Trolley rage?

In the great scheme of things, it's insignificant, but relatively annoying nonetheless. Sainsbury's have one checkout which is specifically for baskets, the idea being that if you have only a few items to pay for, it's quicker to go through one checkout specifically for that situation and it makes sense, or at least it does if everyone reads and takes notice of the large sign above which says, 'Baskets only'. Heck, it doesn't even say it in welsh, just pure, simple, straightforward english.
But this morning, I and another basket-carrying lady were held up by a man with a trolley and a fairly well filled one that that. We shared sympathetic glances and mutterings and then another man pulled up behind me with his well-laden trolley.
I pointed out to him, politely, that this was a basket-only checkout and after he had pretended not to hear me or to have any idea what I was talking about, he said,
"Oh, I didn't realise you were an employee of Sainsbury's!" Followed by, "Yes OK, I can read!"
"Ah," I said, "so it's just that you are quite happy to inconvenience other people?"
To that, I got no reply. Mind you, I was quite pleased that, for once, I had been able to think of a smart reply at the time instead of ten minutes later. I must be getting better at this 'grumpy' lark!
But what I was really annoyed about is that the checkout person, also a man, but let's not read anything into that, completely failed to point out to either customer that they should not be at that checkout. 
"Oh well, they'd already started unpacking their trolleys," was his excuse.
To which I say, if the store has decided to have a checkout dedicated to baskets only, the employees should be enforcing it, not leaving it to us customers to slug it out between us!


12 comments:

Helsie said...

I think the people on the check-out are too scared of starting a big scene and probably it should be up to management to deal with these things and not the check out people to take the brunt of customers' unpleasantness. People always shoot the messenger!!
Cheers

Cro Magnon said...

They should make the 'alley' slightly narrower than a trolley. Then, no problem. Some people are such PIGS.

Jennytc said...

True Helsie but of course, they are never around at the right time. I do find that the female check out staff will usually say something though.

Jennytc said...

Good idea, Cro. I find we get a better class of customer at our local Aldi.

Yorkshire Pudding said...

Well done for speaking up against these two basket cases! Making a stand is never easy. Perhaps they should have a range of checkouts for different customers such as "Male Chauvinist Pigs", "Old Biddies", "Poor People", "The English" and "Dog Owning Counsellors Seething With Shoprage". Sainsburys could employ troops of boy scouts to enforce the new checkout arrangements.

Jennytc said...

Do I detect a hint of irony here, YP???

Anonymous said...

I feel exactly the same as you. A bloke with a huge trolleyful came behind me in the queue and I said ‘have you seen the signs for this checkout, I would hate you to be embarrassed if the cashier asks you to remove your goods and go to another till’. He hadn’t noticed so was pleased I mentioned it.
Wendy

Yorkshire Pudding said...

Not irony. Just silliness. To be honest - I also feel enraged about people like that. The same people who park in disabled bays when they're not disabled.

Jennytc said...

I agree and really, that is a worse scenario.
Silliness eh? Do you think the Bloggerland sun is getting to you, YP? ;)

Jennytc said...

A better class of customer than round here, it seems, Wendy. ;)

Shooting Parrots said...

You're absolutely right to be annoyed, but mostly with the man on the checkout. I've noticed at our local superstore they would let people with trolleys queue at the baskets-only line and start unloading before pointing out their mistake and making them put it back in the trolley. Always made me giggle, but now they've got self-service checkouts instead.

Jennytc said...

Yes, and that's another complaint I have, SP. When they first introduced them, the staff were practically manhandling people over to the self-service checkouts. Next step will be that they expect us to collect our shopping at the depot. ;)

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