are you a polite shopper??

[kelleigh1]

Nope, none of you were in my store last night.


I swear, I practically followed one woman through an aisle picking up after her. And two feet away from her, the other girl working was emptying the trash. This woman, takes out a box of shoes, puts them on the floor and goes through it pulling out the shoes and dropping paper on the floor. She tries on the shoes, walks over to look in the mirror that is attached to the trash bin, decides she doesn't want them and just drops them in the box and shoves the box on the shelf.

I guess I should be happy she put them on the shelf. But since the cover was off and they were sticking up out of the box, I still had to pull them out again anyway. And I was literally, 3 feet down the aisle from her cleaning up the mess she'd made with the previous 6 pairs of shoes she tried on. Then I picked up the trash she left on the floor to throw it away.

The store was such a mess. And I swear, the messiest shoppers arrive within 1 hour of closing so that even if you've already cleaned the store, you have to go through it again because they make such a mess.

 

[sdarwkcabemanmy]

Have any of you ever had anyone take things out of your cart before? I was toy shopping a couple of years ago and landed the last of a certain toy and a lady tried to take it out of my cart. I couldn't believe it.

How rude! I hope you took it back and said "THAT"S MINE!!!".

We tend to be polite because DH is a retail mgr and I've worked in retail before. We both know how hard their lives (the employees) lives are and don't want to make them any worse if we can help it.

 

[Angelhalo]

Everytime I scan the list of threads I read this as "Are you a polite STRIPPER"




Anyhoo yes I like to think I am a polite shopper. I had such a hard time last week shopping because I am so concious of whether I am being polite and keeping to my own little space and such. But, I had surgery a couple of weeks ago and I moving REALLY slow. I kept pausing and telling people that I had had surgery and to please feel free to move around me because I felt like the tortoise and they were all Hares!! LOL!

 

[Angelhalo]

I hate when people stand in the middle of aisle and stare at the shelf in front of them. Then if you say excuse me to get by them, they look at you like you have two heads. Another pet peeve is when a shopper puts an item back in the wrong place. I am not talking cereal in the canned good aisle. They change their mind on a flavor of soup and instead of moving a few inches over, put back in the right place.

My biggest pet peeve is people who decide that they don't want one of the refridgerated or frozen items in their cart and they just sit it down anywhere not cold. OMG it makes my blood boil. They decided they didn't want sour cream and they put it down on the cereal aisle. Now the sour cream is warm and ruined. Nice! What do they care? It's not theirs. It infuriates me to no end. It's just a total lack of respect for the store.

As for the people eating fruit....I know quite a few mommies including my BF Amber, who go into the store grab the fruit in question AKA grapes, and go to the front and pay for it. Then they continue their shopping trip and their kids have something to keep them occupied.

Not everyone you see eating fruit before the "big checkout" has stolen the fruit.

 

[Angelhalo]

I too am a polite shopper. I also hate those that park their basket and walk around getting stuff. Invariably they leave it unattended at the end of an aisle. I use the scooter baskets and it is a royal pain to navigate around them. I have been known to just move it out of my way and let them figure out where it went.

When I shop with DH he is a "wanderer". It has caused a few tense moments with us.

I am not in a scooter but I agree. I hate the carts that people abandon at the end of the aisle while they run down the aisle to get something. If I had a nickel for everytime their polite gesture got in mine or someone else's way, I'd be rich!

 

[Angelhalo]

I always unpack onto the belt according to crushability. Canned stuff first, bread last. That way they can bag it and put it back into the cart with the heavier stuff on the bottom.

I do the same thing. Unfortunately it never work for me. I take all this time to put everything on the belt just how I would like it bagged and then they end up jumbling it all up anyway. The last time I went to the store I ended up with bananas in with a giant bag of cat food! It made me so mad because I had specifically put one item at the beginning of the belt and one at the very end.


ETA: Sorry if I had read the whole thread first I could have gone back and done a multi-quote. I really didn't think I'd have so much to post! LOL!

 

[JR6ooo4]

I can't find the poll...

But I am polite, even to those who are not.

Mikeeee

 

[pansmermaidzlagoon]

I am - I try! Sometimes I zone out, but then I apologize a great deal!!! Don't want people to think I am "one of those people"!


I am guilty of taking DH and DD with me - but they try their best to stay out of the way! They are often off backtracking to get things I have forgottne or picking out items they need to choose for themselves. I don't care if you bring an entourage as long as thye stay out of the way.

 

[pansmermaidzlagoon]

But does anyone ever get tired of always being polite? You are always the one saying excuse me, always the one being considerate, always the one moving out of the way for people, always going out of your help people....
just once in a while I get tired of it, I'm sure I can't be the only one!

yes! especially when you very obviously let someone go ahead and then thye obliviously stop in front of you or take forever - you kinda feel like "why do I bother?", but it still the right thing to do.....

 

[hrh_disney_queen]

I am a polite shopper. I stay to the right and I even slow down before leaving an aisle so I do not hit someone turning into the aisle.

But I do take DH with me. But in my defense I am under five feet tall and he is 6 4 so I need him to reach high. But I have taught him the rules of polite shopping.

Leave him home..don't you know that's how us shorties can meet new and TALL men?

"Excuse me you are sooooooo tall, could you please reach that box of tampons for me?"

 

[PlutosFriend]

My biggest pet peeve is people who decide that they don't want one of the refridgerated or frozen items in their cart and they just sit it down anywhere not cold. OMG it makes my blood boil. They decided they didn't want sour cream and they put it down on the cereal aisle. Now the sour cream is warm and ruined. Nice! What do they care? It's not theirs. It infuriates me to no end. It's just a total lack of respect for the store.
.

That is why I always pull cold/frozen items from the back of the stock when I am buying them.

I can't find the poll...

But I am polite, even to those who are not

Mikeeee

I didn't do a poll. I doubt anyone really thinks they are the jerk in the grocery store

 

[MushyMushy]

Yes I'm very polite, and even will often leave my cart at the end of an aisle if the aisle is too crowded. I also hate when husbands are required to go shopping too, but just stand around taking up space in the aisle.

My husband is an absolute necessity for my shopping trips. First we divide and conquer the list, but then we meet up at some point. He takes care of all the heavier items, loads the belt, loads the cart, and loads the car. Then he takes me for some Starbucks. Everyone should have a shopping buddy like that. And he doesn't even complain when he's missing a football game.

Wait a minute. I guess that means I'm the worthless one in the store.

 

[legalsea]

I am a polite shopper.

Of course, if your grocery cart is in my way, I will gently remove it from my path and place it in another aisle. It is not MY fault if you left your child in the cart.

True, sometimes I get a little ‘peeved’ at those old people in the electric carts who insist on shopping for food at the same time I do. One little old lady even asked me to reach up and get a can of food for her, saying the shelf was a little too high. Since she reminded me of my grandmother, who used to beat me, I retaliated by loading up the old woman’s cart with every single can of food on the shelf.

Finally, the best tasting food is always in the other person’s cart. So you will excuse me, I am sure, if I ‘sneak’ a little taste of your grapes, M & M’s (just a quick opening of the bag and grabbing a few is all I do), Deli Chicken (drumstick only; I do not have a knife to slice off the thigh), etc.

Now, you will excuse me while I dance.

 

[kellyg403]

Yes, I try to be but there have been a few times when I have zoned out, stopped my cart and gone to the shelf. Usually on a day when I have something on my mind. I have taught my children also to move the cart to the side of the aisle and wait patiently for others to get past.

The children running around the store, I will never understand that. I had an instance a few weeks ago, where a woman was talking on her cell phone while her teen dd, maybe around 15, was trying to keep the little guy, around 3 in hand. She was carrying a balloon, he was carrying one of those baseball bats with the ball attached to the top. Mom was talking and wandering aimlessly through the aisles. DD is watching as bro is taking bat and wiping out the displays on the end aisles. And walking off. Not attempting to pick up anything. I tried to stay away from them, the store workers were running around picking up stuff because it was everywhere. The next thing I know mom is standing at the meat counter, dd puts little bro in the cart and is running around the store on two wheels knocking down the displays in the aisle. The next thing I know, mom is in a heated discussion with the store manager who is trying to advise her of what is going on, the next thing you know it was a pure out argument about racial issues. The only good news, the mom was so po'd she left the store with the "I am never shopping in this racist, lying store ever again" dragging her two kids behind her. They are very lucky noone, customers or employees were hurt. That little boy cleaned an end display of salad dressing and a few of them were in the old glass bottles. When I was telling dh later about it, he said had the little boy gotten hurt she probably would have sued the store. I can tell you my boys were looking at me that mom was crazy. Later a friend was telling me she bets it was the same 3 she saw in Walmart and the guy working the meat counter told her he thinks the mom uses the kids as a major distraction so she can shoplift. So, that pretty much rounds out the story for me!

It was a very very bad shopping experience. I hope to never relive it again.

Kelly

 

[MushyMushy]

I am a polite shopper.

Of course, if your grocery cart is in my way, I will gently remove it from my path and place it in another aisle. It is not MY fault if you left your child in the cart.

True, sometimes I get a little ‘peeved’ at those old people in the electric carts who insist on shopping for food at the same time I do. One little old lady even asked me to reach up and get a can of food for her, saying the shelf was a little too high. Since she reminded me of my grandmother, who used to beat me, I retaliated by loading up the old woman’s cart with every single can of food on the shelf.

Finally, the best tasting food is always in the other person’s cart. So you will excuse me, I am sure, if I ‘sneak’ a little taste of your grapes, M & M’s (just a quick opening of the bag and grabbing a few is all I do), Deli Chicken (drumstick only; I do not have a knife to slice off the thigh), etc.

Now, you will excuse me while I dance.

 

[Todd&Copper]

I'm a polite shopper, but DH does most of the shopping. He is a very efficient shopper. He zips around grabbing what is on the list. He even snapped and clicked at some woman who was walking too slowly in front of him once (he does this to get our dogs to hop out of his way). He is an uber-Nazi about moving people unattended carts to the side - he does it and takes no guff from anyone about it. I was with him once when he did it, and the lady who's cart it was kind of looked at him funny, and he just sort of glared at her; she bugged her eyes a bit and looked away, and he grumbled audibly about idiots who can't keep their carts to the side.
I kind of don't like shopping with him, but it is always quick and relatively hassle-free.

 

[legalsea]

I'm a polite shopper, but DH does most of the shopping. He is a very efficient shopper. He zips around grabbing what is on the list. He even snapped and clicked at some woman who was walking too slowly in front of him once (he does this to get our dogs to hop out of his way). He is an uber-Nazi about moving people unattended carts to the side - he does it and takes no guff from anyone about it. I was with him once when he did it, and the lady who's cart it was kind of looked at him funny, and he just sort of glared at her; she bugged her eyes a bit and looked away, and he grumbled audibly about idiots who can't keep their carts to the side.
I kind of don't like shopping with him, but it is always quick and relatively hassle-free.

Yes, crazy people are usually very efficient shoppers!

I particularly liked the 'snapped and clicked' part!

 

[Todd&Copper]

Yes, crazy people are usually very efficient shoppers!

I particularly liked the 'snapped and clicked' part!

He's not crazy. He just hates doing it, so I think his anger translates poorly into his shopping experience. The faster the better, and all of these idjits are ruining that for him.

 

[Charade]

I try to be. Sometimes I fail...

 

[KAMLEM]

Even when I see them waiting outside of a dressing room at a dept. store. Let the poor man just go home and watch tv or something. Does he really have THAT good of fashion sense to help you?! My husband doesn't know how lucky he has it!

Don't start with that, there was a long thread about men in dressing rooms a while back and it got very heated!
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