Let the record show that I am never in a hurry when I stop by to get my scratchers. It's not like I have anywhere I need to be. That said, I DO find waiting in line to be tedious. Mind-numbingly boring. So I eavesdrop on the clientele.
Saturday, the line was taking forever. Not really any one person's fault. Just a series of time-consuming events. Four people were already in line when I entered. It's tight quarters in there. One gal was paying at the counter, and two men and a woman were lined up down the center of the three aisles. I know my place. I didn't see any need to walk all the way down the left aisle and come up behind the Suitcase of Budweiser Gal to stand in line. I stood at the end cap, waiting for that line to move forward. This made me privy (heh, heh, I said PRIVY) to conversations.
The Paying Gal had some issues picking up her change. I do applaud her for using actual CASH and not a card. Besides, she almost left me a coin for my Future Pennyillionaire Fortune. Almost...
"Oops! I'm about to lose a dime!" And she squatted to pick it up. Drat!
The next guy paid with plastic. The card-reader takes forever, even though it's fairly new. It's on an electrical leash. People pull it through the little hand-hole in the plexiglass to punch in their numbers. This guy was out-of-sync with my favorite cashier.
"Oh. It's not doing anything."
"Huh. I must have cut you off. I'm really sorry. Here. Try again." (!!!!!!)
"No need to be sorry. I'll get it."
Then there was the offering of the red tickets for the gas drawing. Which he declined, saying to give them to the next person who wanted them.
The line was moving up. I swear they had crept closer to each other, like I was some line-cutter. I don't know why Suitcase of Budweiser Gal didn't set down her burden. She continued to hold it on her hip while inching forward. Her payment was eventually uneventful. It's the guy who was in front of her who made my day.
"Sorry for your wait."
"No problem. I don't mind to wait. I sure don't want my picture on the wall!"
"Yeah, we have a few."
"I was in Tally-Ho Dairy Bar [a local eatery with carhop service as well] the other day, and saw a bunch of people I know. I wandered from table to table, talking to them. I forgot all about paying before I left! A mob tracked me down on Facebook. Well. They tracked down my wife! So I had to go back and pay. I'm not doing that again!"
Waiting might be a chore, but it's never a bore at the Gas Station Chicken Store.
I'm not a fan of waiting in line either, but I do it anyway. I get annoyed at the self checkouts when the only two "cash" machines are being used by people with a full trolley load and they take forever turning their items over to find the barcode, then scanning that and waiting to check the price is correct before putting the item in the bagging area, which makes the machine say "please place item in the bagging area", then when they finally finish, they pay with a card! There are three machines that take "card only"! I could have been done and halfway home by the time they finish. of course it would be easier altogether if the supermarket would actually open more checkouts than just the express lane. There are eight or ten altogether and most of them are closed all the time, except at Christmas.
ReplyDeleteSome people are more special than others. In their own minds! I don't like waiting for the people who use their card for a $1.29 candy bar at the convenience store, and take forever to get the scanner thingy to accept the card and the PIN.
DeleteTwo or three tries for JUST A CANDY BAR! Gas is different, that's a major expense. Surely they have enough cash on them to buy a candy bar!
People used to want to purchase a $1 bottle of water with a credit card, then get a small bag of chips and then get something else in the camp store. It was like watching any profit floating away on transaction fees. Not as bad as wanting to pay for their children to swim with an EBT card, but still. No, we did not take EBT cards!
ReplyDeleteLong ago in the days of actual food stamps, when I worked a stint one summer at Casey's, the manager was quite upset that we could take food stamps for donuts and candy and gum, but not for children's cough medicine.
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