I saw a video yesterday, of a fight because a dude cut in line at a restaurant. I didn't actually SEE the video, because I didn't click on it. But you know how it goes. You'll be waiting your turn in line, and some YAYhoo, as we call them around here, will think he's entitled to go ahead of the waiters. It mostly happens to ME when I'm driving T-Hoe. Let the record show that I don't give an inch. I will accelerate along with the cutter, making sure he doesn't beat me off the light, to dash in ahead of our lawful line of traffic, when his own lane ends. I can do that, you know. T-Hoe is a substantial vehicle to be reckoned with.
This time I was in line with a cart at Save A Lot. There was a man checking out at the lone open register, with cart full of reasonably-priced groceries. Behind him was a lady with a fuller cart, foodstuffs almost to the top of the basket. I was after her. I had two tubs of sour cream, a bag of pretzel sticks, a half-loaf of nutty oat bread, a family pack of hamburger, a box of frozen garlic texas toast, and three individual ice creams (two cookie dough, one chocolate). All my items fit in the child seat of the cart.
A lady came from the other direction. She knew she was after me, but she couldn't get in line, because we filled the main aisle with our waiting. A guy in a Save A Lot apron came to the first register, but all he did was call for a girl to come up front. Of course the new checker opened the lane by the 4th Waiter.
"I can help somebody over here."
To her credit, 4th Waiter looked at 2nd Waiter and me. "Do you want to go? You're both ahead of me."
Yes, I commend 4th Waiter on her waiting etiquette. It's a virtue seldom seen these days. In addition, she had her son of about five years old with her. So perhaps we'll have another decent citizen in the queue for adulthood. The 2nd Waiter shook her head, and motioned that she was next in her own line. I, too, declined.
Here's the thing. It was a no-win situation for me. Sure, it was rightfully my turn. But I'd be cutting in front of a lady who was RIGHT THERE at the line, and had a young child with her. A young child who might wonder why I cut in front of his mom. So I motioned for her to go ahead, and got in line behind her.
The lady with the full cart was done before me. I was indeed last.
I can't complain, though. Even Steven has been pretty fair to me since Friday. Farmer H and I will be making a trip to the city to the lottery office to collect that fairness one day this week. I hope there's not a line.
Right there is where we are different. If some lady offered me that space I would have taken it and said thank you very much. I wouldn't have felt I was cutting because she offered it to me. And any five years old son would notice that his mum was kind enough to let a lady with only a few things go first.
ReplyDeleteRiver,
ReplyDeleteYes, I can see that scenario working. Maybe it was more because of the kid. This one was well-behaved, but I'd rather let people with kids get out of there ahead of me. Either because I know it can be a hassle shopping with kids, or because I find some of them incredibly annoying and want them gone.
I probably would have taken that space, too--after all, it was nicely offered!
ReplyDeletefishducky,
ReplyDeleteSince she "nicely offered," I figured it wouldn't hurt me to wait. She had a kid with her, and I wasn't in any particular hurry. It's just what's fair, and she DID offer for us to go ahead of her.