A couple of things I notice

[AprilShowers]

So, our drive through car-wash has an attendant. It's the kind where you pull up, put your money in the machine and then drive in the garage where the machine washes your car. No need for an attendant.

This guy comes out, tries to stand between my car and the machine and puts my money in for me!! Now I'm all about customer service, so I just smile and let him do his job. But I DO NOT NEED SOMEONE TO HELP ME WITH THIS TASK!!!

Here are a few places where an attendant WOULD be helpful.
I would love someone to pump my gas again.
A polite teenager to carry my groceries to the car would be wonderful.
The folks at McDonalds to pour my drinks! I have to wait in line to place my order, then wait in another line to get my own darned drink Try to find the proper sized lid and accidentally tip over the whole pile!! Did they reduce the price of the drink to compensate for less labor costs? NOOOO!

Obviously these are only mild irritations, and things I notice from time to time. PLEASE don't flame me and tell me that I should have better things to worry about. OF COURSE I DO! I'm just having a little fun with life's little aggravations.

 

[ncmickeyluvr]

Oh Girlfriend...no flames here! Total agreement. I didn't even learn to pump my own gas until I was 25!! and if someone came and asked for my money at a self serve car wash I would probably get scared and pepper spray him

May I humbly add to you list....self check out at the grocery store. How did they convince people to pay the same amount for groceries and check themselves out too....and bag their own things!!

 

[Art 1]

McDonald's will be more then happy to pour your drink. Also your refill. Just ask.

 

[AshleyW]

Oh Girlfriend...no flames here! Total agreement. I didn't even learn to pump my own gas until I was 25!! and if someone came and asked for my money at a self serve car wash I would probably get scared and pepper spray him

May I humbly add to you list....self check out at the grocery store. How did they convince people to pay the same amount for groceries and check themselves out too....and bag their own things!!

I do this. I'm not sure what the deal is with our grocery store clerks around here, but they are slooooow. And, I'm sorry, I don't want to make small talk about my groceries. I don't really care if you think my ice cream looks yummy. So, I do the self check-out and bag my own groceries partly because I'm faster and partly because I'm anti-social, so I don't have to deal with people.

 

[Luv Bunnies]

The car wash guy might be there to monitor safety - make sure kids aren't playing around the car wash or vandalizing the equipment, etc. He might as well help people put their money in while he's standing there.

 

[ksumn1]

I do this. I'm not sure what the deal is with our grocery store clerks around here, but they are slooooow. And, I'm sorry, I don't want to make small talk about my groceries. I don't really care if you think my ice cream looks yummy. So, I do the self check-out and bag my own groceries partly because I'm faster and partly because I'm anti-social, so I don't have to deal with people.

AMEN!! Also, I like double bagging my canned goods, putting all my frozen and refrigerated stuff together and I don't like having to take my purse, notebook, coupons etc out of my cart into another while trying to make small talk and pay. And I usually only have a few items if I use the self checkout. But I hate the ones at Wal Mart. I always end up with the stupid item not bagged notice or something bulky that woun't scan the bar code.

 

[ncmickeyluvr]

I do this. I'm not sure what the deal is with our grocery store clerks around here, but they are slooooow. And, I'm sorry, I don't want to make small talk about my groceries. I don't really care if you think my ice cream looks yummy. So, I do the self check-out and bag my own groceries partly because I'm faster and partly because I'm anti-social, so I don't have to deal with people.

I will admit that my dislike for self check out probably comes from the fact that they intimidate the heck out of me. I give credit where credit is due....I don't think I'm smart enough to be a check-out girl. It's a hard job!!

Last time I attempted to use one I accidentally stole grapes!! When I brought them back in the store to pay for them the teenage worker rolled her eyes and huffed at me!! I couldn't very well eat illegally obtained grapes.

 

[pearlieq]

I couldn't very well eat illegally obtained grapes.

Now THAT would be an awesome tag.

 

[Shelly F - Ohio]

I have encountered this a few time at ours but the guy is the owner. I see him there sweeping and stuff so I am not too concerned. On the other hand if it was a stranger I think I would have passed on the car wash. You never know what this guys motive was. He could have pulled a gun on you or car jacked you.

 

[Katy Belle]

My parents live in a small town and the guy who owns the car wash does this too. First he comes and wets down the windows, etc and if its really buggy or something even scrubs a bit. Kinda like rinsing your dishes before putting them in the car wash. Then he asks which car wash you want and puts the money in for you. My elderly parents love it. They don't go to the carwash unless Kevin's truck is parked there and they know that he's there to help.

We have only full service gas stations here and I'm always a bit surprised when I visit the USA and have to pump my own gas!

 

[NHdisneylover]

The car wash guy might be there to monitor safety - make sure kids aren't playing around the car wash or vandalizing the equipment, etc. He might as well help people put their money in while he's standing there.

This. Also he may be making sure that people do not try to drive in with a vehicle which is too large or some has something on it easily damaged, etc. I get teh vent though--those funny hitngs that seem so random

I have to say I LOVE self checkout lanes. It goes so much faster

 

[MIGrandma]

We have a local car wash with an attendant, and that person does what you mentioned, put the money into the machine for you. But. They also soap up the windshield, put your side mirrors in/antenna down (if you have one), soap up the front grill and all four tires to give it all a "pre-treating." We always tip them a dollar or two for doing that. Now if they ONLY put the money in, no need for just THAT so I would agree with you there.

Yes, wouldn't it be nice to gave people pumping gas for us again. I do miss that, especially when it's winter and cold, wind is blowing, or if it's raining. They would check your oil, wash your windshield, ah the good 'ol days.

They do offer grocery carry-out service where I shop, but since I'm able-bodied I always tell them no, thanks. But as I get older and more feeble, I may take them up on the offer as I see other elderly people do.

I actually don't mind getting my own drink at fast food places, that way I can mix them if I want (like a splash of regular Coke with my Diet, or Cherry Coke and Sprite, etc.) and it's much easier to refill my own, rather than go back up to the counter and wait in line to ask them to do it.

 

[MIGrandma]

Kinda like rinsing your dishes before putting them in the car wash.

This would be a great tag as well!

 

[jen0610]

Oh Girlfriend...no flames here! Total agreement. I didn't even learn to pump my own gas until I was 25!! and if someone came and asked for my money at a self serve car wash I would probably get scared and pepper spray him

May I humbly add to you list....self check out at the grocery store. How did they convince people to pay the same amount for groceries and check themselves out too....and bag their own things!!

When the stores go back to TRAINING their cashier the proper way to sack groceries, then I will have no issue with not using the self-check out.

DH's high school job was the kid who sacked, then carried out your groceries. He taught me how to sack and believe me, if the current cashiers would do it the way it use to be done, even using the stupid plastic bags, I wouldn't have 10x's the number of sacks I needed.

 

[AprilShowers]

Well, thanks for not beating me up!
I live in a small town, I'm sure he's not there for security, just to be helpful. He doesn't rinse before or anything else. Just comes out and tries to put the money in. I won't complain because they're just trying to offer good customer service.

ncmickeyluvr, I totally agree with the self check out vent. What a pain in the neck! If they ever worked right I might be less annoyed, but I ALWAYS get the stupid "bag your item" warning. I used to be a cashier so I KNOW HOW TO DO IT!! lol, but the machine still doesn't like me.

Sigh....I guess it's a sign of the times. I just wish stores would bring back some of the little niceities.

 

[NHdisneylover]

When the stores go back to TRAINING their cashier the proper way to sack groceries, then I will have no issue with not using the self-check out.

DH's high school job was the kid who sacked, then carried out your groceries. He taught me how to sack and believe me, if the current cashiers would do it the way it use to be done, even using the stupid plastic bags, I wouldn't have 10x's the number of sacks I needed.

Aaahhh you have brought back memories of shopping with my mom as a kid. She was a bagger at Krogers in High School and after I was bron adn she always complained about how people did not bag groceries properly anymore. She tuaght me well, we bag our own here and I am always trying to get DH to do it right

 

[disykat]

The really silly thing though is that soon there will be threads popping up as to whether we should tip him for this service. Everyone will end up agreeing that since he is working a minimum wage job and that's a tough road to be on, we would be cheap not to give him a tip.

 

[Shyvioletisme]

The folks at McDonalds to pour my drinks! I have to wait in line to place my order, then wait in another line to get my own darned drink Try to find the proper sized lid and accidentally tip over the whole pile!! Did they reduce the price of the drink to compensate for less labor costs? NOOOO!

I actually prefer getting my own drink. I hate places where they have to get my drink for me...it's so much quicker for me to do it on my own...

May I humbly add to you list....self check out at the grocery store. How did they convince people to pay the same amount for groceries and check themselves out too....and bag their own things!!

I LOVE self checkout...if a store has it(and i really think more should) I use it...the regular lines are always too long and the checkers have gotten slower and slower over the years...I can be in and out in a lot less time and bag things the way I want them to be bagged.

 

[NHdisneylover]

I actually prefer getting my own drink. I hate places where they have to get my drink for me...it's so much quicker for me to do it on my own...

I prefer to get my own as well. I like being able to get as much ice as I want (a ton). Even when I ask for a lot of ice, I don't get enough. In Europe it is even worse. A lot of ice means 3 cubes instead of 1There are a few Burger Kings and McDonald's here with self serve drinks. I will always stop at them if I am nearby JUST for the thrill of filling my own soda fountain drink with more ice than soda.

 

[Jennasis]

I prefer getting my own drink. At our local fast food places they fill the cup with so much ice that you end up getting a splash of soda in it.