Northern Snobbery
Ever since we moved to the North - okay, I was in the North before, but this is really North now - I've noticed something. People are quite unaware of the world that extends beyond their noses! If it doesn't concern them, they don't want anything to do with you. If your shopping cart is coming dangerously close to theirs, that's okay - as long as they get to pass first. There is no - "Oh, please, you first." OR "Excuse me."
Well, I was at the store today and a little incident just about set me off. As I usually do, I judged several check out lines and picked the one I suspected would be the fastest moving. And as luck would have it (because I have the worst), I got in the longest, slowest moving line. And ya' want to know why? It's all because of a horty-torty woman with no social etiquette.
I unload my cart and pick up a magazine. There are two older ladies in front of me. The first one is being checked out and during the process answers her cell phone. "What?! What?!" She yells because apparently she is getting bad reception or someone didn't want to talk to her after all. She hangs up and it rings again. This time the connection is good and she ensues a long and loud conversation while checking out. However, she pauses to talk at the end of the aisle, completely stopping the whole works! Now, five people are behind me. She only breaks from her conversation to tell the cashier to bag her groceries for her at which he rolls his eyes.
She finally swipes her credit card, but doesn't push the yes button. The cashier points so as to signal her to do so, but she is too involved in her conversation to notice. He finally reaches over and pushes it for her.
When she has signed her credit card slip, the cashier moves on to the next customer who is directly in front of me even though "Socially Inept" has yet to place her bags in her cart. He seems mildly annoyed. I'm glad.
What takes my blood to boiling is when the above mentioned Inept mouths to the cashier while holding up a card, "Oh, I forgot to pay for this." He takes the card from her and waves it my way while arching his brow as if to say, "Is it okay with you if I just let her pay for this so she can be on her way?" Remember, she is still on her cell phone. I just shrug and look away before I act on my instinct to grab the stinking cell phone from her and throw it into the produce section.
The thought, 'what would Jesus do?' did not exactly enter my thought process, but I am now drumming my fingers and biting my lip so that I won't make a scene or say something I will regret. I am fairly proud of myself for not blowing up.
I wait until Lady Rudeness has walked away and then I say to the cashier, "Next time, you really need to tell her to go to Customer Service to pay for that! It's just rude and she has no social etiquette!"
The lady behind me chirps, "Let me tell you - you have a lot of patience! I wouldn't have been able to hold my tongue!"
The cashier chimes in, "Well, I DID ask you if it was okay if she paid for the card."
At this point, I'm no longer sweet and tolerant. I say, "And if I screamed and pitched a fit and said, 'no, she can't pay right now. She's done!', what would you have said? Would you have really listened to me?!"
He kinda stammered and didn't really answer. Then, he said, "Yeah, I should tell her to go to customer service next time."
Oh man! It just seems that I've witnessed more people that have a lapse in social judgement lately. People don't look before they leave an aisle. They just pull right on out without thought if someone else might be coming that way. I find myself contantly creeping around corners, not wanting to ram into someone. And the cell phone thing - come on! It's rude and no one wants to hear your conversation especially when it's holding up the check out line.
I know, it's not just the North, so before you get upset by my comment, remember that I recognize that. But, can't we all just have a little more thought for others? I'm not saying we have to move like snails and say, "Howdy ya'll!" I'm just asking for a little courtesy. Recognize that their is a world beyond your own.
Well, I was at the store today and a little incident just about set me off. As I usually do, I judged several check out lines and picked the one I suspected would be the fastest moving. And as luck would have it (because I have the worst), I got in the longest, slowest moving line. And ya' want to know why? It's all because of a horty-torty woman with no social etiquette.
I unload my cart and pick up a magazine. There are two older ladies in front of me. The first one is being checked out and during the process answers her cell phone. "What?! What?!" She yells because apparently she is getting bad reception or someone didn't want to talk to her after all. She hangs up and it rings again. This time the connection is good and she ensues a long and loud conversation while checking out. However, she pauses to talk at the end of the aisle, completely stopping the whole works! Now, five people are behind me. She only breaks from her conversation to tell the cashier to bag her groceries for her at which he rolls his eyes.
She finally swipes her credit card, but doesn't push the yes button. The cashier points so as to signal her to do so, but she is too involved in her conversation to notice. He finally reaches over and pushes it for her.
When she has signed her credit card slip, the cashier moves on to the next customer who is directly in front of me even though "Socially Inept" has yet to place her bags in her cart. He seems mildly annoyed. I'm glad.
What takes my blood to boiling is when the above mentioned Inept mouths to the cashier while holding up a card, "Oh, I forgot to pay for this." He takes the card from her and waves it my way while arching his brow as if to say, "Is it okay with you if I just let her pay for this so she can be on her way?" Remember, she is still on her cell phone. I just shrug and look away before I act on my instinct to grab the stinking cell phone from her and throw it into the produce section.
The thought, 'what would Jesus do?' did not exactly enter my thought process, but I am now drumming my fingers and biting my lip so that I won't make a scene or say something I will regret. I am fairly proud of myself for not blowing up.
I wait until Lady Rudeness has walked away and then I say to the cashier, "Next time, you really need to tell her to go to Customer Service to pay for that! It's just rude and she has no social etiquette!"
The lady behind me chirps, "Let me tell you - you have a lot of patience! I wouldn't have been able to hold my tongue!"
The cashier chimes in, "Well, I DID ask you if it was okay if she paid for the card."
At this point, I'm no longer sweet and tolerant. I say, "And if I screamed and pitched a fit and said, 'no, she can't pay right now. She's done!', what would you have said? Would you have really listened to me?!"
He kinda stammered and didn't really answer. Then, he said, "Yeah, I should tell her to go to customer service next time."
Oh man! It just seems that I've witnessed more people that have a lapse in social judgement lately. People don't look before they leave an aisle. They just pull right on out without thought if someone else might be coming that way. I find myself contantly creeping around corners, not wanting to ram into someone. And the cell phone thing - come on! It's rude and no one wants to hear your conversation especially when it's holding up the check out line.
I know, it's not just the North, so before you get upset by my comment, remember that I recognize that. But, can't we all just have a little more thought for others? I'm not saying we have to move like snails and say, "Howdy ya'll!" I'm just asking for a little courtesy. Recognize that their is a world beyond your own.
posted by Samantha | 6:57 PM
2 Comments:
People can be so rude... and they are everywhere! Ugg! Wouldn't you just like to be able to take her phone, throw it on the floor and STOMP on it!
(Still waiting to see some of your that writing you did for you writers group! :))
Take care
Don't worry, people here in the south can be rude, too. Just in a different sort of way. :)
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