People in grocery stores can be INCREDIBLY lazy! (Updated)

[Archae]

I was grocery shopping yesterday, and saw that someone had put a carton of ice cream on one of those wire racks near the end of an aisle.

You got it, it had melted onto the floor and the stuff on the racks.

I mean, people just leave stuff they change their mind about buying scattered at random in grocery stores.
And when it's something frozen, it melts and sometimes like what I saw ruins other merchandise.

I got the attention of a store clerk, he cleaned up the mess.
But he sure was disgusted.

I bet usually it's someone's spoiled brat who grabs a visually enticing something off a shelf, and then Mom and/or Dad says no and they just leave it.



On edit: What really pisses you off that other people do in grocery (or other) stores?

For me, when someone drives a cart like a maniac or lets their kids drive the cart like maniacs.
Been a few years now, but I still have battle scars from being rammed by reckless cart drivers.

[Lint Head]

1. I once took a nap in the meat department.

[Joanie Baloney]

2. Ha!

Al Bundy...is that you?

[madville]

3. Cleaning up spills and others' messes

Creates a job for someone, i wouldn't leave ice cream out to waste though. I always leave my buggy out in the parking lot, if I walk it back to the store that's less work for the employees. Always go through the checkout with people as well, those self device checkouts are job killers.

[Ilsa]

27. Yeah, making messes to be cleaned might make

a job for someone, but it is not productive or satisfying work. People need fulfilling, productive, satisfying jobs. Cleaning up messes is an expense.

[dflprincess]

55. I hope when you leave your cart in the parking lot you at least put it in a "cart corral"

my last car had a lovey gash down the side after some lazy jerk couldn't be bothered to do that with their cart on very windy day.

[kentauros]

153. Yeah, but don't you get it?

That then created a job for the auto-repair center, assuming you took it to one. I'm sure that trolley then fulfilled its mission on that windy day to hit as many other cars as possible, thereby further employing (and enriching) the body shops nearby.

No, I don't agree with that poster, just taking their ludicrous logic further along the line

[dflprincess]

176. Love it

but, unfortunately, the car was old enough that the scratch annoyed me, but wasn't worth the deductible to fix. So I failed in my duty to help the economy.

[kentauros]

185. I have also failed in helping out the economy with regards to my car.

I had the hood of my car slightly crumpled in a parking garage. I had thought I'd parked in such a way that I was well out of the range of anyone, by parking on the second-highest level, and backed into a corner space.

However, the detailing guys that parked on the top level must have taken their turn too wide, and, of course, didn't bother to leave any contact info (it likely didn't hurt their truck, so why bother?) I was pissed, yet the damage wasn't enough to cause it to rust, so I have left it alone these past seven years.

Although I could have helped the economy by turning it into an art-car with spikes all over it to prevent future dents. However, that would also prevent future employment options

[LanternWaste]

137. British Petroleum is counting on that attitude.

"Cleaning up spills and others' messes creates a job for someone..."

British Petroleum is counting on that attitude.

[former9thward]

177. I assume you don't put your trash in a trash can.

Afterall throwing it out the door or in the alley creates a job for someone...

[kentauros]

186. Cities need to learn how to put rats on the payroll for garbage cleanup.

[treestar]

4. Then someone else will come along and slip and fall on it

Making some lawyer very happy.

Good for you giving them notice of it! You may have saved some court time!

[Archae]

6. Didn't think of that.

Thanks.

I just decided not to ignore the mess.

[Koko Ware]

5. I literally had to get my kid to decide (he's 4)

on which ice cream popsicles he wanted - both of them are lime flavored, but one is a name brand, and one is off-brand (and is cheap)

he wanted both. We had to play a trick on him to get the ice cream popsicle off our hands and into the grocers by giving it to him while my kid wasn't looking.

The cashier appreciated the fact we made an effort and immediately took the popsicles and gave us a void for the ice cream, and put the ice cream in the nearby icebox while he called another guy to put it back (it's at the other end of the grocery store)

[Koko Ware]

174. He wanted both.

We now have to wean him off Spongebob because he was exhibiting strange behavior at school that could only be attributed to his TV habits. Teachers were concerned and we narrowed it down to the show. We think this kind of behavior could be what is affecting him about wanting both types of ice cream. Although his behavior has improved today (no Spongebob) we are still working on some issues.

[Major Nikon]

7. The rub I have is when people are too lazy to put up their buggy

When I lived in El Paso the city is quite hilly in areas so carts left in the parking lot would often roll down the hill and bang into your car. I was sitting at a traffic light one time and saw a buggy from the Home Depot break loose and head straight towards my car (which always seemed to be a magnet for them). I was blocked by traffic and couldn't go anywhere. Fortunately I was in the inside lane and another car pulled into the outside lane just as the cart crashed into his vehicle. I wanted to thank him, but I figured it wasn't a good time.

[Prism]

8. Drives me crazy

Just last week with this nonsense. There's a grocery store across from my gym. I live in the Bay Area (East Bay), so hilly terrain is just how everything is. As gym buddy and I walked to our cars after a work-out, I glance over and see a grocery cart rolling quite determinedly down the parking lot - towards a busy street. We watched amused for a few moments, but as soon as we realized it was about to go into traffic, we ran at it.

Jesus H. The corral is right there.

[Nevernose]

25. Oh God -- gym lunatics

My local gym shares the same parking lot with my local grocery store. First off, it weirdo me out how the people going to the gym will circle the parking lot for ten, fifteen minutes trying get the best parking space. They're at the gym, yet won't walk an extra thirty of forty feet.

But my favorite is the gym people at the grocery store: they will leave the gym, get in their closely parked car, and then drive fifty yards to go into the grocery store.

And while I'm ranting about gym people: the people who will wipe down the machines before they use them, but not wipe them down afterwards.

[Prism]

31. I am slightly that asshole

I wipe down before and after, so I feel I'm in the clear there, but I know precisely who you mean. I also have no trouble parking far away from the entrance (although I recognize your circlers).

But, yes, the grocery store is just across the street, and I totally drive over to it. My rationale is that I'm sure to have a cartful of groceries, and I can't just cross the road with them. It'd be a massive pain. In theory, I could maybe potentially arm-mummy myself with bags and scuttle across. But I don't want to.

I'm sorry =(

[Nevernose]

59. And that's fair

Smart people wipe down before, because god only knows what kinds of ass germs people have sweated onto the stationary bike seat. But not wiping down afterwards is just kind of rude.

And my town is incredibly unfriendly to pedestrians. That having been said, my local gym is literally in the same parking lot. You can walk from the gym to the grocery store without ever leaving the covered sidewalk, no street crossing, nothing.

My gym sin? It's close enough to walk to. Like, very close. Most people would kill to live this close to a gym and a supermarket. Yet I drive there for three months out of the year. I check the thermometer outside, and if it's more than 110 or so, I'm not walking anywhere but to my car.

[Chan790]

148. I now wish I live where you live.

I live in DC and grew up in central CT before moving to NYC as an adult. I don't walk to the grocery 3 months out of the year either, but that's because there's snow on the ground and it's 10'F.

I'd go for walks for enjoyment year-round if it were 110'F 3 months of the year and never dropped below 50'F.

[Jamastiene]

175. It would not be very wise to go for a walk in 110 degrees Fahrenheit.

When it is that hot, just being outside is dangerous. Any kind of exercise, even something not-so-strenuous as walking, in that kind of heat is highly dangerous. If you do decide to try that, please be careful and drink more water than you normally would. You'll need it and then some to avoid heat exhaustion and heat stroke.

[pnwmom]

149. 110 degrees? No way would I walk in that heat! Especially to a gym! n/t

[pink-o]

152. Oh, if we wanna talk about Gym Stupidity, that's a whole nuther thread!

Like the guy who jumped on the eliptical next to me and REEKED of cigarette smoke! Or the stupid woman who's on the treadmill wearing only a Victoria's Secret Cami as a workout shirt. Or the other stupid woman who shows up in pumps because it's easier to do the stair climb with heels...

I shant go on.

[Nevernose]

167. I know a marathon running smoker

Swear to god. He doesn't smoke during actual competitions, but will light up a Mrlboro Light on his practice runs. He claims it's "cardiovascular exercise." And I suppose that one could make an argument that climbing the stairmaster in heels makes perfect sense, if one is practicing to walk on heels; I'll bet she has amazing calves.

My daughter works as a lifeguard. She says fully half of her job is telling people that what they're wearing -- bra and panties -- is not allowed in the public pool. Who the hell goes to the city pool, male or female, in their underwear?

But the gym...The muscle head guy who once made a comment to his buddy about my weakness, and then immediately began discussing his steroid regimen. Of the kid behind the counter who hates their job and takes it out on the customers. Or the trainer (to be fair, trying to be helpful), who asks why you come on often but never stay vey long, and then you have to say, "Because I have one kid, one wife, two jobs, and three dogs. I'm busy 15 or 16 hours a day, so if I can find 30 minutes for the treadmill, I'm doing pretty good." And then you realized that while you began by talking quietly, but ended by shouting, and then you felt stupid.

Yeah, I've got issues.

[liberalhistorian]

171. It's easier to do the stair climb with PUMPS?

On what planet does that chick live on and what color is the sky on it? Sheesh, stair climbs were enough trouble in gym shoes, can't imagine doing them in a pair of fucking heels.

[pink-o]

189. I have no idea the logic behind that one! My friend is a personal trainer and it was his client...

Needless to say, he told her to come back after she bought some sneakers!

Oh, and just yesterday I encountered a new gym irony: This woman on the treadmill doing a 22 minute mile while watching COOKING SHOWS! Can't tell ya if Paula Deen was one of them, but methinks that foodie obsession isn't gonna help her in her fitness goals.

[Th1onein]

178. Geez, Prism, there was something about your description of that cart,

"quite determinedly" rolling, that just makes me snicker.

Thanks for the laugh.

[FrodosPet]

17. Think of it this way...it creates jobs!

A job for the cart shaggers and a job for the body shop.

And the people who just take carts home are helping create more business for people building new shopping carts.

[Major Nikon]

34. Perhaps

One of my cars got hit quite badly on the door. Within a week from getting it back from the body shop another cart hit it in the exact same spot.

As Carlin said, some people should be strapped to a chair and beaten to death with hammers.

[Politicalboi]

77. The Circle of Life

I stopped a cart before it was about to nail a parked car. It was windy that day, and the parking lot had a slant to it. I'm a job killer. LOL!

[GreenStormCloud]

88. No it doesn't "create" a job.

A job is created only when new wealth is created. If the money did not have to be used to repair the results of other's stupidity, then that same money could be spend on something productive which would create more jobs.

[FrodosPet]

90. Parable of the broken window

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parable_of_the_broken_window

Bastiat's original parable of the broken window from Ce qu'on voit et ce qu'on ne voit pas (1850):

Have you ever witnessed the anger of the good shopkeeper, James Goodfellow, when his careless son has happened to break a pane of glass? If you have been present at such a scene, you will most assuredly bear witness to the fact that every one of the spectators, were there even thirty of them, by common consent apparently, offered the unfortunate owner this invariable consolation – "It is an ill wind that blows nobody good. Everybody must live, and what would become of the glaziers if panes of glass were never broken?"

Now, this form of condolence contains an entire theory, which it will be well to show up in this simple case, seeing that it is precisely the same as that which, unhappily, regulates the greater part of our economical institutions.

Suppose it cost six francs to repair the damage, and you say that the accident brings six francs to the glazier's trade – that it encourages that trade to the amount of six francs – I grant it; I have not a word to say against it; you reason justly. The glazier comes, performs his task, receives his six francs, rubs his hands, and, in his heart, blesses the careless child. All this is that which is seen.

But if, on the other hand, you come to the conclusion, as is too often the case, that it is a good thing to break windows, that it causes money to circulate, and that the encouragement of industry in general will be the result of it, you will oblige me to call out, "Stop there! Your theory is confined to that which is seen; it takes no account of that which is not seen."

It is not seen that as our shopkeeper has spent six francs upon one thing, he cannot spend them upon another. It is not seen that if he had not had a window to replace, he would, perhaps, have replaced his old shoes, or added another book to his library. In short, he would have employed his six francs in some way, which this accident has prevented.

This seems to make supreme sense, however, there are people who would argue that -anything- that produces a job is positive. If the government hired people to dig a hole and then fill it back in over and over and over again is economically positive.

[LanternWaste]

138. Then one may safely presume the BP Gulf Disaster is little more than positive economic development..

Then one may safely presume the BP Gulf Disaster is little more than a positive economic development...

[GreenStormCloud]

141. It was an economic, as well as ecological, disaster.

The money spent on repair and clean up wuld have been able to have been used on something more productive.

[xfundy]

181. Perhaps

But the three-headed shrimp require no additional oil to fry.

[kentauros]

187. They also don't require a grill

due to spontaneous combustion.

[rl6214]

64. I live in El Paso and know exactly what you are talking about.

[Orrex]

95. Sometimes it's not laziness.

If a parent has to transfer a baby from the cart seat to the car-seat on a hot day, they may prefer not to leave the baby alone in the car while they push the cart 20 yards to the nearest corral.

One might argue that the parent could simply keep the baby in the cart until the cart is secured, thereafter carrying the baby to the car. Sure, that's an option, but it's not always practical, especially if they also have a toddler in tow or it's raining or the parking lot is especially busy.


In spite of the horror stories about carts causing massive bloodshed and automotive damage, I'm afraid that I don't see this as an especially big deal.

[Major Nikon]

107. Even then it's still laziness

I raised two kids and never once left a cart without putting it up. I never thought it was that difficult. If you don't want to leave the kid in the car for 30 seconds you pick them up or hold their hand. In North Texas where I live now most areas are pretty flat so it's not that common that one starts rolling and bangs into someone's car. I've only been hit once by a cart in decades and even then it wasn't a big deal. I lived in El Paso for only two years and both of my vehicles got hit multiple times and usually it was a major dent rather than a minor scrape because the carts were always traveling pretty fast. They also quite commonly rolled out into the street or other areas and caused all sorts of hazards. It's a bigger deal in some areas. El Paso even passed a shopping cart control ordinance because the problem is so bad there.

[customerserviceguy]

179. Ah, thanks

You reminded me of a pet peeve in the supermarket. And that's people who bring kids into the store, then fail to tend to them. Tykes running about, not caring what they run into, whether it's human or inanimate.

I used to avoid them by shopping late, but these days, the clueless parental unit thinks nothing of taking the brood out at midnight, if it strikes their fancy.

[Orrex]

183. Almost as annoying as people who bring their dogs everywhere

Almost.

[customerserviceguy]

184. True

But in my experience, the dogs show better behavior!

[dionysus]

106. is buggy\vs shopping cart a regional thing? I've never heard buggy before.

[Major Nikon]

109. My dad always called them buggies

But then again he called the people who rounded up shopping carts, buggy wranglers.

[canoeist52]

113. In MA, we call them carriages. Don't know if they are called this in any other states.

[dionysus]

114. i'm from maine, live in NY, and it's always been "shopping cart" to me.

[pipi_k]

120. I'm in the

western part of Mass and usually call it a "carriage" too.


Or, being older and often short on memory, sometimes I call it "that shopping thingy with wheels"

[Jamastiene]

154. Most people where I live call them buggies or shopping carts.

I always call them buggies. It is what I have heard most often for most of my life in this area.

[JHB]

168. For me "buggy" was a word that went with "dune" or "horse-drawn"...

...at least when it didn't mean "too many insects to stay outside".

It was always "shopping carts" where I lived. It's interesting finding out about the different terms different areas use.

[kentauros]

155. I call them carts, but also trolleys,

due to having to make sure my NZ girlfriend knows what I'm talking about

[Beaverhausen]

9. People standing in the aisles reading texts and won't get out of the way of those trying to shop

seriously? And yes, I have texted people from the store but I make sure to get out of the way of others before I do it.

[Prism]

11. I'm that asshole ;/

I don't read text-texts, but I keep my grocery list on my phone, and sometimes I'll have to text my boyfriend and ask "Which Mac and Cheese did you want? The Lancashire cheddar, gluten-free, low calorie, styrofoam?" And I get so absorbed/stressed, I start aisle wandering with furrowed brow, glaring at my phone for an immediate answer, because I just want to get out of there.

I'm sorry =(

[sammytko]

18. I also keep my grocery list on my phone and I'm sure people think I am standing there texting.

No, I'm marking things off and updating the list. People do that with paper and pen, too, right?

I try to be as inconspicuous as possible and pick a spot that isn't in high traffic (not the bread aisle) and move my cart out of the way, but still get the "looks".

[Prism]

28. I'm convinced I'm a minor super-villain at my local Trader Joe's

I'm often not just shopping for myself. I'm getting things for other people at the same time. So I bust out my phone every shopping trip to check what I need to nab. And yeah, I get the looks. Like I'm on Facebook and just being inattentive.

It feels like a form of technophobia, but, sigh, whatever.

Although, some people are just rude and will stop in mid-aisle to conduct their social business. And I get that it's hard to tell the difference. But, still, sometimes I just want to look up and declare, "Sorry! Sorry, everybody. I'm just checking my list. Not texting!"

[Skittles]

76. I WILL KICK AISLE-TEXTING PRISM ASS

*EGREGIOUS*

[pnwest]

102. Safeway has an app for your list, personal deals,

and coupons...I'm on it thru the whole store checking off my items...I'm SURE people think I'm that phone-addicted, texting asshole, but I'm really not! Quicker than a paper list and fistful of coupons to sort thru. So possibly, not everyone is texting...

[Skittles]

164. I WILL KICK YOUR SAFEWAY-APPING ASS

YES INDEED

[RC]

37. In north Dakota people turn their carts sideways in the aisle and walk away from it.

Often going elsewhere in the store. My dad used to look around for the most expensive item he could find and put it in their cart, when he came across an abandoned cart like that.
Now that I live in Kansas City, I do not see that anymore. Must be a regional thing.

Another thing I don't see much of down here is a bunch of people and their carts, blocking the end of an aisle, just gabbing. I got very good at getting as close as I could and saying "EXCUSE ME!" to get their attention, for quite often they were ignoring other shoppers politely trying to get around them. And yes, I do have a problem with people that think they are the only person/people in the store. Other than that, I'm cool.

[kentauros]

156. I've seen a few people abandon carts while off finding whatever they forgot.

I'll have to remember the expensive-item prank for future use

Most times when a cart is blocking the full aisle, it's still with the user, who is yapping on their phone, oblivious to all. I sometimes wish I carried an airhorn just for those customers...

[JHB]

163. Just as long as the expensive item isn't frozen...

...or else we'd wind up back at the situation in the OP.

[kentauros]

165. Oh, I'd never do that.

More like toss in a really expensive bag of coffee or pickled goods no one ever buys to begin with (the ones on the top shelf that cost ten bucks and have dust on them!)

[rl6214]

65. They should at least have the courtesy of moving to the side

That irks me when I am walking down an isle and some moron is blocking the way, sees you coming and continues doing whatever they are doing instead of moving to the side.

[kestrel91316]

144. At least 50% of shoppers in my part of Los Angeles are like this.

[Arugula Latte]

115. Or just plain old rude dumbasses who block aisles because they're plain old rude dumbasses.

They stand there like confused bovine, their carts in the worst possible position, seemingly unaware that other people are trying to do their shopping, too. Then if you politely say: "Excuse me, please," they glare at you like YOU'RE the one causing the problem.

[KamaAina]

10. I was once in line behind a guy who paid for his groceries with CHANGE

Not even quarters. Nickels and dimes, mostly. I stood there staring holes in the back of his head for several minutes while they counted it all up.

[Warpy]

13. Poverty sucks

I've had to empty a piggy bank for change to buy enough food to keep my stomach from hurting.

That sort of thing doesn't really bother me.

[KamaAina]

23. It was a lot more than two or three items

[Warpy]

47. If he was down to change, I still wouldn't judge

since I've been there more than once and know how awful it is.

I usually manage to roll mine up first, I've always gotten them at the bank. Maybe he just couldn't get it together.

[RebelOne]

24. There are machines called CoinStars in the Krogers

that will convert all your loose change into dollars. Just pour all the change in and it will give you back cash.

[Nevernose]

26. Yeah, but they take nine percent

And if you're cheap enough to hoard pennies and nickels -- like me! -- then you're too cheap to use that stupid machine. Of course, I roll the coins myself, but I get the paper tubes free from my bank, first.

[Mariana]

57. If you spend the money at the store

they don't take the percentage. That's how it is around where I live, anyway. It may not be that way everywhere.

[Nevernose]

61. Not here

But like I said: if you're crazy enough to hoard change, you probably don't mind rolling it yourself. When we went on our honeymoon a few years ago I rolled my change, the change that my (now) wife mocked me for hoarding in the closet. It was $1200. Now she rinses out apple juice bottles for me

[Mariana]

80. I don't mind rolling change.

It doesn't accumulate in my house, though. My husband always raids the change jars before there's enough to make it worthwhile to roll or run through the machine.

If you like to hoard change, hang on to your pre-1982 pennies. The copper in them is worth about two cents per penny.

[RebelOne]

159. Thanks for that info. I will now check the dates

my penny hoard. Who knows? I could strike it rich.

[reformist2]

82. They don't take a percentage if you don't spend the money at the store and get a gift card.

[RebelOne]

158. I hoard pennies, nickles and dimes.

I have a piggy bank full of change. I had the wrappers, but can't find them. I think I will just take them to the CoinStar because I want to empty the piggy bank.

[KamaAina]

29. This was quite a few years ago

and in a downmarket store in NYC called C-Town. Even if Coin Stars existed then, they wouldn't have had them.

[dem in texas]

56. I have been there, don't make fun of him.

There have been several times in my life where our funds were so low that we had to hunt up all the change we could find,so we could buy food basics like milk, bread, eggs to feed our children. Don't judge a person until you have walked in their shoes.

[rl6214]

66. That's as bad as people that still write checks and

Dontevenstart writing their check until the last item is rung up and in the bag.

[laundry_queen]

71. Or people who stand there and stare at the cashier while he or she is putting items through...

And then when the total comes out, then, and ONLY then, do they start digging in their purse or wallet for their bank card. Really? Why can't you make sure you have it out and ready to go BEFORE the total comes up? WTH? And then they must put it back in the right slot, in the wallet, close the wallet, put the wallet in the purse, zip the purse up and do up the strap before they decide to move forward out of your way. I always have my card handy and ready to go, and I have a pocket inside my purse that I slip my card into and do up my purse with one hand while I'm grabbing the receipt and I'm on my way out. I can put my card back properly later, because I happen to think about the other people waiting in line.

I also can't stand people who don't know how to drive a shopping cart. They leave it parked in the middle as they gaze around, and they are oblivious to you coming up behind them. When I'm unsure and trying to make a decision, I pull over, I don't block the aisle. And I apologize profusely if I get in anyone's way. I know how annoying it is.

But I don't complain as much as I used to...a friend of mine who is Vietnamese took me to a crowded Asian foods market downtown to show me how she shops...LOL, I totally lost her- no one was courteous and it was an 'everyone for themselves' kind of place. I kept letting people get in front of me, but then no one would let ME go and I got stuck! When I finally found her she was laughing at me and told me I was being too nice and I had to put my elbows up and shove my way through. I was thankful for my boring little small town grocery store after that.

[Warpy]

12. I've worked in food retail

and every time the register wasn't busy, we'd either be restocking shelves, taking a hike with a broom at the bulk bins, or doing a quick patrol for anything frozen some clod had left out to melt and rot.

It's a lot more widespread than you think. And yes, some of our fellow humans aren't worth the oxygen they breathe.

They are a tiny minority, however, or I'd have retired to a cave years ago.

[sammytko]

20. Some do it on purpose don't they - just pick something cold and live it somewhere

[liberal_at_heart]

14. I've seen that too. I always just tell the cashier I've changed my mind at the counter. They put it

aside and have a bagger take it back where it belongs.

[spinbaby]

15. The ones that drape themselves on the cart

I wonder about those people who can't seem to stand up on their own and drape themselves across the cart as if they need a nap or something.

[Archae]

16. I saw a guy like that once.

He was drunk almost off his ass, and had the cart full of stuff he just grabbed off the shelf.

A guy I know in Madison saw this similar situation:

http://www.furaffinity.net/view/10830719/

[Mnemosyne]

36. Maybe some of us have issues being on our feet for long. nt

[liberal_at_heart]

40. yeah, leaning doesn't bother me. I have a friend who's foot never healed properly

and he has diabetes. He has a lot of foot pain.

[rl6214]

68. That's where I'm at, severe neuropathy from 30 years of type 1 diabetes

You really don't know what diabetic neuropathy pain is like and how debilitating it can be.

[Mnemosyne]

188. I have two non-joined fractures in my ankle, some days walking is very difficult, I can

empathize with your friend.

[REP]

38. Spinal stenosis

I can't use my cane and a cart simultaneously, and yes, sometimes it's really painful to walk. Leaning helps a little.

[CTyankee]

89. spinal arthritis, also. I was clutching the cart when I was still in denial about the pain

in my lower spine because I feared stenosis (which my husband had had surgery for). I was terrified I'd have to have surgery. But finally I had to go to my primary care doc, got some xrays and was relieved that it was just arthritis. PT and some anti inflammatory meds got me through and I just do exercises and no more pain and no pills!

[REP]

119. I have both

The disk problem is making everything more exciting right now, but the stenosis is why I was prescribed a cane I'm hoping to avoid a laminectomy - I'm having my third orthopedic surgery this year on the 26th (two shoulder repairs; one hand surgery) and that's quite enough!

The hypochondriac in me is paranoid because my father was initially diagnosed with stenosis (same symptoms, too) - he actually had bone cancer of the spinal column. Stenosis does run in my family though.

[CTyankee]

122. ouch, sounds painful! My husband also had a ruptured disc so he's had 2 surgeries...

I've had the house rehabbed but he does well with his cane and the modifications I've put in.

No arthritis in my family, which is why I was so surprised to find I had it (altho the doc says it is a "mild" case...even so it hurt like hell).

Good luck to you...

[liberal_at_heart]

41. I have leaned on carts just because I am tired. I wasn't inconveniencing anyone just by leaning

on a cart so why is that such a big deal?

[WinkyDink]

53. Why would that bug you, since it has zero impact on you? Maybe their backs hurt.

[kentauros]

157. Yep.

Such as sciatica.

This one must be a member of the PNP (Posture Nazi Party)

[RebelOne]

19. When people just leave their carts in the parking lot

and don't put them into the cart corrals. That is ultra laziness. I always try to park as close as possible so that I don't have to walk too far to return it, but I never leave it in the parking lot.

[liberal_at_heart]

33. how about the ones that take the cart to the corral but don't push it in. Then they pile up

in this tangled up mess. If there are a bunch of them not pushed in I will push them all in so I can put mine in. I mean if you're going to take the time to walk it over there why can't you push it in? Makes no sense to me.

[RebelOne]

160. I always push them in because it annoys me too. n/t

[Aristus]

21. "Oh come on; they pay people to put all that stuff away."

I've run in to that attitude before, as well...

[liberal_at_heart]

22. I know this is off topic but since we're complaining about what other people do,

it always bothers me when people jaywalk instead of waling the 20 ft to the crosswalk. Like I don't have enough to pay attention to when I'm driving. Now I have to watch for people in the middle of the street.

[Divine Discontent]

30. huge pet peeve

it's highly dangerous. in a busy area where lot's of outsiders come, and they walk across anywhere along the road instead of going 50 feet and being safe and not hit and killed like many become (one of the most dangerous cities for people walking). and, it makes us have to be more defensive, slows us down because of their laziness and "me first" mentality.

as for grocery store stuff, I walked all the way down a cereal aisle to put back a box of cereal (the stocker saw me and I hope he was pleased, lol)

[dionysus]

110. we had a little kid ran over and killed right in front of my house a few years back. a family of six

sprinted across the street (a 45mph zone), it was night time, and everyone made it except the little boy. it was awful. I was in my living room with the TV on loud, and it sounded like a car hitting another car. just BAM then screams.

the kid's shoes were on the road where he got hit... and his body was literally half a block down the road. It was a terrible scene. I can't believe the mom actually had her family dash across a busy street like that, it was no where near a light of pedestrian crossing

and people do it all the time. the WORST thing they do... is of one lane is clear but the other lane has oncoming traffic, they'll walk up to the center line and stand there! it's like they're trying to get killed or something.

[Ilsa]

32. I got upset by this woman today who was coughing

all over everything. I don't think she should have been there. She coughed into her hands, but didn't have a tissue, and it was frequent, deep coughing. I held my breath and got my stuff and left ASAP.

[pipi_k]

60. Indiscriminate

Coughers and sneezers disgust me no matter where they are

That's what the crooks of our elbows are for, FGS

[Scuba]

35. my daughter works in retail and the stories she tells are astonishing ....

... it's not just leaving things wherever they decide they're not going to buy them ....

... it's not just opening box after box of shoes and putting none of them away ...

... it's not just the incredible schemes to try to defraud the store ....

... it's not just creating disgusting messes of feces and urine in the bathrooms...

... but actually deficating inside a circular clothes rack. That's the one that I just don't get.



Some peope are truly disgusting.

[leftyladyfrommo]

39. I've heard that about people shitting in the racks.

Why on earth would someone do something like that?

[Heywood J]

92. Shitting in the aisles or racks is nothing new.

It's probably the same reason that, where I worked when I was in school, the fashion clerks used to have sticks with nails to skewer the discarded used condoms left behind in the racks.

We also had problems with people crapping themselves and then walking around the store with it trailing from their pant legs.

[beveeheart]

62. I've worked in retail - upscale ladies clothes -

and I've had to bag clothes for disposal that customers used to absorb urine (instead of finding the nearest women's restroom). NASTY!!! We actually had to tell a customer that she could not come in our store anymore because we were positive she had used the dressing room as a bathroom several times.

And the other thing that really irks me - the customer who comes in the store 10 to 5 minutes before closing time and takes her time trying on clothes and then doesn't purchase even one piece. Like waitstaff, sales associates would like to close up and go home.

[pipi_k]

100. I'm wondering if

it could be kids doing that.

You know...the mom is in there with a kid or two and not paying very much attention and the kid has to take a dump, tells his mom, who says OK wait just a minute, but the kid really has to go, so he does it inside the circular rack.

Still disgusting, but a bit more understandable if it's from a kid whose mom is too focused on shopping to realize he really needs to go NOW.

[Scuba]

101. They've caught at least one adult in the act.

on edit, before you ask....

... it was a woman in her 20's.

[pipi_k]

125. Wow, that is

seriously messed up!!!

Do you know if she was drunk or otherwise impaired or anything?

I would hate to think she was perfectly sober and just didn't give a shit (no pun intended).

[Scuba]

145. Daughter says sober, but "agitated" when they called the cops.

Gee, ya think?

[leftyladyfrommo]

42. Proper attire for the grocery store?

I saw too bad ones yesterday.

A fairly heavy woman had on a white t-shirt that ended above her waist. She had on denim bib overalls. The side buttons were not fastened so you could see her belly and her thong.

Another fairly heavy guy had on a black t-shirt sort of pulled down but not all the way. He had on black shorts with elastic waist and those shorts were down clear down his bear butt crack.

I try not to look when people have half their bodies hanging out but it is hard not to.

Surely they don't mean to look like that.

[kentauros]

161. Oh, that doesn't bother me.

In fact, sometimes it's entertaining, such as being in the grocery late at night and people come in dressed only in their nightgowns or bathrobes!

As a friend once told me, you know it's the country when people do that (although Houston isn't country, I guess we have a fare share that used to live in the country.)

[leftyladyfrommo]

169. I'll never get used to seeing people with their asses just hanging out.

I'm just an old fogey about some things.

Like, I just hate to see the boys with their asses hanging out and their pants around their knees. My cousin told me I'm an old fogey.

[kentauros]

172. Maybe they're all plumbers!

[tammywammy]

43. Not putting the carts away.

At the regular Kroger closest to my house, people will put them in the parking space next to the corral. NEXT TO IT! They are so lazy at this store. If I go to a Kroger a little further away, no issue with carts in the parking lot there.

[Buns_of_Fire]

44. And need we even mention the "10 Items or Less" line? nt

[liberal_at_heart]

45. Sometimes I'll be standing there counting my items and the cashier just waves me over.

I don't even attempt to do this if I have a cart full of groceries, but who knows if they have 10 items or 16 items? Who counts?

[Buns_of_Fire]

46. Believe it or not, I do (my stuff, anyway).

By the time I near the cashier, I already know if I'm over or under the magic limit (and a rough idea of the total tab). OCD, maybe.

[exboyfil]

49. Sounds like me

I keep a running tally in my head as I shop. Watch the check out when I can (sometimes I am still unloading while the checker is ringing). I then review the receipt after I get it. Caught a few problems over the years, but generally my stores have been pretty accurate.

[Bobbie Jo]

48. When people stand in the middle of the aisle and chit chat

Blocking the aisle, and oblivious to other shoppers trying to get around them.

Yeah, pet peeve.

[pipi_k]

103. How to

get their attention...







I may buy one myself...

[Bobbie Jo]

116. LOL

Thinking about how I could mount that on my cart.

[pipi_k]

127. I'm thinking...

one could find a way to attach to a lanyard to hang off the neck




PS...duct tape.

[kentauros]

162. You could even just have an empty one, and say

"Hey! Do I need to use this?"

Maybe I'll start carrying my whoopee whistle with me from now on

[Throd]

50. When I have to walk nine miles to the nearest well and it is filled with mosquito larvae.

Sure, there are things in the supermarket that annoy me, but I try to keep my food situation in perspective.

[WinkyDink]

52. Everything has a perspective. Desert-dwellers, e.g., are worse off than in your scenario.

[Heywood J]

93. You say "Hey, free protein!"? (NT)

[LanternWaste]

139. I imagine minor annoyances are well within the parameters of keeping things in perspective...

I imagine minor annoyances are well within the parameters of keeping things in perspective...

[WinkyDink]

51. My #1 Pet Grocery Store Peeve = People at check-out who stand in front of their cart. Stand at the

handlebar, people, and allow me to put my items on the belt.

[rrneck]

54. I had a friend once who,

when she saw something in the store she might want but wasn't ready to buy it would hide it so nobody else would buy it before she decided if she wanted it.

[forestpath]

58. My pet peeve isn't with my fellow shoppers, but with the store itself.

At a couple of different branches of the chain I go to I've seen moldy strawberries and expired items for sale.

The first time I saw moldy strawberries I actually contacted the company to complain and they sent me a $20 gift card. The second time, I called over a store employee and pointed it out. The third time, I didn't bother to do anything as obviously they don't give a shit.

[HipChick]

63. People who let their kids scan their items in the self service aisle..

and if someone hits me with their cart, I am ramming them back...its war out there..

[pnwmom]

131. How come?

They're probably better at it than I am.

[flvegan]

67. Too high of a percentage of our population are complete fucking idiots.

It's not just lazy, it truly is that they're certifiably stupid, feckless morons. Drones just going through the motions of life.

If you leave ice cream out on some rack somewhere, I fear for how your dumb ass got to the store in the first place. You drive? Seriously? You get behind the wheel of a vehicle and pilot that vehicle down a road, but you can't figure out ice cream. Brilliant. In the wild, your parents would have eaten you at birth.

Idiots.

[westerebus]

180. THIS^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

[IDemo]

69. Ice cream? Pfft....try finding dirty diapers in aisle 9

I have heard from my wife who worked retail for several years of much worse things than melting ice cream draping the shelves.

[Fawke Em]

70. I thought this thread was going to be about the working poor

who end up tossing crap into their buggies because they're too tired to read labels and comparison shop to get some real food.

[Jenoch]

72. That ice cream thing was not an accident.

Some asshole did it on purpose. I've seen similar things. I walked down the juice aisle and found a half-empty jug of apple juice. I am sure some idiot drank half and left it on the shelf.

[Archae]

73. You may be right...

Or it could have been what I saw kids do with candy or kids' cereal grabbed off the shelf, kid runs over to the next aisle where Mom is, Mom says put it back.

Kid runs halfway at most to where they got it, and just leaves it where-ever.

[Jenoch]

75. Thanks for agreeing with me.

Some asshole did it on purpose.

[drmeow]

74. When the grocery store

puts displays in the middle of the aisle leaving barely enough room for a cart to go by and blocking part of the shelves. Annoys me WAY more than anything some idiot human does. I've seen aisles with multiple ones in them so you have to zig zag through the aisle. Not only is the store making it harder to navigate but they are trying to get me to make an impulse buy. I'll say this much - if something gets knocked off of one of those displays, I make zero effort to pick it up. They shouldn't have put in the effing aisle to begin with! Plus, that puts me in a bad enough mood that all the stupid human tricks annoy me even more!

[SheilaT]

78. I don't see this as much as I used to,

but people who would eat groceries, or worse yet let the kids eat stuff, before they ever got to the check-out.

I was taught that until you'd paid for it, it wasn't yours.

I was also taught that you returned the grocery cart to the store. These days they have those corrals, so there's really no excuse.

[SoCalDem]

79. Get meat from the BUTCHER..not the meat case (if you can)

I worked in the grocery business for a decade & I would tell you horror stories...

Often-times the box-people (usually young guys whose Momma does all the shopping) are in charge of go-backs, and that package of pork chops in the go-back basket may not get returned to the meat case in a hurry..

It will be cold when you pick it up, but it may have been sitting on a shelf in the toothpaste aisle for a coupe of hour before it got put back,,

[ileus]

81. Lazy fuckers won't put up a cart much less unwanted items.

[B Calm]

83. Road Rage in grocery stores. what's next?

[theHandpuppet]

84. People who let their kids ride in the carts

And no, I'm not talking toddlers riding in that little seat towards the handle. I mean kids as old as ten or twelve riding in the carts with dirty sneakers or even bare feet all over the wire mesh. Just lovely. Brought to you by the "I have kids so the rest of the world can eat shit" crowd.

[justiceischeap]

85. My biggest pet peeve in grocery stores is people with food stamps

I don't begrudge anyone who has to use food stamps to pay for their groceries but at least know how you're supposed to use your food stamps. For example, in Maryland (where I live) you have to get very specific items when using food stamps--juice, milk, eggs, healthy cereals, fresh fruits, etc.

All too often I get behind people who don't know this and then hold up the checkout line while they run off and continue their grocery shopping while others have to wait in lines that are already long to begin with. Also, the way Maryland makes people use food stamps is annoying too. From what I've observed, you get separate checks for separate items. So the cashier has to ring up the juices and milk, then the person pays for that order with that specific food stamp check. Give them a debit card and be done with it, I say.

[Codeine]

86. That's not food stamps, that's WIC.

It's a pain in the ass for the retailer, I assure you.

[justiceischeap]

94. Well, there's got to be a better way to handle it

for sure. Besides my personal inconvenience (which doesn't really matter in the great scheme of things), it's an inconvenience to the person using it and the retailer too.

[Orrex]

99. Having used it, I can tell you that it's actually a terrific system

It's a bit of a learning curve, but it's such a tremendous boon to the people who receive it that it's more than worth the minor inconvenience that can result.

To the casual observer it might seem that this should be an easy process, but it can be a bit tricky to maximize the value of the checks within the constraints of the permitted products. It took me a few tries to get it right, and I like to tell myself that I'm no dummy. I'd have to guess that every user probably goes through a similar process of acclimation.


If there's a better system for providing this benefit, I'm sure that both the recipients and the administrators would love to hear of it!

[Codeine]

87. Someone left an enormous puddle of diarrhea in one of our aisles last week.

Another person left used, bloody syringes on a shelf in the liquor aisle -- that was yesterday.

I could spend days telling you all the revolting and annoying things customers do in my grocery store.

[PowerToThePeople]

91. I like driving carts like a maniac

My son likes it too. I figure as long as I do not run into anyone or get close enough to them that they react, it should be of no concern. It livens things up a bit. It also breaks the feeling of being a drone slave.

[Dash87]

96. People that eat the food.

You look and find an opened bag with its contents spilled all over the place, almost like a raccoon ran through there. It's not just little kids that do that either. Gross!

[MineralMan]

97. Many pet peeves at the supermarket, but here's one that really bugs me:

You go into the entrance, grab a cart from the line of carts, then proceed through the automatic entry doors. Standing there, right in front of the door is someone with an empty cart, reading the weekly ad and trying to decide what to buy. Nobody can pass, and a line builds up of people trying to get into the door to shop.

My conclusion is that a lot of people are completely unaware of their surroundings and the people around them. Unable to process more than one thing at a time, they simply do what they want to do, regardless of anything else. It's the only explanation I can think of.

I'm working on forbearance. The alternative raises my blood pressure.

[GreenStormCloud]

118. What is wrong with politely saying, "Pardon me, May I pass?" to the dumbass?

Usually such a polite request wakes them up and they get out of the way.

[GreenStormCloud]

121. I hate having five items and getting into the "20 or less items" lane...

...and seeing somebody with a completely full cart, in the express lane, wanting to be checked out. I have only once seen a store that enforced the express lane rule. Usually they are too afraid of losing a customer to ask them to go to a regular lane.

[MineralMan]

136. Oh, I do that. Frequently.

I shouldn't have to, though.

[JHB]

166. I see that all the time with escalators in crowded areas...

They get off, then stop to decide which way they're going, completely forgetting the stream of people being moved up right behind them.

[brewens]

104. If you leave something refrigerated laying anywhere, it gets tossed if the store

workers are conscientious. They have no way of knowing it's just been sitting there for a few minutes.

A few years ago during one of my rare Wal-Mart shopping trips, I went out to my truck and got in. I was just about to take off and noticed the handle of a shopping cart, just barely visible out my passenger side window and right up against my truck. I could easily have pulled out, turning that way and scratched the crap out of my truck. I was a ways out in the lot and some lazy idiot had just left their cart right there. Wal-Mart shoppers are among the laziest.

[snooper2]

105. I let my three-n-a-half year old push the cart

She makes sure other people are on their toes


Pay attention dude we are shopping here!

[dionysus]

108. people walking like snails\turtles for no good reason when its crowded drive me nuts.

[pnwmom]

132. When it's crowded people are more likely to walk slowly, as they try to maneuver their

carts around each other.

If that drives you nuts maybe you should shop when the store's not busy.

[dionysus]

135. i should phrase that better: people walking like snails for no reason, *causing* crowding.

especially at the entrance\exit. It doesn't bug me if the person is old or infirm... but if it takes more than a minute to cover 20 feet because people are slowly scratching off their lottery tickets or whatever as they leave the store, it does annoy me.

or if you have a group of 4 people walking side by side, slow as hell, singlehandedly holding up everyone trying to get in and out of the store, for example.

[Jamastiene]

112. I hate it when people stand around in the aisles chitchatting.

Around where I live, they usually do it on weekends, especially on Sundays after the 100+ (literally over 100 churches for such a small population) churches in the county are done doing whatever they do in there. So, I avoid shopping on weekends and if I have to shop on a weekend, I either do it on a Saturday or do without whatever it is I needed.

I hate it when people stand there blocking the aisle chitchatting and act all incensed if you want to get down that aisle to get something on your list. They act like you are the one being rude if you say, "Excuse me, can I get there for just a second."

That probably irritates me more than anything else.

It's a freaking grocery store, not a social club. Chitchat in church or at one of the zillions of church social functions that happen all over the damn place around here. Don't subject the innocent grocery shoppers to your rudeness. Blocking the aisle and being haughty and rude to people simply trying to get their groceries is not what Jesus would do. NWJWD.

On Edit: It's not just church going people who do this, but it is much more widespread (lots of groups of people standing around in the aisles) on Sundays after churches let out, specifically where I live. I should have made that clear.

[ProudToBeBlueInRhody]

117. I'm sorry, but why is it only "church people" you think do this?

My mother is notorious for chit chatting in the aisle and she hasn't been to church in 20 years.

[Jamastiene]

151. Because the people where I live are that predictable.

I know this place. It is always a little after the time when the churches let out that people make their way for the grocery stores here. People here would not be wearing their "best Sunday" clothes in a grocery store unless they just got out of church. I'm not saying only church people do it, but I am saying that I see more of it on Sundays right around the time when churches finish doing their thing. That is why I avoid that time frame like the plague. You can see it happening on days other than Sundays, but not nearly as many people blocking the aisles as on Sundays. It's like a damn obstacle course during that time frame when the churches let out on Sundays. That is when it is the most frustrating because there are so many. Any other time, you might see one or two people doing it, but it is nowhere near as crowded with so many people doing it as on Sundays here. This town is that predictable. I guess you have to live in a small town in the Bible Belt to notice something like that.

[avebury]

123. I will confess that, if I am in the checkout line,

and the store is really busy with insufficient registers open I will start to set non-perishable items aside. The longer I have to wait, the more apt I am to take items out of my cart. I tend to get irritated at times is I have to wait too long so I look at what I have picked out and start the Do I really need this, do I really need that game. I figure that I end up saving money and Walmart earns less profit off of my purchase.

[mnhtnbb]

124. Lack of cart etiquette bothers me the most.

Leaving the cart in the middle of the aisle while looking at items on a shelf. No one else can get by.

Rolling the cart right up next to you--effectively blocking everything-- while examining produce or items on a shelf. No one can get close to anything near you.

Leaving carts in parking spaces in the parking lot.

I think all three stem from narcissistic behavior.

[pnwmom]

133. So you're not supposed to leave the cart in the middle of the aisle

and you're not supposed to roll it up next to you.

Where does it go exactly? Where you can be absolutely sure it's not blocking anything anyone else might need?

[mnhtnbb]

140. It's about spatial awareness. Is someone blocked by the cart left in the middle of the aisle?

Has someone approached and is waiting to get around the cart which prevents access to 3-4 feet of shelves/produce because
the cart is pushed up right next to everything? It is possible to position a cart so that neither of those things happens--
or, if it does, move the cart.

People act like they are the only person in the store sometimes.

[pnwmom]

128. Why would you blame this on a child -- a "spoiled brat" --

when the ultimate responsibility for not returning the item to its shelf would belong to an adult? And since the item had been removed from the cart, even if a child were involved, s/he hadn't been indulged.

I once arrived at the check-out stand and realized that I had a couple of tools in my basket that my two-year old had put there. She wasn't spoiled. She just thought she was being helpful and that we could use the items.

[Romulox]

129. I can't tell you how many times I have been straight up RAMMED with a cart in a store.

Almost always an older woman...

[Archae]

150. Last time I was rammed it was by a kid.

About 10-years old, a boy, making "Rummm, rummm," sounds.

[Enrique]

130. this is my supermarket pet peeve

‎

[pnwmom]

134. I wonder if the store got a video of her from the front, in another aisle.

Someone should add THAT to youtube.

[LanternWaste]

142. I'd like to see the rules of the road apply to grocery stores and supermarket...

I'd like to see the rules of the road apply to grocery stores and supermarket. Stay to the right, yield, four-way stops, parking lanes for the carts, etc.

But imagine that would be far too much work for many people.

[kentauros]

173. I'd like to see those rules appplied inside AND outside.

The parking lots are worse than the regular roads at times, and far more dangerous as you don't (normally) have large numbers of people walking all over the roads along with traffic.

[JustAnotherGen]

143. Nothing

It's only the grocery store. The older I get the more live and let live, shit happens, easy come easy go I get about the petty and small stuff.

I think if there is something that ticks me off about the grocery store . . . is that they continue to provide disposable bags for groceries.

[kentauros]

147. Two sites everyone on this thread should read:

Not Always Right

Not Always Working

[sakabatou]

170. People who park their carts in the middle of an aisle not letting people through

[westerebus]

182. Screaming kids.

Why? They want out of the cart. They scream. They want in the cart they scream. They want candy. They scream. They don't like that cereal. They scream. They don't like their brother to push the cart. They scream. they don't want their sister to touch them. They scream.

There's a good echo in the frozen aisle. They scream louder.

Give me a break.

[NCarolinawoman]

190. People driving huge SUVS in parking lots while talking on cell phones.

I drive a smallish car and I know when these people start coming around the corner, driving relatively fast, laughing and talking,they don't even see me .

Two of my family members have had their cars hit pretty badly in parking lots by "speeding oblivious talkers."