Does it annoy you when people don't place a separator behind their groceries?

by gtravels loves her life penguin on October 9th, 2011

Yes. It makes me scream and cry and shout "Oh the humanity!" And then I buy my English muffins and value cheese and hurry out of the store so I can get back to the home before curfew.

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by Alty on October 9th, 2011

No, but it does bother me when they don't put their cart back. The store was nice enough to provide a cart. When you're done using something that someone was nice enough to allow you to use, you should put it back.

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by Occams Electric Razor on October 9th, 2011

Technically grocery store ettiquette protocol should be that the person who comes next in line should place their own separator after the person before them. Say for example I got in line at the grocer and started putting my groceries on the belt. I should not have to place a separator down because there may or may not be a person behind me and one may not come at all and it would be a waste of my time to place one if no one came behind me. Should someone come behind me I am busy ringing my stuff up or being rung up and so I am not looking who is in line behind me and the person behind me has nothing to do but wait and since they are currently engaged in placing their groceries on the belt anyway, it should be their duty to separate their own groceries from mine. Of course if the plastic divider thingy is out of reach they should politely ask for it and I would pass it back to them. The flaw in the system is that most check-outs place the divider near the front by the cashier area and not near the back of the checkout where a person just gettin in line can use it.

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Which is why the answer, for me, would be 'yes'.
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by Prunesquallor on October 9th, 2011
I agree, I will place one if I am behind someone. If I am in front of them then it depends on what stage of the checkout I am in when they showed up in line. If I am already being rung up I would expect them to place the divider before they put their groceries on the belt.
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by CatholicWoman on November 30th, 2011
I always place the divider behind me. It's a simple enough thing to do, doesn't cost me anything, and is a convenience for anybody who comes after me.
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by Prunesquallor on November 30th, 2011
Actually I try to do that as well Prunesquallor...but unlike many people out there you have common sense and manners :)
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by Occams Electric Razor on November 30th, 2011
I think it's a silly thing to be overly concerned about.
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by CatholicWoman on November 30th, 2011
I don't believe I am overly concerned about it. But I think that courtesy generally is much more important than many people think.
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by Prunesquallor on November 30th, 2011
Why would courtesy only apply to the person in front? There are most certainly times that it is easier for the person in back to place the divider. I know that probobly more than half the time when I am behind someone in line I place the divider myself and that just seems more logical to me anyway. I guess there is no "technical ettiquette" probobly. At least not very well known it seems. The person in front I am sure doesn't want the groceries mixed up anymore than the person behind but if the person in front is at the register already and the person behind is placing items on the belt it makes far more sense for the person behind to place the divider.
What's more concerning to me though is that I am actually wasting time out of my day to discuss grocery store dividers...
That's all. Have a good day.
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by CatholicWoman on November 30th, 2011
lol, well, with respect, that is your problem. I am talking from the perspective of the UK, where it is a lot easier for the person in front to place the divider unless, as you say, they are already at the register. But that rarely happens.
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by Prunesquallor on November 30th, 2011
Well in the USA people complain if they have to wait in line, lol. There are peak hours and days when there are long lines but generally, where I am anyway, there are several registers open and even some "self check out" registers to keep lines to a bare minimum. So there are times I go to the store and don't wait in line and don't have someone behind me until I am already at the register. Different stores also have different set ups for the register, some stores the clerk takes the food out of the basket, there is no front belt to put stuff on. I have never been to the UK so I don't know what it is like there.
And yes, it is my problem that I am wasting my time on this discussion thread. I know that. I have free will and can choose not to even log onto AB let alone respond to this thread. So my concern is something I need to deal with myself. So for reals this time, that's all. See ya.
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by CatholicWoman on November 30th, 2011
Well, in the UK in all the supermarkets I've been into, they always have fewer checkout people than customers, so that even during quiet periods you have to queue.

Perhaps we enjoy queueing more than you do. :)
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by Prunesquallor on November 30th, 2011
If you enjoy it all then you enjoy it more than we do. LOL
I admit it, Americans tend to be impatient and spoiled. You know, lazy, fat, Americans. Not all of course and I love my country, don't get me wrong, I just have to call it like I see it.
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by CatholicWoman on December 1st, 2011

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by ChuckExAnon on October 9th, 2011

No, I always felt it was MY responsibility to put the separator behind THEIR stuff...still do!

I mean, what's the big deal...I've got more important things to be annoyed at...just can't think of 'em right now.

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by lyonese01 on October 9th, 2011

No, I just get one myself. It's no big deal .

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by Premortem dichotomy on October 9th, 2011

No, it doesn't. If the cashier makes a mistake I will simply say "That's my stuff now."

What's funny is when there is sufficient space to make beginnning and end to their purchase and they insist on having those dividers on both ends even though their stuff is obviously defined. It's sort of like a cootie barrier... Ewww I don't want your stuff touching mine, get away

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by lazagna on October 9th, 2011

yes, unless they want to pay for my groceries too ;-)

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by excon on October 9th, 2011

Hello Alty:

Not when YOU do it. But, if ANYBODY else did it, I'd reach out and huffily grab one and put it where it belongs... I MIGHT even make some nasty comments. I LOVE order.

excon

PS> (edited). Ok, I see Alty didn't ask the question.. So, shoot me.