How come the express lane at the grocery store....

[SeattleGirl]

...ISN'T?

:shrug:

[Mutley]

1. Because people don't understand that express lane means

EXPRESS LANE. When I worked in a grocery store, people would bring more than the required items through, write checks as payment, dig in their purses for that exact change, etc.

They don't get, or care, that the whole point is to be in and out as quickly as possible.

[SeattleGirl]

8. The purse diggers drive me NUTS.

Especially when I'm in one of the regular check out lines, and the purse digger is buying a wagon-train load of stuff. They freakin' stand there the whole time, and only after everything is rung up do they start digging into the suitcase sized purse to find the check book, THEN they take forever to write the check, THEN they stand there and balance the freakin' thing.

:grr:

[Mutley]

10. Oh, I hate that.

Balance your checkbook on your own time, please!

[auntAgonist]

2. for the same reason

RUSH hour isn't. :shrug:

[kentauros]

4. True

But have you observed how people drive in stop-n-go traffic? It's like they're trying to force it to be faster: zoom up ten feet, screach the brakes, zoom up ten feet, screach the brakes, zoom up ten feet, screach the brakes, zoom up ten feet, screach the brakes... :crazy:

I keep about 100' between me and the next car in "rush-hour" traffic, even as everyone that never left any negative space in their coloringbooks try to fill it anyway ;)

[BelleCarolinaPeridot]

3. Everytime I go to Wal-mart (yeah sue me)

The only aisles that are open are the self check out lanes. There are about 4 employees standing in front of the ONE kiosk that observes those self check out lanes. Meanwhile there about 8-10 lanes where the cashiers ring of the customers but these are CLOSED.

I don't go to Wal-mart often. That is the main reason why.

[bluesbassman]

5. What I don't get...

Is why they put the newest/slowest/most chatty cashiers on "express" lanes? :grr:

[Mutley]

12. Because express lanes are easier for a new cashier to learn.

Less items, less physical exertion, and more opportunity to use and learn the computer system. It's easier for them to keep that line going fast than the lines with the big orders. Large orders are very intimidating to a new cashier.

[bluesbassman]

13. Makes sense. Thanks for the insight.

:hi:

[kentauros]

6. I actually like the U-Scan lanes

because of the fact that I can be in and out of the store fast :)

[SeattleGirl]

7. I like using them too, but I had an item than had one of those

anti-theft thingies on it that a clerk had to take off, so I went to the "express" lane.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

9. My dear SeattleGirl!

The Express Lane at my store is normally quick...

But I don't usually use it...

Too much stuff!

BTW, you have mail, sweetie!

:hug:

[Deja Q]

11. Reverse psychology

[struggle4progress]

16. Now that one, I believe! It explains why the slowest cashiers work "express"

Oh, ya gonna try t'git outta our store quick by makin a teeny-tiny purchase? Well, good luck! We is gonna teach ya a lesson ya ain't f'git soon!

[Lethe]

17. yeah they always put the newbie checkers in the express lane

always

[ThomCat]

14. There is only one check out lane in the store near by office

that is wide enough for my wheelchair to get through. Why is that the lane they always close in the off-peak hours? x(

[LeftyMom]

18. Is that even legal?

Out here there's generally an extra-wide lane that's got a sign saying it has to be kept open at all times to accommodate people with disabilities.

Why do stores that never seem to have more than three or four checkers have so many checkstands, anyhow?

[ThomCat]

19. I doubt it, but their answer is

"We are always willing to send someone to open that register for you if you need assistance. All you need to do is find an associate who can get the manager for you."
:(

So even if the place is empy, 3 lanes are open, and I'm the only customer trying to check out at the moment I still have to wait 10 minutes for someone to get a manager so someone can be moved from their current lane to the one I can use.

Clearly we grew 'em a bit dense over here. x(

[Lydia Leftcoast]

15. Because they allow 10 items

That's way too many for an "express" line, because at that level, people try to argue that ten cans of soup equals one item and three boxes of cereal is another item, plus four bags of frozen peas as the third item.

I was once in a store that had a THREE-item express line. Now THAT'S what I call an express line! :thumbsup: