazzled and confused as she attempted to scan each item. (Really, the only trick is items that have a code on them, like fruits and vegetables.. but even that is pretty straightforward). With much assistance from the clerk, she finished her purchase and carried along her way, looking quite proud. In the meanwhile, a lady waiting in the lineup next to mine was getting quite agitated that due to the long waitg. After all, all she had was a bag of potatoes (which she repeatedly stated to deaf ears). The lady angrily asked the clerk if there was any way the process could be sped up. "Why don't you help them?" she asked. Well, in fact the clerk had been helping. The lady then rudely and loudly said "well, then YOU should do it for them". Right. So much for SELF serve. The lady eventually got so agitated, she threw down the potatoes on the floor and stormed out of the store. Seriously, some people. At least I had free entertainment while I waited in line.