Pet Peeves: Aka Things That Make You Go "Gah!"

[Hanahope]

17 minutes ago, MrSmith said:

Well, then you'd hate me. I prefer to use the self-scan lanes because then I can bag my own shit. The cashiers or baggers (whoever is doing it; varies by store) never bag my stuff the right way.

most of the stores around me don't have baggers anymore.  Occasionally, I will see one or two flipping from cashier to cashier, but only during real busy times (and half the time, its a manager/supervisor doing it - I presume to speed up the lines).  When I do my main shopping, with kids and hubby, he will do the bagging.  That is, if we're not doing the scanner (and that depends on how busy the store is or how much of a hurry we're in).  One of the things I do like about the scanners is the ability to take my time with bagging my groceries how I like.

When they first started the scanners, I used to wonder how they stopped theft, because it would be easy to wave something in front of the scanner, but not push the button (in case someone's looking at the security camera), then put it in your bag, and then pay for whatever else you bought.  I've noticed in the last month, though, that they've increased the instances of "auditing" the purchases, where the self-service cashier will have to come to your scanner/ register, and re-scan a random selection of items in your bags.  I'm guessing that is to help cut down on the "oops I forgot to scan something" instances.

[KungFuBunny]

29 minutes ago, MrSmith said:

Well, then you'd hate me. I prefer to use the self-scan lanes because then I can bag my own shit. The cashiers or baggers (whoever is doing it; varies by store) never bag my stuff the right way. I put all the cold/frozen stuff together so it can all get bagged together. I put all non-food items together because I don't want them bagged with food items, particularly if they are cleaning supplies. I put things like eggs and bread together for obvious reasons. Invariably, the fuckwit behind the register or standing at the end of the lane waiting to bag my stuff screws it up and spreads all the frozen stuff out over several bags, and then puts other not frozen/non-cold stuff in on top. What makes it worse is that when there's a bagger (other than the cashier), they don't want to leave when I tell them I'll bag my own stuff. Instead, they stand there with a dopey, confused look and force me to get rude about it by telling them the reason I'm bagging my own stuff is because they never do it right. The only exception to this is if the bagger is a retired person because they grew up learning to group things like this when bagging groceries.

So, yeah, if there's a self-serve lane, then I'm using it. That's its purpose, and using it saves me from being in a situation where the only way to get what I want is to be rude to someone. Using those self-serve lanes never saves me any time, anyway, even when I've got just one thing. The only other thing I'll say is that I never have coupons because I live in an area where coupons seem to be verboten. I don't understand it, but there are no grocery coupons here, which is kind of disappointing because my wife had gotten into the "extreme couponing" thing and managed to reduce our grocery bills for a while. (Though, not as much as some other people did because we don't buy frozen dinners/appetizers/etc.) When we did use coupons in volume like that, we didn't use self-serve lanes; but if we had a "normal" number of coupons, I'd still use the self-scan lanes.

I don't use the self serve lines but I do bag my own groceries for the same reasons you do.

I line up my things on the conveyor belt the way I want them bagged, but it doesn't work. The clerk will reach further out to grab an item instead of scanning the item at the head of the conveyor belt. I can't explain their logic. Why aren't you scanning the case of soda at the head of the belt, instead you're reaching down the pile to grab the jar of pickles? Wait now you're grabbing my half and half. I don't want the glass jar next to the cardboard container of dairy in the same bag...sigh

I always put the heavy things at the front of the conveyor belt so that they are the first bagged items to go on the bottom of the shopping cart. I don't need my eggs and cold cuts smashed to bits at the bottom.

[TurtlePower]

36 minutes ago, Sun-Bun said:

Amen to the online sales issue---this is especially problematic if you're a female, because women tend to buy into that party hostessing/makeup sales BS. Never mind that ALL that party hosting/sales BS is just a Pyramid Scheme/MLM quietly masquerading as a "business opportunity" for so many of these dumb housewives.

One month I got 8 different FB invites for these parties and realized I'd had enough and felt vaguely offended---did anyone actually want to hang out with me for *me* or because I'm gullible enough to buy their shit at their stupid parties?! I finally had to post and repost a message on my profile saying in a nice way, "If you're inviting me to a gathering just for the pleasure of my company, then I'll be there, but if you're inviting me out just to sell me your shit, sorry but I'M NOT INTERESTED!!!" 

The "ignore" feature on FB notifications has been a godsend, btw---I quit getting those annoying invites immediately thanks to that feature. And I quit seeing endless baby/children pics. And the endless humblebragging---I have a sorta friend who loves to share posts mentioning her Mercedes, shares endless selfies and reapearedly discusses how random students mention how "pretty" she is and shares pics of her McMansion, etc...she's about as annoying as the mommy friends who have nothing to discuss but their kids. I worry that these types will be the types to completely go nuts as soon as their kids move out because they obviously have nothing else going on in their own lives.

YES!!!!!! Brilliant! That's the perfect word to describe it. I know a couple people who clearly feel the need for constant self-validation via daily FB "humblebragging" and sales pitches. To each their own as to how they use FB, but I actually left FB for months because it became so annoying and a waste of my time. 

I will definitely look into the "ignore" feature. 

[MrSmith]

19 minutes ago, aquarian1 said:

This is how every grocery store I've ever been to that bags groceries for you does it.  They also try to balance it so each bag is about the same weight and not "too" heavy.  The only time it's not like this is if there just one thing of a category (i.e. the only crush-able thing is a loaf of bread) then that might end up on top of something else (e.g. refrigerated, or paper products).  Now, with the weight balance concern, I will often end up with more bags than I like.  I understand they shouldn't be so heavy as to break the bag, but sometimes things can be combined.

As for where this happens, I grew up in the Detroit suburbs of MI, lived in Philly for 3 years and have lived in Minneapolis for the past 16 years.

Well, the places around here that have baggers are usually teenagers or young twenty-somethings, and they don't seem to have the first damned clue about how to bag. For that matter, they also don't have any cash-handling etiquette, either! They always put the coins on top of the cash, then try to hand it all back to me in a wad. Every time, I tell them "In the future, coins then cash." Some of them don't understand what I'm saying and I have to be more explicit and clarify by saying "Hand the customer the coins, then the bills. It makes it a lot easier and quicker to take the change from you." This "coins on top of bills" issue is a huge problem at drive-up windows because the change is likely to fall either between the building and the car or between the seat and the door and the fix for the problem is so stupidly simple.

I also am aware that this "coins on top of bills" issue annoys me more than it otherwise would because when I worked in fast food and retail, we were specifically trained to do it this way. So, my extra annoyance comes from the fact that employers aren't even bothering to train their employees to do this. I recognize that most people just use credit or debit cards to pay for things. We don't trust these things because there is so much opportunity for theft and fraud, what with the credit card skimmers and etc.

I've lived in Red Wing the last two years and Kasson the two years before that (and Wisconsin the preceding 35 or so years). The Hy-Vees in Rochester and Oakdale both have baggers, whereas Wal-Mart forces the cashiers to do the bagging. I always unload the cart onto the conveyor belt from in front of the cart, while my wife is behind it; this lets me get to the end of the checkout lane in order to be able to bag and my wife brings up the rear with the cash (usually).

[TattleTeeny]

23 hours ago, bilgistic said:

Unfortunately, I've whore's-bathed two days already. I'm disgusting. (Ask me if I care. I do not. I always make sure I don't smell, and I wear clean clothes. I just don't know why I don't have a man. Ha ha!) I went ahead and showered, washed the hair, the whole dealio. That means I don't have to do it tonight, which is a win.

I was unable to shower for two days last week due to an allergy patch test on my back. Luckily, I'm pretty unscented in general (and, no, I'm not at all nose-blind) and I work in an office so it's not like I get grimy. But still, it was annoying not to "clean the work vibes away" after I got home! And then, here's a peeve! The day I got the patches off, I was looking so forward to taking a good shower finally only to be told that I could do that...but could not wash my back, which at that point was torturously itchy, purple-Sharpie-marked, and sticky due to the adhesive of the patches (which I am also allergic too, incidentally). 

That whole patch test was a big stupid peeve, man.

Quote

YES!!!!!! Brilliant! That's the perfect word to describe it. I know a couple people who clearly feel the need for constant self-validation via daily FB "humblebragging" 

Ugh, my sister, man...I feel like such a bitch saying it but it's true. Constant selfies (and they are all almost the same--overhead angle with V-neck pulled down just so), faux modesty ("I look so bad without makeup, you guys!" or "Haha, look at this compliment some obviously crazy guy said to me on Whatever Dating Site!"). It's super-annoying and also makes me feel sad. Which makes me more annoyed!

Edited May 15, 2017 by TattleTeeny

[bubbls]

Quote

Unfortunately, I've whore's-bathed two days already. I'm disgusting. (Ask me if I care. I do not. I always make sure I don't smell, and I wear clean clothes. I just don't know why I don't have a man. Ha ha!) I went ahead and showered, washed the hair, the whole dealio. That means I don't have to do it tonight, which is a win.

Why do I feel the same way? Am I just so lazy? The body requires so much care! Wash, brush, scrub, apply scented things, floss....do it all again that evening/next day. When I get old enough I'm going to be one of those stinky, dirty, crazy looking old people. I'm well on my way with my dirty hair routine. If it's oily and stinks I spray my scalp with alcohol then blast it with the dryer and put it in a messy bun (Oh, messy buns, how I love thee!). And I broke my shoulder a year ago, which means I couldn't shave my armpits for months. Now that I can I still haven't. 

I'm beginning to think I am just that lazy. 

Edited May 15, 2017 by bubbls

[AgentRXS]

OK, sorry for sounding like a brat. But I went ahead and hired a cleaning lady to come once every other month. All I really need them to do is my floors, bathroom and a light dusting. Cleaning out the stove and fridge maybe every other visit. I have neck and back issues that prevent me from doing the job myself the way I want it.

Today I paid for a 2 hour cleaning and asked for the focus to just be on the floors and the bathroom. Well she left 20 minutes early, and the bathroom looks ok (some missed stains) but the floor looks exactly the same as before. She asked if it was ok and I said "Fine" because I still feel awkward about the whole thing. Her boss emailed me and asked how everything went and I told her the truth and I haven't heard back.

I feel so weird for criticizing because I know I'm not good at cleaning. At the same time, its embarrassing and frustrating to pay for a service and have everything look the same. Her boss has not emailed anything back to me. I'm embarrassed, mad, annoyed, and ashamed all in one. Ugh. And I'm out $80 bucks.

Edited May 15, 2017 by AgentRXS

[TattleTeeny]

There is nothing to feel weird about for paying for a service that, for whatever reason, you'd rather not do yourself; it's why they're there! Life's too short and busy to do shit you don't want to (or can't) do. 

[AgentRXS]

I know. I just feel like a hypocrite criticizing someone else's cleaning, when I'm a shitty cleaner (even though I know its their chosen profession, but still...). It just makes me feel weird. I feel like how dare I demand someone else to do something that I'm not doing myself..... Her boss emailed me back and and stated next time just say something right there. But I'm so used to telling people everything's fine when it isn't just to avoid a confrontation. She's offering a re-do and said she will be coming back with her to make sure she does it right. That makes me feel worse. Just send someone else instead of shaming the girl! Ugh.

[Quof]

Quote

 I just feel like a hypocrite criticizing someone else's cleaning, when I'm a shitty cleaner

That's kind of like saying you shouldn't complain a meal in a restaurant, because you couldn't make it yourself. That's the point of paying someone to do it for you.

Or, when you comment about an athlete being a headcase who falls apart in competition and someone says "Well, let's see you do it better."  That's not the point, it's their JOB to do it, they get paid to do it and they should be good at it.  If I had a meltdown every time I had to go to court, I shouldn't be a litigator. 

[Bastet]

9 minutes ago, AgentRXS said:

I know. I just feel like a hypocrite criticizing someone else's cleaning, when I'm a shitty cleaner (even though I know its their chosen profession, but still...). It just makes me feel weird. I feel like how dare I demand someone else to do something that I'm not doing myself..... Her boss emailed me back and and stated next time just say something right there. But I'm so used to telling people everything's fine when it isn't just to avoid a confrontation. She's offering a re-do and said she will be coming back with her to make sure she does it right. That makes me feel worse. Just send someone else instead of shaming the girl! Ugh.

You'd be a hypocrite if you were also being paid to clean, did a shitty job, but criticized your co-worker for also doing a shitty job.  You're not; you're the customer paying for a service, and she didn't perform it adequately.  When she asked you if it was okay, it was a mistake to say it was, but you responded truthfully when the manager asked -- so now she gets a second chance at doing it right; if she still doesn't, move on to someone else.

And the highlighted isn't healthy.  Maybe this can be a baby step toward working on that.

[KungFuBunny]

41 minutes ago, AgentRXS said:

I know. I just feel like a hypocrite criticizing someone else's cleaning, when I'm a shitty cleaner (even though I know its their chosen profession, but still...). It just makes me feel weird. I feel like how dare I demand someone else to do something that I'm not doing myself..... Her boss emailed me back and and stated next time just say something right there. But I'm so used to telling people everything's fine when it isn't just to avoid a confrontation. She's offering a re-do and said she will be coming back with her to make sure she does it right. That makes me feel worse. Just send someone else instead of shaming the girl! Ugh.

If she offered the re-do and supervision via email, may I suggest you send her an email saying you would prefer the re-do with another cleaner?

You feel bad enough already and there's no need to not only shame the girl but also to make you feel even more uncomfortable.

[TattleTeeny]

Oy, yikes. They really should send someone else at least! Though maybe she had an off day and now wants to do right by you?

Edited May 16, 2017 by TattleTeeny

[Bastet]

If it were me, I'd give her a second chance rather than requesting someone new, having already alerted the supervisor to the issue; it's obviously hard to judge without seeing it, but I feel like this wasn't entirely her fault and thus I wouldn't want whatever repercussions there could be for her if I basically said, "No, she was so bad, I don't even want her back here for the do-over on the house; send me someone else."

The cleaning service is only being engaged once every other month, and only (at least this time) for two hours.  She was told to "focus" on the floors and bathroom, but that doesn't sound like she was asked to only do those things -- was she also dusting?  She asked if it was okay, with 20 minutes left to go, and was falsely told it was, rather than, "No, I'm not happy with the floors and would like X corrected before you go." 

I'm just too wary of how these workers may be treated to not give her the chance to redeem herself.  Plus, if, after she did it again with the supervisor there signing off on the company's standards being met, it still wasn't up to par, I'd know to go with a different service altogether.

As an aside, I've never hired someone to clean my house (I keep wanting to, because I'm pretty close to over spending time on it, but I also have a high standard of clean and don't particularly trust someone else to meet it; I'd happily pay well to have someone else do it the way I'd do it, but I'd rather do it myself than pay anything for someone to do any less of a job), but I know a lot of people who do, and they've all been happier with an independent contractor than a service.  Housekeeper recommendations are requested/shared on Nextdoor all the time, so maybe ask neighbors who they use and are happy with -- while it would normally be hard to find someone to sign up for such infrequent work, if it's someone who's already down the street every week, they might like to pick up the extra dough every other month.

[bilgistic]

12 hours ago, Hanahope said:

If they are using the mobile scanner (the little scanner you carry around the store to scan and bag your own groceries), that's ok because all they have to do at the scanner is wave it under the receptical and the machine uploads their purchases, and they pay - they're in and out very quickly.

What is this sorcery of which you speak?

8 hours ago, bubbls said:

Why do I feel the same way? Am I just so lazy? The body requires so much care! Wash, brush, scrub, apply scented things, floss....do it all again that evening/next day. When I get old enough I'm going to be one of those stinky, dirty, crazy looking old people. I'm well on my way with my dirty hair routine. If it's oily and stinks I spray my scalp with alcohol then blast it with the dryer and put it in a messy bun (Oh, messy buns, how I love thee!). And I broke my shoulder a year ago, which means I couldn't shave my armpits for months. Now that I can I still haven't. 

I'm beginning to think I am just that lazy. 

High five! I get so tired of having to take showers all the time. Fuck a bunch of shaving. That cuts into my TV time.

I'm ready for space-age technology to keep the B.O. away. I use a dry shampoo that is freaking magic. Scientists, get on something like that for the rest of the body.

[harrie]

9 minutes ago, bilgistic said:

What is this sorcery of which you speak?

Here's one version - https://stopandshop.com/shopping/shopping-tools/scanit/

I've never used it so can't vouch for whether it lives up to the hype.

[Hanahope]

Yeah, that's the ones at my Giant exactly.  It works pretty well most of the time.  If the bar code is ripped or otherwise not complete or flat, it won't scan, so then you are supposed to add it in when you get to the self checkout cashier area .  It is nice to see a running total while you shop.

they've used these in France for years.

[AgentRXS]

Quote

The cleaning service is only being engaged once every other month, and only (at least this time) for two hours.  She was told to "focus" on the floors and bathroom, but that doesn't sound like she was asked to only do those things -- was she also dusting?  She asked if it was okay, with 20 minutes left to go, and was falsely told it was, rather than, "No, I'm not happy with the floors and would like X corrected before you go." 

She actually didn't ask to leave. She stated she was done after an hour and some change. I wanted a deep clean on the floors (figured that would eat up most of the time) and said if the most important thing I cared about after the floors was the bathroom. I thought expect general house cleaning with specific attention paid to the floors/bathroom. She didn't even bother to dust or tend to other parts of the house. I didn't even mention that. I can dust myself. She is new according to the manager, and it was late in the day so I figured she was tired.

I need to be more assertive in those situations, and will use today as learning lesson that I need to let go of my "Saying its fine when its not to avoid hurting feelings" attitude.  I've been stuck in that behavior since I got out of a bad relationship, and I know its not healthy, and it needs to stop.

[Jaded]

51 minutes ago, AgentRXS said:

I need to be more assertive in those situations, and will use today as learning lesson that I need to let go of my "Saying its fine when its not to avoid hurting feelings" attitude.  I've been stuck in that behavior since I got out of a bad relationship, and I know its not healthy, and it needs to stop.

Your not alone in needing to learn to be ok being more assertive. When I was younger before my Mom's chronic illnesses really started affecting her she was so great at being assertive that I wanted to be like her when I grew up. When I got older I frequently asked why I couldn't be assertive like that and her answer was always that it would come to me in time. When she was really sick the last few years I could be assertive when it came to taking up for her in regards to treatment and etc. As I got older growing up I kinda got used to giving "I'm ok" as a response to inquiries about myself because I didn't want to be a bother when there was always so much other stuff going on. Trying to make changes in regards to that too. 

[riley702]

12 hours ago, MrSmith said:

This "coins on top of bills" issue is a huge problem at drive-up windows because the change is likely to fall either between the building and the car or between the seat and the door and the fix for the problem is so stupidly simple.

This is similar to my issue with drive-throughs: when the kid takes your money, makes you wait while they get change, and then tries to shove change, drink and bag at you all at once. I've told several to let me put my change away before I accept anything else and usually get rolled eyes in response. If they'd just hand me my fucking drink while they're making change, I could have that safely stowed by the time they have my change ready. Also, I'm sure the kids at the DQ think I'm a raging bitch when they hand me an ice cream cone and then expect me to also be able to handle my change one-handed. I've refused to take the cone and told them I need the change first so I'll have my hands free for the cone. Have you not noticed I'm alone in the car and they don't come equipped with cone holders? But wouldn't it be great if they did?

2 hours ago, bilgistic said:

High five! I get so tired of having to take showers all the time. Fuck a bunch of shaving. That cuts into my TV time.

I'm ready for space-age technology to keep the B.O. away. I use a dry shampoo that is freaking magic. Scientists, get on something like that for the rest of the body.

I don't like to shower every day because I will itch like mad if I do. I have very short hair, so I can wash that in the sink in between showers. I am also blessed with very little body odor, so this arrangement works unless I get sweaty and then I'll just shower and itch. I've tried different soaps and lotions, but I just itch. I did luck out in the body hair department - never very much and what was there was fine, soft and light in color. The older I've gotten, the less I have (got that from my Mom). I seriously haven't shaved legs or pits in 5+ years because there is no hair there any more. BUT - I still get to pluck the dozen or so chin hairs that popped up in my 40s. *grumble*

Edited May 16, 2017 by riley702

[bilgistic]

1 hour ago, harrie said:

Here's one version - https://stopandshop.com/shopping/shopping-tools/scanit/

I've never used it so can't vouch for whether it lives up to the hype.

I'm fascinated, but let's not give all our jobs to robots yet. How is stealing not rampant with that system?

[Katy M]

7 hours ago, riley702 said:

This is similar to my issue with drive-throughs: when the kid takes your money, makes you wait while they get change, and then tries to shove change, drink and bag at you all at once. I've told several to let me put my change away before I accept anything else and usually get rolled eyes in response. If they'd just hand me my fucking drink while they're making change, I could have that safely stowed by the time they have my change ready.

Blame corporate. there are sensors at the drive through.  The car has to be done with the window 30 seconds after rolling up to the speaker, regardless of how long they take to decide what they want or how long the car in front of them takes distributing all the individual items to people in the car.  Time must be made up somewhere. 

And, I've personally never understood people who order a cone through drive-thru to eat while driving.  Seems to messy and distracting to me.

[Quof]

A cone is fine (but give me a damned napkin without making me ask).  I don't understand how one eats a Blizzard while driving.

I once went to a Starbucks drivethrough, and the employee kept asking me inane questions, speaking really, really slowly, trying to sell me their horrible flash frozen baked goods.  I commented when I got to the window that "the speaker must be distorting your voice, it was like you were underwater" when I knew full well it wasn't the speaker.  "Yeah, we're timed from the second the order goes in, so I was trying to slow you down so we could start the drink before I hit "enter". "

That's a way to keep your customers happy. 

[Katy M]

24 minutes ago, Quof said:

A cone is fine (but give me a damned napkin without making me ask).  I don't understand how one eats a Blizzard while driving.

I once went to a Starbucks drivethrough, and the employee kept asking me inane questions, speaking really, really slowly, trying to sell me their horrible flash frozen baked goods.  I commented when I got to the window that "the speaker must be distorting your voice, it was like you were underwater" when I knew full well it wasn't the speaker.  "Yeah, we're timed from the second the order goes in, so I was trying to slow you down so we could start the drink before I hit "enter". "

That's a way to keep your customers happy. 

Yeah, you definitely use what tricks you can.  Memorizing the order and putting it in the register when you're ready to take money and hand it out the window is popular, but you  be careful with that, because the orders have to go in in order and if the next car as a big order, you have to get the small order in first and try to remember the large order while you're going.  Good times.

[Qoass]

Quote

I just feel like a hypocrite criticizing someone else's cleaning, when I'm a shitty cleaner 

Would you feel that way about a mechanic changing your oil?

Easy for me to say.  I too am one of those people who immediately panic at somebody else being uncomfortable and then proceed to make myself uncomfortable instead.

One advantage to having drive through people shoving food at you right away is that they frequently forget to collect my free item coupon so I keep it and use it again on another visit.

Edited May 16, 2017 by Qoass

[Hanahope]

8 hours ago, bilgistic said:

I'm fascinated, but let's not give all our jobs to robots yet. How is stealing not rampant with that system?

At my store, they went months, as far as I could see, without any 'checking' of the purchases.  However, in the last month, I've noticed, at least when I've shopped, an increase in their "auditing" of the purchases, where the cashier takes 5-6 random items out of your bags and re-scans them.  If the item has already been scanned, I assume the system just deletes the re-scan.  but if the cashier were to grab an item not previously scanned, it would stick.  At least, I assume that's how it works, since I have no personal experience with not scanning an item, only to have it scanned by the cashier at the audit.

But I'm sure the system/store prices items sufficiently enough to cover for theft, damaged items, stale food that's tossed, etc.  I have occasionally accidently not paid for things.  One time, put a case of water on the bottom of the cart, then forgot to tell the cashier, who didn't bother to look.  Another time with the scanner, I put an item on the 'top' part of the grocery cart (where young kids would sit), and my husband thinking the kids had already scanned it, put it in the bag (our kids love to operate the scanner).  It happens sometimes even innocently.

[magicdog]

AgentRXS, it looks like you need to supervise the cleaners.  When I wasn't able to clean by bathroom properly due to an injury, I hired a service and after giving them instructions, I sat in a chair and watched them.  It's the only way to make sure what you need done gets done the way you want it done.

A related pet peeve: hired help (in any capacity) who either speak no English or pretend they can't.  I'm tired of the smile and nod routine.  

[Qoass]

I never know what to do when someone comes to my house to perform a service: should I stand there and watch or make myself scarce?  Both options feel wrong.

[TattleTeeny]

Me too! Do I sit around and watch TV or read a book? That seems odd.

I'm a good housekeeper but I don't really necessarily want to be (hear that, boyfriend? It's not that I like to clean; I like things to be clean!). While I doubt I'd quit entirely and my house would never be a "mess," it would be nice to have someone come do the periodic top-to-bottom endeavors, maybe once a month--vacuum my couches really thoroughly (I hate that), dust, and seriously sanitize the bathrooms and kitchen. Again, I don't mind doing it, exactly, but I find that I sacrifice recreation in order to get it done sometimes and then I feel kind of resentful (toward whom, I'm not sure--but it's there!). 

Edited May 16, 2017 by TattleTeeny

[Qoass]

I've come to the conclusion that on my death bed I would rather be well read.

[MrSmith]

1 hour ago, Qoass said:

I never know what to do when someone comes to my house to perform a service: should I stand there and watch or make myself scarce?  Both options feel wrong.

I say make yourself scarce and check in on them from time to time. That way, you get to do both by turns and avoid feeling weird because you're watching them while also avoiding feeling weird because you're not watching them. LOL

[ZaldamoWilder]

I should really look into getting some help at home.  Teeny like you, I love a clean house, but me doing all the cleaning?  Bleh.   And (sorry, I know you don't start a sentence with and :) not having any help with it lead to my last outburst.   Which lead to boyfriend and daughter working in the kitchen like elves while I slept - the day before Mother's Day, btw.  So yeah, I should sign up for Nextdoor, one day of help a year, following a snapout seems like a really good way for somebody to get stabbed.

On 5/14/2017 at 6:37 PM, Katy M said:

I don't usually go to WAl-Mart, because I feel like every time I go a little piece of my soul dies.  But, for whatever reason I went a few weeks ago.  They've switched at least halfe their registers out for self-serves, but I went through a "manned" one because I like to do what I can to keep people employed.  So, anyone, there are 2 people in front of me.  She's just finishing up with the first one.  The guy in front of me had about 5 items. I think I had two. She starts complaining about the fact that people keep getting in her line and she needs to leave for break in 15 mintues  OK, she's taking money.  She has 7 items to scan and 2 more payments to take. That's only going to take 5 mintues.  A person with a cart gets in line behind me, so of course, you can imagine the freak out about that.  Anyway, 2 minutes (or however long) later, she's checking me out and glances into the cart behind me and says something like "Oh good, you only have a few items.  I really need to go on breaks by 8:00 or whatever time which was then 10 mintues in the future, and she finally turned off her light, which you would have thought she would have done the second she started fretting.  I wanted to say something to her like "Do you see all the self-serve scans?  Maybe you shoudln't complain about the fact that you have some work to do."

I'm gonna use my Target stint to flip to the other side of the coin.   This is a perfectly valid complaint btw, along with one I've had as a customer - no she didn't just shut off her light with this long ass line out here.   Corporate tells on the ground managers they must meet with compliance otherwise the store faces fines.   Compliance = employees must not only be given a number of breaks commensurate with the shift they're working but those breaks happen at an assigned time for everyone on that shift.   She has to take her break at 8, because no matter when she's done checking you out, she must be back at that register by 8:15.   In addition, she would've already had to have been working for 6 straight hours to qualify for a 15 minute break.   It sounds shitty because it is, but I just wanted you to know that what seems like disregard for the number or duration of customers in line isn't personal.   She hadn't shut off her light yet because technically you aren't supposed to until 8 but you can't leave in the middle of a transaction, soooooo, how is that supposed to work?   Not your problem, I know, it's a stupid system.  

Which brings me to the next part of the rant:

3 hours ago, Katy M said:

Blame corporate. there are sensors at the drive through.  The car has to be done with the window 30 seconds after rolling up to the speaker, regardless of how long they take to decide what they want or how long the car in front of them takes distributing all the individual items to people in the car.  Time must be made up somewhere. 

And, I've personally never understood people who order a cone through drive-thru to eat while driving.  Seems to messy and distracting to me.

Even though they'd done away with it by the time I got there, I'm sure it's still true for other stores.  4 minutes.  That's the amount of time someone in big box corporate r&d has decided it takes to interact with and complete a fully satisfactory *customer experience* beginning to end.   There's a little countdown timer on the register that auto starts and stops with each sale.  Anything over 4 minutes lowers your individual cashier rating.  Enough low ratings and you are reassigned elsewhere in the store, given a warning or dismissed.   I don't know what number enough is. 

Which?  Rant part 3, anyone? lol.

Grocery bagging method.   Look, I know it's common sense and a little bit old school.  The thing my customers liked best about me was that I'd look at stuff on the belt, no matter the order in which it was loaded, and scan/bag like stuff with like stuff, not just all the cold together, all the dairy cold together, all the shelf fruit with shelf fruit, cold/fridge fruit with fridge fruit, no non foods with foods, no straining the bag or super heavy loads.   But, I'm 49 lol and the way yawl like your stuff organized would take a level of forethought and predetermination that your average cashier not only doesn't have time for but shit, doesn't care about like that.  They see hundreds of people a day, they're not even thinking of your groceries as individually categorized items, it's just some stuff on a belt.  Literally, the sooner they get you outta here, the better.  I only did it because I'm ocd about going to the trouble of picking out bread, eggs and potato chips only to have em laying on the bottom of the oranges.

On 5/15/2017 at 11:01 AM, Hanahope said:

When they first started the scanners, I used to wonder how they stopped theft, because it would be easy to wave something in front of the scanner, but not push the button (in case someone's looking at the security camera), then put it in your bag, and then pay for whatever else you bought.  I've noticed in the last month, though, that they've increased the instances of "auditing" the purchases, where the self-service cashier will have to come to your scanner/ register, and re-scan a random selection of items in your bags.  I'm guessing that is to help cut down on the "oops I forgot to scan something" instances.

They're weight associated babe.  When you scan and don't put it in the bag hanging next to the scanner, you will (or should) hear the machine say:  please return item to bagging area or you'll hit an onscreen button that says I don't want to bag this item.   There are also floor scanners/cameras (in the mirror) to get the oops stuff on the bottom of the cart.  Several eyeballs over each register and check out area.  Security can tell from your body language if you genuinely forgot or you got away with it.  Also lots of cameras trained on the parking lot, in case your conscience starts to get at you while you're loading the car. 

23 hours ago, MrSmith said:

Well, the places around here that have baggers are usually teenagers or young twenty-somethings, and they don't seem to have the first damned clue about how to bag. For that matter, they also don't have any cash-handling etiquette, either! They always put the coins on top of the cash, then try to hand it all back to me in a wad. Every time, I tell them "In the future, coins then cash." Some of them don't understand what I'm saying and I have to be more explicit and clarify by saying "Hand the customer the coins, then the bills. It makes it a lot easier and quicker to take the change from you." This "coins on top of bills" issue is a huge problem at drive-up windows because the change is likely to fall either between the building and the car or between the seat and the door and the fix for the problem is so stupidly simple.

I also am aware that this "coins on top of bills" issue annoys me more than it otherwise would because when I worked in fast food and retail, we were specifically trained to do it this way. So, my extra annoyance comes from the fact that employers aren't even bothering to train their employees to do this. I recognize that most people just use credit or debit cards to pay for things. We don't trust these things because there is so much opportunity for theft and fraud, what with the credit card skimmers and etc.

Lol!  People must be getting used to it.  I'd hand it back coins first, then bills and get weird looks.  The only thing that really drove me effing nuts was customers holding up my line because they needed to count their change in my face.  Dude c'mon.  It's not the U.S. Mint, pull over on the shoulder and you'll see that $20 minus 8.59 really is 11.41 That and customers who were loud and wrong (because they hadn't read the sign properly) THEN as sure as they were is as quiet as they got when it was time to apologize. 

Bolded made me giggle at the idea of employee training.   That's not a thing.   You watch a video about people that only live on Mr. Rodgers' street and figure the rest out at the customers' expense.

23 hours ago, KungFuBunny said:

I don't use the self serve lines but I do bag my own groceries for the same reasons you do.

I line up my things on the conveyor belt the way I want them bagged, but it doesn't work. The clerk will reach further out to grab an item instead of scanning the item at the head of the conveyor belt. I can't explain their logic. Why aren't you scanning the case of soda at the head of the belt, instead you're reaching down the pile to grab the jar of pickles? Wait now you're grabbing my half and half. I don't want the glass jar next to the cardboard container of dairy in the same bag...sigh

I always put the heavy things at the front of the conveyor belt so that they are the first bagged items to go on the bottom of the shopping cart. I don't need my eggs and cold cuts smashed to bits at the bottom.

You aren't going to bag the case of soda, so you scan what's quickest/easiest to bag first then go back for whatever needs you to reach and/or lift.  Scanning it last also ensures that there's nothing of the preceding items a customer missed checking the price of while they're paying attention to getting the case back in their cart.  

More than you could've ever been curious about re cashier ideology lol but, just another perspective.

[Hanahope]

1 minute ago, ZaldamoWilder said:

They're weight associated babe.  When you scan and don't put it in the bag hanging next to the scanner, you will (or should) hear the machine say:  please return item to bagging area or you'll hit an onscreen button that says I don't want to bag this item.   There are also floor scanners/cameras (in the mirror) to get the oops stuff on the bottom of the cart.  Several eyeballs over each register and check out area.  Security can tell from your body language if you genuinely forgot or you got away with it.  Also lots of cameras trained on the parking lot, in case your conscience starts to get at you while you're loading the car. 

No, these are the customer hand-held scanners.  You carry the scanner with you as you go through the grocery store.  You pick up an item off the shelf, use the scanner to scan the item, then put it in your shopping bag.  When you get to the self-check out area, you push the button on the scanner that you are checking out, put the scanner under the recepter on the self-check out machine, which downloads the items, then the machine asks if you have anything to add (push no), have any coupons (push no), push button for pay with card, use credit card machine, and done.  The groceries never leave the shopping cart, which are still in your bags.  You then push the cart to your car, unload bags, you're done.

That's what I mean when I say its easy to pretend you scanned something, put it in your bag, then check out and leave.  Unless your the customer randomly selected for audit, you can walk out with four bags of groceries, but possibly only paying for 3.

[ZaldamoWilder]

Oh I see, I gotcha.  Just now clicking the link.    It's only a guess, but I would think the stores would add an extra layer of security about that.   The cameras are overhead at the checkout so they should have the ability to reconcile the number of things in a cart/order with how many you actually scan, no?   Walmart's cameras can zero in on the phone number you're dialing on your screen if you have it out at the register.

[MrSmith]

35 minutes ago, ZaldamoWilder said:

I'm gonna use my Target stint to flip to the other side of the coin.   This is a perfectly valid complaint btw, along with one I've had as a customer - no she didn't just shut off her light with this long ass line out here.   Corporate tells on the ground managers they must meet with compliance otherwise the store faces fines.   Compliance = employees must not only be given a number of breaks commensurate with the shift they're working but those breaks happen at an assigned time for everyone on that shift.   She has to take her break at 8, because no matter when she's done checking you out, she must be back at that register by 8:15.   In addition, she would've already had to have been working for 6 straight hours to qualify for a 15 minute break.   It sounds shitty because it is, but I just wanted you to know that what seems like disregard for the number or duration of customers in line isn't personal.   She hadn't shut off her light yet because technically you aren't supposed to until 8 but you can't leave in the middle of a transaction, soooooo, how is that supposed to work?   Not your problem, I know, it's a stupid system.  

Which brings me to the next part of the rant:

Even though they'd done away with it by the time I got there, I'm sure it's still true for other stores.  4 minutes.  That's the amount of time someone in big box corporate r&d has decided it takes to interact with and complete a fully satisfactory *customer experience* beginning to end.   There's a little countdown timer on the register that auto starts and stops with each sale.  Anything over 4 minutes lowers your individual cashier rating.  Enough low ratings and you are reassigned elsewhere in the store, given a warning or dismissed.   I don't know what number enough is. 

Which?  Rant part 3, anyone? lol.

Grocery bagging method.   Look, I know it's common sense and a little bit old school.  The thing my customers liked best about me was that I'd look at stuff on the belt, no matter the order in which it was loaded, and scan/bag like stuff with like stuff, not just all the cold together, all the dairy cold together, all the shelf fruit with shelf fruit, cold/fridge fruit with fridge fruit, no non foods with foods, no straining the bag or super heavy loads.   But, I'm 49 lol and the way yawl like your stuff organized would take a level of forethought and predetermination that your average cashier not only doesn't have time for but shit, doesn't care about like that.  They see hundreds of people a day, they're not even thinking of your groceries as individually categorized items, it's just some stuff on a belt.  Literally, the sooner they get you outta here, the better.  I only did it because I'm ocd about going to the trouble of picking out bread, eggs and potato chips only to have em laying on the bottom of the oranges.

They're weight associated babe.  When you scan and don't put it in the bag hanging next to the scanner, you will (or should) hear the machine say:  please return item to bagging area or you'll hit an onscreen button that says I don't want to bag this item.   There are also floor scanners/cameras (in the mirror) to get the oops stuff on the bottom of the cart.  Several eyeballs over each register and check out area.  Security can tell from your body language if you genuinely forgot or you got away with it.  Also lots of cameras trained on the parking lot, in case your conscience starts to get at you while you're loading the car. 

Lol!  People must be getting used to it.  I'd hand it back coins first, then bills and get weird looks.  The only thing that really drove me effing nuts was customers holding up my line because they needed to count their change in my face.  Dude c'mon.  It's not the U.S. Mint, pull over on the shoulder and you'll see that $20 minus 8.59 really is 11.41 That and customers who were loud and wrong (because they hadn't read the sign properly) THEN as sure as they were is as quiet as they got when it was time to apologize. 

Bolded made me giggle at the idea of employee training.   That's not a thing.   You watch a video about people that only live on Mr. Rodgers' street and figure the rest out at the customers' expense.

You aren't going to bag the case of soda, so you scan what's quickest/easiest to bag first then go back for whatever needs you to reach and/or lift.  Scanning it last also ensures that there's nothing of the preceding items a customer missed checking the price of while they're paying attention to getting the case back in their cart.  

More than you could've ever been curious about re cashier ideology lol but, just another perspective.

I appreciate the information. That said, I put things on the conveyor belt in the order I want them scanned, starting from the side of the conveyor closest to the cashier and ending with the side furthest from them. So my stuff ends up in little rows on the belt and all the cashier has to do is take things as I've put them on the belt. No thought required! I even leave a little space between stuff when changing from the cold stuff to the non-cold stuff, or food stuff to non-food stuff. Soda is reserved for the end, after the bread, eggs, and other fragile/crushable stuff.

I don't understand why cashiers would want to pick stuff out of the order that it is on the belt. That would require a level of thought and planning that I wouldn't think a cashier would either want to engage in or care to expend the energy to perform.

As for verifying the change you're giving me is correct, when I'm not in drive-thru then I'm watching you take the money out of your drawer. That means I'm already checking my change is correct as you're still pulling it out. I can do trigonometry in my head in literally seconds. So, doing some simple subtraction is no great feat and this all means that I've computed how much change I'm due at the moment I've selected which bills I'm using to pay. I'm certainly not relying on you or your register to perform that computation for me. (Edited to add: I'll grant that today's average shopper is incapable of performing even simple subtraction in their head.)

Employee training used to be a thing. That's why I'm complaining about the lack of employee training. I know it used to be a thing because I went through it as an employee and because I've put employees through it as a manager. Employers just don't do it anymore because most people use credit and debit cards. So, employers think they don't need to train their employees on proper cash handling techniques. This is similar to how schools think they don't have to teach children to read time from an analog clock, anymore. That's also not correct thinking because otherwise how do children learn what "quarter til" or "10 after" means? (Seriously, I have a 14 year old niece who never learned to read an analog clock and doesn't understand those common idioms. By contrast, her 8 year old brother is very interested in understanding those idioms and is going out of his way to force the adults in his life to help him learn to read an analog clock!)

As for having had to be there six hours already in order to get a 15 minute break, that's not correct information. I've been a manager and my wife was a manager. If you're scheduled to be there four hours, you get a 15 minute break. If you're scheduled to be there six hours, then you get a 15 minute break and a 30 minute lunch. Finally, if you're scheduled to be there eight hours, then you get two 15 minute breaks and a 30 minute lunch. Note that it's based on the shift duration your schedule says. I've worked with people (both as a minion and a manager) who were scheduled eight hours, took their first 15 minute break two and a half hours into their shift, and then had something happen (illness or family emergency) that required them to leave work before they'd been there four hours. The point is that breaks are supposed to happen regularly during your shift, rather than waiting until it's almost over and then letting you finally go sit down and/or get something to eat. Now, if the places you've worked were forcing you to wait to take a break until you'd put in six hours, they're doing it wrong.

Also, the rules for anything over eight hours are a little different and sometimes can vary from store to store. I've worked in places where you got an extra 15 minute break for every three hours over eight scheduled hours, and I've had store managers who gave out an extra 15 minute break for every two hours over eight scheduled hours. I've also worked in places where they gave out only one extra 15 minute break for every four hours overtime you worked. Fortunately, things like this are pretty rare in retail, mostly happening between Thanksgiving and Christmas, or around a particular holiday (Halloween for a Halloween store, for example).

I've got way too many years' experience for that to be controvertible; again, as both minion and manager.

Edited May 16, 2017 by MrSmith

[TattleTeeny]

Quote

I should really look into getting some help at home.  Teeny like you, I love a clean house, but me doing all the cleaning?  Bleh.   And (sorry, I know you don't start a sentence with and :) not having any help with it lead to my last outburst. 

Oh yes. My BF is not messy or even exceptionally lazy. He's mainly unobservant and sort of naive in these things, as if he thinks, for example, that our place is just somehow immune to everyday dust; no one needs to do it because it just doesn't need to be done. Or something. I do see him trying though, and he says he'll do whatever I ask. BUT...I just wish we could get to the point that I don't have to ask anymore! 

And you can start a sentence with "and"--that rule seems to have gone by the wayside for many in the publishing industry! 

Edited May 16, 2017 by TattleTeeny

[ZaldamoWilder]

There are several breaks per day depending on your number of hours logged.   I think you said you were in WI?  In NJ, a maximum of 4 hours doesn't qualify you for any breaks.  You've got to work a minimum of 6 to get a 15, more for more.  No offense to your experience level but that wasn't a response to various state law break schedules, I was trying to get across why this girl might've felt so vehemently urgent about her break, not the state's labor board predetermined number of breaks over a given shift duration lol.  

11 minutes ago, MrSmith said:

I don't understand why cashiers would want to pick stuff out of the order that it is on the belt. That would require a level of thought and planning that I wouldn't think a cashier would either want to engage in or care to expend the energy to perform.

"want" is too much.   The next time you're in the store, look around and see if you don't notice that what a disorganized bagger does is grab what they think will fit first.   Thinking they're picking out individual stuff is assigning the process too much pedanticism, there aren't individual items (to a cashier), it's all one big pile of crap.  Sorry to talk shit about your groceries ;)

Training - I know.  My description was my smart ass way of agreeing with you.

13 minutes ago, TattleTeeny said:

Oh yes. My BF is not messy or even exceptionally lazy. He's mainly unobservant and sort of naive in these things, as if he thinks, for example, that our place is just somehow immune to everyday dust; no one needs to do it because it just doesn't need to be done. Or something. I do see him trying though, and he says he'll do whatever I ask. BUT...I just wish we could get to the point that I don't have to ask anymore! 

And you can start a sentence with "and"--that rule seems to have gone by the wayside for many in the publishing industry! 

I think it's time we got less efficient.  Mine doesn't see that it needs to be done because it's been done.  Lol!

And, don't mind if I do.  ;)

[Petunia13]

I went to old navy right at opening today because I wanted to run in and grab a t shirt and flip flops. My dog was with me but the windows were partially down and I was in the shade, he had water and it was a grab and go purchase. The lot was only like partially full since it was 10am. 

I come out and an Audi A4 is parked OVER the line so their passenger side almost pressed against my drivers side. There's still plenty of empty spaces in the lot. 

Are you fucking kidding me? 

At this point I want to go because I've been up since 8:45pm the day before (aka 14 plus hrs) working. My dog has been waiting patiently and is tired and wants to eat. I have to crawl from the passenger side, over a large installed car seat and my gear shifts and my cup of hot coffee. 

I seriously believe there's a large percentage of people in the world who are unrepentant ignorant assholes. 

[MrSmith]

@Petunia13 I would have clipped my keys to my belt loop and squeezed between the cars, then opened my driver's door right into their passenger side as hard as I could. But then I'm an unrepentant vengeful asshole. So, there is that.

[KungFuBunny]

50 minutes ago, MrSmith said:

I appreciate the information. That said, I put things on the conveyor belt in the order I want them scanned, starting from the side of the conveyor closest to the cashier and ending with the side furthest from them. So my stuff ends up in little rows on the belt and all the cashier has to do is take things as I've put them on the belt. No thought required! I even leave a little space between stuff when changing from the cold stuff to the non-cold stuff, or food stuff to non-food stuff. Soda is reserved for the end, after the bread, eggs, and other fragile/crushable stuff.

I don't understand why cashiers would want to pick stuff out of the order that it is on the belt. That would require a level of thought and planning that I wouldn't think a cashier would either want to engage in or care to expend the energy to perform.

As for verifying the change you're giving me is correct, when I'm not in drive-thru then I'm watching you take the money out of your drawer. That means I'm already checking my change is correct as you're still pulling it out. I can do trigonometry in my head in literally seconds. So, doing some simple subtraction is no great feat and this all means that I've computed how much change I'm due at the moment I've selected which bills I'm using to pay. I'm certainly not relying on you or your register to perform that computation for me. (Edited to add: I'll grant that today's average shopper is incapable of performing even simple subtraction in their head.)

Employee training used to be a thing. That's why I'm complaining about the lack of employee training. I know it used to be a thing because I went through it as an employee and because I've put employees through it as a manager. Employers just don't do it anymore because most people use credit and debit cards. So, employers think they don't need to train their employees on proper cash handling techniques. This is similar to how schools think they don't have to teach children to read time from an analog clock, anymore. That's also not correct thinking because otherwise how do children learn what "quarter til" or "10 after" means? (Seriously, I have a 14 year old niece who never learned to read an analog clock and doesn't understand those common idioms. By contrast, her 8 year old brother is very interested in understanding those idioms and is going out of his way to force the adults in his life to help him learn to read an analog clock!)

As for having had to be there six hours already in order to get a 15 minute break, that's not correct information. I've been a manager and my wife was a manager. If you're scheduled to be there four hours, you get a 15 minute break. If you're scheduled to be there six hours, then you get a 15 minute break and a 30 minute lunch. Finally, if you're scheduled to be there eight hours, then you get two 15 minute breaks and a 30 minute lunch. Note that it's based on the shift duration your schedule says. I've worked with people (both as a minion and a manager) who were scheduled eight hours, took their first 15 minute break two and a half hours into their shift, and then had something happen (illness or family emergency) that required them to leave work before they'd been there four hours. The point is that breaks are supposed to happen regularly during your shift, rather than waiting until it's almost over and then letting you finally go sit down and/or get something to eat. Now, if the places you've worked were forcing you to wait to take a break until you'd put in six hours, they're doing it wrong.

Also, the rules for anything over eight hours are a little different and sometimes can vary from store to store. I've worked in places where you got an extra 15 minute break for every three hours over eight scheduled hours, and I've had store managers who gave out an extra 15 minute break for every two hours over eight scheduled hours. I've also worked in places where they gave out only one extra 15 minute break for every four hours overtime you worked. Fortunately, things like this are pretty rare in retail, mostly happening between Thanksgiving and Christmas, or around a particular holiday (Halloween for a Halloween store, for example).

I've got way too many years' experience for that to be controvertible; again, as both minion and manager.

I do the same thing, mrSmith! I even organize my groups so that one cluster is everything for which I have a coupon so that they don’t have to search any bagged grocery.

I still don’t get it. Thank you ZaldamoWilder for trying to explain. If all items are scanned any way whether they are bagged or not, scan what’s right in front of you first. You don’t need to pull a muscle by reaching for something down the line.

As for the change part, there have been many times KungFuAngel and KungFuDevil have sat on my opposing shoulders having a mental argument. The total is 18.67, I give the cashier $20.00. They press $200. Instead of giving me $1.33, they are literally handing me $181.33. They don’t even stop to think hey, I’m giving away my pay for the day. The angel wins out but I have seriously contemplated taking the dough and running…sort of like the old Ikea commercial…Start The Car!!!! Start The Car!!!!

[TattleTeeny]

I'm sure I've mentioned this before, but my peeve today (and always) is people who say about onions, scallions, and the like, "Just pull them out and eat the thing anyway!" Sorry, that's impossible; the smell/taste doesn't leave. And why does it matter to the person anyway?

[Petunia13]

3 minutes ago, MrSmith said:

@Petunia13 I would have clipped my keys to my belt loop and squeezed between the cars, then opened my driver's door right into their passenger side as hard as I could. But then I'm an unrepentant vengeful asshole. So, there is that.

It was so close the mirrors were almost touching and their back fender was at a diagonal angle so I literally couldn't even squeeze to my door from front or back. My dog was all hyper to leave since he hadn't seen me in 12 or so hours and wanted to eat. I waited for 10 or 15 minutes then I had to crawl from the passenger side over my dog and his bulky car seat then the gear shift in skinny jeans with aching legs from running around all night hanging posters and signs in my store. 

Meanwhile there's like 6 empty spots closer than ours and 15 empty behind us. 

[MrSmith]

4 minutes ago, KungFuBunny said:

As for the change part, there have been many times KungFuAngel and KungFuDevil have sat on my opposing shoulders having a mental argument. The total is 18.67, I give the cashier $20.00. They press $200. Instead of giving me $1.33, they are literally handing me $181.33. They don’t even stop to think hey, I’m giving away my pay for the day. The angel wins out but I have seriously contemplated taking the dough and running…sort of like the old Ikea commercial…Start The Car!!!! Start The Car!!!!

I've had this happen and I am never tempted to take the money for longer than 0.68 seconds. Doing that could mean that cashier gets fired. Even if they don't get fired, you'd be literally stealing from them as they'll have to cover that loss. I can't countenance stealing in the first place, and I especially can't countenance it when I know I'd be stealing from someone even poorer than I am, who does a job that is physically more demanding than mine, and who may well have to work two jobs just to cover their living expenses.

I'm not saying (or trying to say) that you're a bad person for considering it. So, please don't take it that way. I just am the type of person who thinks about all these other things when I'm faced with situations like that.

[KungFuBunny]

Just now, Petunia13 said:

It was so close the mirrors were almost touching and their back fender was at a diagonal angle so I literally couldn't even squeeze to my door from front or back. My dog was all hyper to leave since he hadn't seen me in 12 or so hours and wanted to eat. I waited for 10 or 15 minutes then I had to crawl from the passenger side over my dog and his bulky car seat then the gear shift in skinny jeans with aching legs from running around all night hanging posters and signs in my store. 

Meanwhile there's like 6 empty spots closer than ours and 15 empty behind us. 

I wouldn't have had the balls to do what mrSmith thought of, but I sure would have hoped that my dog felt like going number one and number 2 on an Audi A4 tire

1 minute ago, MrSmith said:

I've had this happen and I am never tempted to take the money for longer than 0.68 seconds. Doing that could mean that cashier gets fired. Even if they don't get fired, you'd be literally stealing from them as they'll have to cover that loss. I can't countenance stealing in the first place, and I especially can't countenance it when I know I'd be stealing from someone even poorer than I am, who does a job that is physically more demanding than mine, and who may well have to work two jobs just to cover their living expenses.

I'm not saying (or trying to say) that you're a bad person for considering it. So, please don't take it that way. I just am the type of person who thinks about all these other things when I'm faced with situations like that.

That's why the angel wins. I think about this person and what their hourly wage is. I don't know how it is now, but I know you used to have to count your drawer and if you are "short" it comes out of your pay. I also think about Karma, I take this and I will probably get mugged tomorrow.

[MrSmith]

5 minutes ago, Petunia13 said:

It was so close the mirrors were almost touching and their back fender was at a diagonal angle so I literally couldn't even squeeze to my door from front or back. My dog was all hyper to leave since he hadn't seen me in 12 or so hours and wanted to eat. I waited for 10 or 15 minutes then I had to crawl from the passenger side over my dog and his bulky car seat then the gear shift in skinny jeans with aching legs from running around all night hanging posters and signs in my store. 

Meanwhile there's like 6 empty spots closer than ours and 15 empty behind us. 

Ahhh, OK. That would make it a bit harder. In that case, I would have at least opened my driver's door from the inside and left them a nice little door ding as a present. Maybe my coffee got cold, too, and I didn't feel like having it sit in my cup holder until I got home. So, instead, I just poured out all over their car (on the passenger side so they don't notice for a while and the acid in the coffee has some time to work its magic on their clear coat).

Personality attributes:
Devious? Check.
Vengeful? Check.
Creative? Check.

[Qoass]

I'm sure this wasn't your situation, Petunia13, but those people who purposely park right on the line in hopes that nobody will park next to them? I park next to them. My car is old enough to risk a ding.

[Katy M]

1 hour ago, ZaldamoWilder said:

She has to take her break at 8, because no matter when she's done checking you out, she must be back at that register by 8:15.   In addition, she would've already had to have been working for 6 straight hours to qualify for a 15 minute break.   It sounds shitty because it is, but I just wanted you to know that what seems like disregard for the number or duration of customers in line isn't personal.   She hadn't shut off her light yet because technically you aren't supposed to until 8 but you can't leave in the middle of a transaction, soooooo, how is that supposed to work?   Not your problem, I know, it's a stupid system.  

I understand all this, but it's absolutely inappropriate for her to be complaining to the customers about it.  We all have aspects of our jobs that drive us crazy.  Vent elsewhere.

 

1 hour ago, MrSmith said:

As for having had to be there six hours already in order to get a 15 minute break, that's not correct information. I've been a manager and my wife was a manager. If you're scheduled to be there four hours, you get a 15 minute break. If you're scheduled to be there six hours, then you get a 15 minute break and a 30 minute lunch. Finally, if you're scheduled to be there eight hours, then you get two 15 minute breaks and a 30 minute lunch. Note that it's based on the shift duration your schedule says. I've worked with people (both as a minion and a manager) who were scheduled eight hours, took their first 15 minute break two and a half hours into their shift, and then had something happen (illness or family emergency) that required them to leave work before they'd been there four hours. The point is that breaks are supposed to happen regularly during your shift, rather than waiting until it's almost over and then letting you finally go sit down and/or get something to eat. Now, if the places you've worked were forcing you to wait to take a break until you'd put in six hours, they're doing it wrong.

Labor laws are by state.  And, then in compliance with them, each company will have its own way of doing things.

[TattleTeeny]

Quote

I went to old navy right at opening today because I wanted to run in and grab a t shirt and flip flops. My dog was with me but the windows were partially down and I was in the shade, he had water and it was a grab and go purchase. 

I'm just amazed that anything ever at Old Navy anywhere is a "grab and go" purchase! I don't know where you are, but here in North Jersey, all of the ONs ive ever been too are complete madhouses with lines to the dressing rooms. I've given up ever setting foot in the place, no matter how badly the BF needs a damn pair of new shorts!

Edited May 16, 2017 by TattleTeeny

[KungFuBunny]

Mass Transit

Standing on a long line at the bus stop when it’s raining. The bus comes and the person at the front of the line does not have their Metrocard or exact change ready. Then the umbrella pile up ensues as people rush forward. I’m already a total spazz on my own. Put me in the center of that and there will be umbrella dueling, poking or getting poked, and bag straps getting tangled. Gah!

Not being able to sit comfortably in the middle seat of a 3 seater on the train because the dude on one of the end seats wants to sit like Al Bundy with his legs open.

Sitting on any bus or train and seeing ANY person sit like a frog on a lily pad.

[MrSmith]

40 minutes ago, KungFuBunny said:

Mass Transit

Standing on a long line at the bus stop when it’s raining. The bus comes and the person at the front of the line does not have their Metrocard or exact change ready. Then the umbrella pile up ensues as people rush forward. I’m already a total spazz on my own. Put me in the center of that and there will be umbrella dueling, poking or getting poked, and bag straps getting tangled. Gah!

Not being able to sit comfortably in the middle seat of a 3 seater on the train because the dude on one of the end seats wants to sit like Al Bundy with his legs open.

Sitting on any bus or train and seeing ANY person sit like a frog on a lily pad.

I put my Metrocard in the back of my mobile phone case. (I have an Otterbox Symmetry series case for my Galaxy S7 Edge.) Since my phone is always near at hand, I figured that's the best place for my Metrocard. It gives me one less thing to futz with, especially when I'm getting off the bus. That said, I feel your pain with the line in the rain.

As for how people sit, I can't keep my legs together because of how large my thighs are. When I was working out, I used to do 1200 pound leg presses, 900 pound leg curls, 350 pound hip abductors and adductors, and 600 pound squats. In fact, the max load on the leg press machine was 1500 pounds and so I was only a few months away from having to switch to doing leg presses one leg at a time. (Sadly, I had to move and now my commute is too long to afford the time to go play in the gym like that. I miss my old life....) Anyway, my tactic to deal with it and not hog the space (which seems to work pretty well) has been to bring my legs as close together as I can and then cross my legs at the ankles. I haven't gotten complaints from people, yet. Also, I have had to sit next to people who sit like Al Bundy and their lack of consideration is a pain in the ass. I just generally shove their leg out of the way and take control over my portion of the seat and leg space.

I guess I would say something to the miscreant, if you're not someone who can just shove them out of the way. LOL. I feel your pain and that's the best suggestion I've got.