Redirecting Frustration and Annoyance
This is a story that took place in a supermarket, but the lesson learned might work elsewhere. I don't know.
The supermarket I use regularly is a bag-your-own groceries store. I don't mind. I'm good at bagging. It also uses checkout stations with two belts, which allow the checker to divert groceries to either belt. At the end of the belts, there are two bagging stations, each with bags and a packing area. When you come out of the check-out line, you can park your cart facing the end of the belt on either side and stand there to bag your purchases without blocking anyone else's way. It's well-designed and can be very efficient.
Sadly, most people don't notice any of this. It can be frustrating. It was frustrating on Friday. The man in front of me in the checkout line had over $300 worth of groceries in his cart. It was going to take him some time to bag all of that. I had about $50 worth in my cart. So, the guy pays for his order, and then pushes his cart down to do his bagging. But, he simply stops at the end of the counter and leaves his cart sitting there, still in the checkout aisle. He had just begun to bag his groceries and put them in the cart when the checker finished with my groceries, which she sent down the other belt.
I pushed my cart down the aisle and stopped to catch the eye of the other guy. He saw me standing there, blocked by his cart, and simply continued to bag his groceries. This happens a lot. People simply don't see that they are slowing down the process. As usual, I politely said, "Excuse me. Could I get past you? The guy looked very annoyed, but grabbed his cart and jerked it out of the way, but, instead of lining it up with the end of his belt, he just shoved it over in front of the belt where my groceries were.
That also happens a lot, and it's very frustrating. People seem to be unaware that there are other people in the store who are also buying groceries. I had a momentary flash of anger at this seemingly deliberate attempt to block my access to my groceries while the guy bagged his up. But then, I thought for a second, and said this:
"Excuse me again. There are two belts for groceries here (pointing at them). The bagging area is designed so that each customer can push their cart to line up with the belt. There's room to stand at the end of the counter, and a bagging shelf there. The belt automatically delivers the groceries to that area, so you can bag your purchases efficiently and without blocking the aisle or access to the belt on the other side. It's designed that way to help make bagging more efficient. If you could please move your cart to line up with the belt your groceries are on, we could both get out of here faster." I was pointing at things as I talked, and tried to keep my voice as friendly and helpful as possible.
It worked. The guy said, "I never noticed that. It makes a lot of sense." He moved his cart, quickly finished his bagging, and I was able to do the same. It worked, to my surprise. The guy had never looked at how the thing was designed, and so was doing his bagging in the least efficient way possible.
I diverted my frustration and anger and turned it into a little educational session. Better all around, I think. I'm going to watch for other opportunities in other situations to do similar things. It might even work with politics...or maybe not.
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