At a grocery store checkout line, do you let someone with one item go ahead of you?

[begin_within]

I do this all the time, even if I have only 10 items and they have 2. And for every 10 or 15 times I do it, it happens to me once.

[flvegan]

1. Lots of times. Also, if I have a cart and they're carrying (no basket)

6 or 7 things and are struggling to hold it all.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

2. Yes, I do...

It's been awhile since that's happened though...

If I only have one item, I go in the Express line...

:hi:

[skygazer]

3. Yes, I do

I work at a grocery store and I always do that and am amazed at how many people don't. A lot of times, too, when I take my break, I'll get in line with a bottle of water or an apple or something - clearly on my break since I'm in uniform - and do you think people offer to let me go ahead of them? Hardly ever. I don't expect them to know I've only got 10 minutes but when they have a cartload and I have one item, you'd think....

[Deja Q]

4. Yes. And when people offer to let me go ahead because I have fewer items, I decline.

They were there first.

How's that for being civilized?

(I know, it's stupid...)

[Gormy Cuss]

5. No, HT. Very civilized, not stupid.

It's nice of someone to offer and considerate of you to decline.

[Richardo]

6. Sure. Blame my parents ;D

..and I'll graciously accept an invite to go ahead, too, if I only have one item. I figure it makes the offeror feel good (else why would they offer?), and I make sure to pause and thank them again when after I'm checked out.

[Tuesday Afternoon]

7. Yes, I do.

After you, please :)

[Connonym]

8. generally, unless they're being passive aggressive

If they start with sighing and toe tapping I'll ignore them. I'm actually even fine when someone comes right out and asks me if they can go ahead of me. But the passive aggressive shit, they can go fuck themselves.

[Mojambo]

10. Oh yeah. I hate the passive aggressive assholes.

I'll even slow it down if they start their shit.

"Whoops! Entered the wrong pin number!"

"Oh, did you use plastic? I need paper!"

"Can I add this pack of gum?"

[Mojambo]

9. Occasionally. It depends on if I'm in a hurry or not. n/t

[tigereye]

11. yes, esp. if I'm not in a hurry....

[QueenOfCalifornia]

12. But of course....

Whenever it happens I do... But it hardly ever does since the 15 items or less line is usually where they go with the one or two items. I haven't bought less than 30 items since I had my kids.

[Kali]

21. same here

I cant wait to be someone with one or two items again :rofl:

[Skittles]

13. yes

your experience is mine :D

[yellowdogintexas]

14. absolutely, esp if I have a lot of stuff or if they appear to be juggling things

it is the right thing to do.

[bigwillq]

15. Yes

And I have to say, quite a few people have let me go ahead of them. :)

[BlueJazz]

16. I'm gonna' get Flamed for this but when I was in College, our class had a...

..."Scientific Experiment"...

We spent one Saturday going to grocery stores and getting in line and waiting to see if the person would offer us to go ahead. (Note: ONLY if they saw us with one item.)

I don't remember the exact total but it was something like 780 "Trys"

The result Women: 22-23 Percent of the time
.............Men: 64-65 percent of the time.

Ouch!! Everybody was surprised at the results.

[Book Lover]

25. That's because you were college students!

They were doing the weekly shopping - you were young and just had one thing? You could wait.

on edit: forgot to add: and they were also probably thinking "There's an express lane for you, you know. Why try and make *me* feel guilty?"

[YellowRubberDuckie]

17. Yes....unless they are a complete douche bag....

And expect it.
:evilgrin:
Duckie

[GoddessOfGuinness]

27. I'm the same way...

I've occasionally had people with one item step behind me, giving me "the look", when they could move faster in the express line. In such cases I just ignore them.

[Generic Brad]

18. Someone did that for me today

How nice. He did not have to do that at all. Even after I politely declined he still insisted I go ahead of him.

[DarkTirade]

19. I'm usually the guy with one item who gets stuck behind someone buying a few hundred dollars worth

of groceries, made up of lots of small cheap items. So yeah, when I've got lots and somebody else has just one or two I'll let 'em go ahead of me. Karma and all.

[bridgit]

20. yes...

[Blue_Roses]

22. Yes, absolutely

nt

[Capn Sunshine]

23. Oh yeah

and I always tell them "you'd do it for me"

Which they never seem to.

[Adsos Letter]

24. Yes, always...it's the way I was raised to see things...n/t

[grasswire]

26. the nicest thing anyone ever did for me at the market

I was short a few bucks to pay for my order -- how humiliating! The woman behind me in line stepped up and handed the checker the dough. I protested, but she said it would make her feel good. I do that kind of thing as often as I can myself. I saw a young couple with a baby who were struggling to get the checker to make their food stamp card work -- it was shorting them some credit and not allowing the purchase. It was just a few bucks and they were humiliated. I just handed the money to the young woman.

PASS IT ON. Random acts of kindness.

[alphafemale]

28. Bless You.

:hug:

:yourock:

[DarkTirade]

29. If only the world had more people willing to do that.

[Midlodemocrat]

30. I always check before starting to unload to see if the person behind

me only has a few things. If they have a cart full like I do, I go ahead, but I always let the person with a few items go in front of me.

[Inchworm]

31. Always

mostly because I am focussed when shopping.

and.. Hi bob weaver!

:hi:

[In_The_Wind]

32. I do.

[NV Whino]

33. Yes, frequently.

[Fox Mulder]

34. Only if they have fewer items than I do.

Otherwise, no.