The next time you're standing in a checkout queue, keep an eye out for this happening. Woman getting served, watching her items being scanned, waiting until the checkout person says "That'll be £14.98 please" - and then (and only then) removing her handbag from her arm, digging about for her purse, then fishing out the dosh to pay for the bloody things. I've usually got my money in my mitt, ready to hand it over right away.
Trust me, nine and a half times out of ten, women don't even think about going for the cash until they hear what their shopping costs. What the hell do they think they're standing in line for? And this is the gender that claims to multi-task? Have your money ready in future, sister, and speed things along a little, eh?!
This has been a public service announcement.
I don't think you can tie this behaviour to a gender, some people just like to leave -- big footprints, it's the way they relate their place in the world. True, there is a particular female type I would associate with queue time procrastination, they're the same ratbags who, when they're the other side of the counter, find something else to do, when it's your turn to be served. Here, the biggest delays in shop queues tend to be the result of EU migrants, arguing over money or something, I don't why that should be, perhaps they swap a dead chicken for their groceries in Poland, who knows? Those tend mostly to be males, buying booze.
ReplyDeleteGoing from many years of observation when standing in queues, DSE, it's mostly a women thing. Happened again today. Stands watching all her messages getting scanned through, waits until she's given the total before dipping into her handbag, extracting her purse, and digging out her credit card. Next time there's a woman ahead of you in a queue, watch and see what she does.
ReplyDeleteIt happens to me all the time Kid, happened today in fact, she dragged the whole performance out to about four minutes, which is no exaggeration. Yesterday it was a bloke, 'Dees ees essh ahn sphesheel eefer' that was for about six minutes, by the time he was finished was I ready to blitzkrieg his homeland. They do it on purpose, if you ever see 'em again outside the shop, they're the same in the street, standing still blocking entrances, using shopping trolleys as weapons against traffic and pedestrians, it like I said, they like to leave big footprints.
ReplyDeleteSince the long forgotten days when assistants helped fill your goods into bags at the till area, some shoppers find in difficult to quickly pack their purchases which now fly through the cashier at break neck speed. It is awkward to hold cash in your hands whilst trying to load goods. All of course doing so under the gaze of impatient shoppers like yourself does not help. Older ladies are very reluctant to put their purses on display until they have to. - understandable given the violence that can come easily come their way from the dregs of society!
ReplyDeleteKen.
I'll end up leaving a big footprint on one of their fat @rses one day. Just to hurry them along.
ReplyDelete******
Nah, Ken, I don't buy it. First of all, I'm not talking only about older ladies - younger ones do it as well. The only time they're likely to get robbed at the till is by the shops themselves, not some bold passing 'tealeaf'. The goods are put on the conveyor belt and the shopper has their hands free while the items are scanned. There's nothing to stop them digging out their cash or credit card while they're standing looking on.
You seem to be missing the point re packing your own goods and holding cash in your mitts at the same time. Not easy for some to do. As regards old ladies flashing their cash in shops, post office etc, well that is how they are often targeted and preyed upon. Perhaps the self service till should be your isle of choice if you cannot be a bit more patient. We will have to agree to disagree on this one!
ReplyDeleteKen.
Not missing the point, Ken, I just don't regard it as a valid one. I can pack my own goods and hold cash at the same time - it's easy. You have the cash in the hand you're holding the handle of the carrier bag in, and put the items in it with the other. Or you take out cash or credit card as your items are scanned and put it in a pocket so that it's to hand.
ReplyDeleteAs for old ladies being preyed upon, when that occasionally happens, it's not usually while they're IN a shop or post office, it's when they leave - and, importantly - when their cash is IN their purse which is IN their handbag, so the robber just grabs their handbag and runs off with it. I've yet to hear of someone being robbed at a post office counter or in a queue at Farmfoods - just doesn't happen, Ken.
And, incidentally, on occasion there IS an assistant packing the goods away (happens in Iceland) and they STILL wait until they're told the price.
However, you're missing a point as well, Ken. Even standing in McDonalds, where they know what the prices are, they still wait until they're told before taking their bag off their arm and digging out their dosh. There's just no need for it - it's not fear of being robbed that makes people do this - it's just unthinking stupidity in its highest form. Standing in a queue is bad enough, so I try and have consideration for the people behind me and try to get through the procedure as quick as possible.
It would be nice if other shoppers could show me and everyone else the same consideration.
I don't see how you can pack those bags with the spondoolics at the ready, it's a two handed job. Especially as most of the supermarkets replaced the convenient flat packing area with a precipitous slope that gives you about four inches of flat area to balance your bags, idiots. I prefer to pack the bag myself, sometimes the till staff won't give you the bags and pack them as they go, you have to re-gig them, which is a pain.
ReplyDeleteI don't see how people CAN'T pack bags and hold dosh at the same time, DSE. I can do it with no problem, either notes or coins, and I have numbness in my hands and a lack of the dexterity I once had. However, I've seen women in with their husbands or/and teenage kids, who can pack the bags, yet still they wait until hearing the total before looking surprised at being asked for money, then rummaging about in their handbags, saying "Oh, where is it, don't say I've forgotten it, I'm sure it's in here somewhere" and all that nonsense, then digging out a couple of credit cards, saying "Now, which one's got money on it" blah blah blah. They do it every time they're in a shop as if it's the very first time they've ever been in one. Too many thickos on the planet - we need a cull.
ReplyDeleteNext time I'm in Tesco I'm going to watch what the women shoppers do - I always have my wallet out beforehand but I don't take any money out of it till it's time to pay. In my opinion it's the people faffing around with bloody credit cards that gets on my nerves, why can't they pay cash.
ReplyDeleteEspecially when they're only spending about 2 quid - bloody morons. Someone give 'em a good hard slap, eh, CJ?
ReplyDeleteThere must be a Noble Prize for someone who solves this mystery. I think it is related to the fact that in public houses women go to the toilet in herds while men go individually.
ReplyDeleteYeah Kid I'd have to agree with a lot of the above. I wonder if as you get older you become less forgiving of time-wasters. There seems to be a particular strain of clueless individuals peppered throughout the community whose sole purpose is to annoy and generally frustrate the efforts of the rest of us to go about our daily lives in an efficient and timely fashion. I travel a lot on public transport and they are well represented there let me tell you. The train pulls up they step into the carriage and stand there looking about for the best seat - effectively blocking anyone else trying to board the train! Doesn't end there - you wait at the bus stop, usually for a reasonable amount of time, you see the bus aproaching, you board often behind others in a queue - and then and only then do the clueless start digging around in their pockets or bags for their bloody travel card!! It's not rocket science - have it ready as you board. Same at the petrol station - you've filled up, have the correct amount in cash but the person in front has a credit card - "insert card, pin number, cash out?, sign this" This is supposed to be quicker and easier? Anyway, enough of the rant I'm off to therapy now.
ReplyDeleteThat's because men go to the toilet to answer a call of nature; women go to fix their make up and gossip about the men they're in with.
ReplyDelete******
Spot on, Phil - that's exactly what I was getting at. As for therapy, I'll be on the couch of the analyst next door.
Yeah, well I've seen 'em do it waving the wallet in the breeze and packing the bags like brown owl demonstrating a field dressing to the scout pack, don't have time for that, get a move on!
ReplyDeleteYup, that should be everyone's motto, DSE - get a move on! Have your dosh/credit card/travel card ready. Problem sorted.
ReplyDeleteThere is so much more to get annoyed or worried about in life, or indeed in a supermarket,than a slow coach in a shopping line. For a start the girl at the till is probably on or around the minimum wage which forces her to claim working tax credits to earn a living wage. Tax payers therefore end up paying wages for the employees of the major supermarkets. Forget about your dodgy buy one,get one free deals etc these shysters seem to have
ReplyDeletethe public bent over a barrel in so many different ways!
Ken.
Ah, but when it comes to things to get annoyed or worried about in life, Ken, I like to have a wide range of options covering the full spectrum of what's important and what isn't. Otherwise, I'd have a more limited choice of subjects about which to write about for the entertainment of all you Criv-ites. We couldn't have that now, could we?
ReplyDelete