Want to hear a crazy (but true!) grocery store line story?

[pamela]

This happened to be a few years ago and I swear it's a true story.

I was in a nearby town for an appointment. Afterwards, I went through the drive-through at the bank to get money and then stopped by the Giant store to pick-up some caffeine-free diet Dr. Pepper. When I got to the check-out line, a cashier at the 12 items or less line saw me and waved me over as he opened up that line. Others joined me and soon that line was pretty long, too.

When I went to pay, I realized I had left my wallet in the car. I was very embarrassed and apologetic and the cashier asked if I was paying cash. I said "yes" and he said to go on out and get my wallet and he would just set my stuff aside until I got back. (I think the cash question had something to do with not having to finish the transaction before he shut the register to go on to the next customer.)

I ran out to my car and got my wallet and returned to the store. The line was really long at this point and I told the cashier I would just get back in line. I had the cash in hand and my Dr Pepper was setting there so he said "That's ok. Just let me finish with this customer, it will just take a second to get you checked out." (Or something like that.)

When he finished with the customer, I handed him my money and he started to give me change. The next lady in line went ballistic! She started yelling, "I HATE YOU! I HATE PEOPLE LIKE YOU! I HOPE YOU DIE! I HOPE YOU GET IN A CAR CRASH ON THE WAY HOME AND DIE! I HATE YOU! I HOPE YOU DIE! I HATE PEOPLE LIKE YOU! I HOPE YOU DIE! I HOPE YOU GET IN A CAR CRASH AND DIE!..."

It was awful! She kept screaming that over and over at me. The cashier kept saying "It's not her fault, I told her to step in here..." etc, etc, but she just kept screaming "I HATE YOU! I HATE PEOPLE LIKE YOU! I HOPE YOU DIE! I HOPE YOU GET IN A CAR CRASH ON THE WAY HOME AND DIE! I HATE YOU!"

I swear, just telling this story years later makes me nervous. I was blushing so hard. No shit, 3 hours later when I was back at home and my husband came home, my face was still bright red. I'm slightly socially phobic and everyone who knows me said I was the worst person in the world this could have happened to. Now, every time someone tells a "grocery store line" story I think "Ha! That's nothing!" :blush:

[kick-ass-bob]

1. You mean you didn't yell back at them

like any good American would? :sarcasm:

[Crazy Dave]

2. It's over with

That's what I tell folks sweatin' the small stuff.

Since my divorce I do most of my shopping at Family Dollar which most folks go in and get one or two things. I get a basket. If someone behind me has one or two things I let them go in front of me but sometimes the line is long and everyone thinks I should let them go too and they get pissed and say things. Sorry jerks but the ice cream will melt and the line will just keep getting longer if I let everyone go in front of me.

[seabeyond]

7. true that. you haev to get thru the line eventually

i have been on both sides. i let people go, but also i have told the person with big basket, that let people go.... stop at me. i will wait.

[PassingFair]

3. Same type of situation happened to me once, at a bank.

The bank had a separate window for commercial transactions (usually no waiting).
One day I walked in and went straight up to the commercial window, as I ALWAYS
did, to make my business deposit, and an old man waiting in line went ABSOLUTELY
BALLISTIC on me, accusing me of line jumping and disrespecting old people.

I pointed out that the window was dedicated to commercial transactions ONLY,
and showed him my deposit "bag", but he was on a TEAR!

The teller rolled her eyes and told me not to worry about him. I completed my
transaction and left, but it shook me up pretty badly.

I know how you felt.

:hug:

[pamela]

18. It's horribly embarrassing, isn't it.

I'm sorry that happened to you, too.

My story actually has a weirdly happy ending, in a way. Later that night when I was STILL red, I realized that wasn't normal. I also realized that my blushing was one reason I'm uncomfortable in social situations. So, I did some research on the internet and learned about the use of beta-blockers for extreme blushing. When I talked to my Doctor about it he gave me the beta-blockers and they worked like a charm. I even taught a Psych course at a community college a few months later which is something I never would have done before the beta-blockers. (It still wasn't terribly comfortable-but manageable.)I can't say I'm grateful to her for screaming at me like that but I honestly don't think I had realized how bad the blushing problem was until that day.

[marzipanni]

22. That's interesting

Occasionally have thought of zingers - those responses you usually can't come up with until you're thinking about it later- but am afraid to say anything at the time because I'd blush after saying it. I guess because I feel like it's good, but what if it falls flat? I wouldn't be daring enough to be a comedian. ;)

But if someone is saying or doing something blatantly uncalled for or rude I don't have a problem with speaking up.
If that woman was screaming at me I think I'd say "Calm down! It isn't the end of the world is it?" or open my eyes wide, grimace, and say,"Yikes!"

I just read the rest of your thread so far, and can see how you and the cashier were stunned, I'm sure the others around were, too. I guess when someone is crazy you can really only feel sorry for them.

[Tuesday Afternoon]

30. afterisms ...

auntAgonist has that in her sigline, inre:

those responses you usually can't come up with until you're thinking about it later

and, I am a blusher, too.

interesting to hear about the betablocker. need to ask my doc about this.

[Tuesday Afternoon]

31. good info. thanks for posting the info

I am going to talk to my doc about this.

:hi:

[rurallib]

4. Whatever would that woman do if she had a real problem?

like the flooding on the Missouri? Or the tornadoes in Joplin and Tuscaloosa? Or the fires in Arizona? Or the nuclear meltdown in Japan?

These people seem to their God made the world just for them.

[demgurl]

5. When people forget things.....

like you did, they usually go on to say they are sorry to me about three times minmum. I always reply that if this is the worst thing that happens in my day (or week) then I am a very lucky person. They just smile and walk away.

[pamela]

10. Me, too!

I'm usually very mellow in lines and when people apologize for taking too long or forgeting something I always smile and say "Don't worry about it. I'm in no hurry." They always look so grateful that it makes me kind of sad. It makes me think that they've gotten a very different reaction in the past. People these days get bent out of shape over the smallest shit.

[RedCloud]

6. You could have said several things...

"From your lips to God's ears. God hears whispers, Satan hears shouts." If she had religion, it might hurt.

"Oh so just yell at orphans today?"

Dialogue attempt,

"So are you married?"

"No!"

"Why doesn't that surprise me?"

or provokingly "Can't you see I am in a much bigger hurry than you are?"

[chillspike]

9. or my favorite...

"I don't know what makes you tick but I hope it's a time bomb." :D

[chillspike]

8. That woman must have been insane

or racist or something was not right in the head.

[pamela]

12. Insane-definitely, racist-probably not

I'm white and the cashier was black and the yelling lady was white. She didn't say anything to the cashier even though he kept saying "It's not her fault, I told her to get back in line..."

I left this part out, because I wasn't sure how to word it without sounding insensitive, but she looked a little crazy. She was very old but had brightly dyed orange hair and tons of bright blue eye shadow and big splothes of red, red rouge on her cheeks. It was several years ago but her face is burned on my retinas. I felt kind of sorry for her. My Mom said I should have told her to go to hell but I would never do that. She had BIG problems, obviously.

[KamaAina]

33. Sounds like a scene from a John Waters movie!

the reference to Giant made me think of dear old Bawlmer. :-)

[KurtNYC]

34. sounds chemical, maybe pills, booze or the lack of pills (off her meds)

I think you did fine with it. You did nothing wrong and you survived an encounter with a very unbalanced person.

[mikeytherat]

11. If this happens again and you want payback, all you have to do is laugh.

Laugh at the idiot screaming at you. The more he or she rants, the more you laugh. Rant gets louder? You laugh louder. It will not take long before the screamer goes apoplectic, complete with flying spittle and mashed-up words. When he/she/it draws a deep breath to continue The Rant, start applauding and declare, loudly,"2011 Drama Queen Champion!" or "Best performance piece ever!"

:evilgrin:

mikey_the_rat

[blue_onyx]

27. That was my thought too

I probably would start laughing. How can you not when someone is being so ridiculous.

[elleng]

13. Sorry, pamela. Wish I had been at that Giant at the moment!

:hi:

Where in MD?

[pamela]

14. I'm on the Eastern Shore but this was Annapolis.

It's funny because I use to go to that Giant pretty frequently. For some reason the town I live in goes through periods where you can't get caffeine free DDP and that Giant always has it. I haven't been back there since this incident. I'll drive to Easton which is twice the distance. It's silly, I know, but I think I would have a panic attack if I tried to go back in there.

[elleng]

17. Gotcha, but I might have a panic attack driving Annap>Easton!

Nice day, eh?
:hi:

[LibDemAlways]

15. Not quite as bad, but a similar situation happened to

me just the other day at Macys. I was next in line and the salesguy told me he was taking me to another register. I followed, but the register he took me to was down. He apologized and we went back to the original register. When we got there another customer was waiting. He explained to her that I was first, but she was totally pissed and called me a "line cutter." He explained that was not the case but she would have none of it. Told me it was"unfair" and reiterated that I had cut in front of her. I didn't even look at her but I couldn't resist telling the salesguy, "Some people are just bitches." Juvenile, I know, but it made me feel better.

[kentauros]

25. Now you need to post that on NotAlwaysRight.com

They take stories from customers, too, with regards to bad-customer experiences. Usually a clerk has to be involved, so yours fits the bill :D

[Orrex]

16. You should have kissed her full on the mouth

She wouldn't have seen that one coming.

[LiberalAndProud]

19. If it helps,

the woman embarrassed herself. Had I been within earshot, I wouldn't have thought less of you. The screaming, rude woman, on the other hand, should still be blushing.

[Ikonoklast]

20. I worked in retail food for many a year.

The policy in our stores was the first person that starts yelling or screaming at employees, other customers, or for any reason was escorted out of the store by management immediately.

We would not let one crazy person ruin the shopping experience for everyone else; many people, valuable customers, will not go back and shop at a store if they are made to feel uncomfortable by some random stranger in any way.

I have seen more than one person that had to be asked out of store by the local police and told to calm down and finish their shopping, or go home.

Unfortunately, it happened mostly with older clientele who may not be in control of their faculties any more.

[pamela]

21. I was surprised that management didn't step in.

They had to have heard her. I think everyone was just so stunned. It's one thing to get mad and yell but the "I hope you die. I hope you get in a car crash and DIE!" shit was just so over-the-top. The cashier kind of froze. It took him forever to give me my change because he alternated between just staring at her with his mouth hung open and then trying to calm her down. I should have just walked out without my change but I was standing there kind of frozen in place, too.

[HopeHoops]

23. The Giants here use mostly young clerks (cheap). I've been asked what both a lime and broccoli were

In both cases, the kid held up the questionable object and asked. I just slowly looked up to meet his eyes and gave a deadpan response. Other words escaped me. These events happened at two different Giants and ten years apart.

How the fuck can you NOT know what a lime is? :wtf: -- A broccoli? :banghead:

[Tuesday Afternoon]

24. I go to the most boring stores in the world -- and for that I am thankful.

Who needs all the drama and why would I want to start drama?

thanks for sharing. :)

:hug:

[applegrove]

26. Pamela do not shop if you ever go to Paris. They have totally different rules there in line

ups. :scared:

[LibDemAlways]

28. Years ago I was at Charles deGaulle Airport checking in for

a flight. There was a point at which two lines of people waiting with their baggage needed to merge into one. A woman near me became very nervous. She was sure that when she reached the merge a fight would break out over whose turn it was. Fortunately, it didn't happen, but her anxiety told me it could have.

[applegrove]

29. I was in line to put my coat in the coatcheck of the Musee D'Orsay. I was in the back of the line.

Some employee was showing baby pictures to the rest of the coat check staff there. After about 3 minutes of no service people began to grumple. We got dirty looks from the staff. Apparently nothing is more important that talk to clerks in Paris. How long the line up is getting is irrelevant. All that matters is human interaction and if there is interaction going on at the front of the line between the clerk and some member of the line, it is game off for service. LOL!

[hunter]

32. My crazy (but true!) grocery store line story...

It's summer. I was in the checkout line at Kroger's. I had my six month old kid in my arms and a cart full of stuff including the mandatory jumbo pack of super economy disposable diapers.

A woman comes by wearing hardly anything at all, just about to fall out of her clothes all over. She's carrying a handful of munchies and she has large flame tattoos on her breasts, like her breasts are on fire.

My kid is staring at her chest. Nom, nom...

I try not to. She adjusts her top, nearly flashing me, or maybe she did but I looked away, and she asks if she can cut ahead of me.

I said "yes."

And yeah, I was blushing.

:blush: