So I’m at the Food Lion. I have a grand total of four items, so naturally I look to the express lane. Before I can get there, another lady beats me to the line. No problem, I think to myself: It’s the express lane, and thus she won’t delay me by much.
First, the guy in the front of the lane discusses the finer points of Skoal long cut with the cashier, repeatedly having her come look for it. Or look to return it because he didn’t want it. That wasn’t quite clear. I just couldn’t get why it was such a big deal while he’s already in the line – why not get it prior to standing in line? Even if he had to wait, why pull the cashier over twice, instead of just doing it right the first time?
Regardless, this transaction did give me time to check out this lady in front of me. She had way more than 12 items in her buggy. So while I fume, I try and figure out what she’s doing. Apparently separating the piles into two separate transactions, each of which is presumably less than 12 items. Interesting tactic. Not sure how to take this one. If it was two separate people with small transactions, it wouldn’t bother me – is it bad that one person makes two transactions to fit under the limit? Not sure. Regardless, it turns out that her second transaction had 14 items, so she would have been busted anyway. Not that she was busted, but she was overloaded. She could have been more considerate.
Where does this madness end? Not at the credit union. Signs are plastered everywhere that you need to fill out a slip to describe your transaction. Does anyone? No. If the cashier even bothers to point this out, they fill it out there at the window instead of out of the way where others might actually get things done. The signs also say you need ID. Does everyone bother to bring ID to the bank? No. A new sign I saw the other day said that the Patriot Act requires proof of identity to open an account. Huh? Like a bank wouldn’t want that anyway? Apparently there are enough people who balk to make the credit union think that they need the support of the Patriot Act to back them up.
At the Waffle House, signs say that they don’t accept checks. Yet people justify their actions (that is, trying to write a check) by saying that they are honest, and that it’s all those dishonest people who shouldn’t be writing checks.
And why does all this happen? Because we’re so afraid of making a scene? What is the problem with a scene, anyway? Because you call someone on something they shouldn’t be doing? If there’s a sign posted, and you choose not to follow the instructions of the sign and someone calls you on it, have the decency to stand up and admit you were wrong, instead of acting all offended. If you’re wrong, swallow your pride and admit it. Beg forgiveness even. But don’t be that person who thinks that the rules don’t apply to you. We’re all in it together people. Can we maybe try and act like it?