I work as a cashier, and I think I’m doing good at it. When I’m not, there’s usually a good reason behind it, like if a customer brings an item without a UPC code and I have to call another employee to bring me one. Another obstacle is when the cash drawer is low on change, and I have to make several calls to get more. This is not easy to do when you have a seemingly endless line of people waiting (usually impatiently), and when your shift starts with the drawer low on cash to begin with. By the time I get more coins, I have given some people their change (when less than a dollar) almost entirely out of nickels (not only time-consuming, but embarassing). I apologize to the poor people who have to put up with all the nickels, and they take it well. Anyways, when I finally get the change, the next customer I deal with gives me a slight smile, and I believe he understands what I’m going through. I believe wrong. As soon as a supervisor comes along, he speaks about me loud enough for me to hear, but as if I wasn’t standing right there. “She’s as slow as cold molasses. I’m sure she’s a nice girl, but this is the EXPRESS LANE. She shouldn’t be here. And I’m not the only one who thinks this…”. This guy had nothing better to do than pick on me. Customer, wherever you are, you have the nerve to crush me in front of everyone in the store! What have I done wrong? Try to do my job the best I can under bad circumstances? I’m sorry that inconveniences happen, but you don’t have to humiliate me to express your impatience. Don’t you have better things to do than make cashiers feel miserable? And if you want me to speed up, insulting me is NOT going to help. I know for a fact that if the situation was reversed, I would NOT resort to immature measures like you did. You’re an old man, for crying out loud! I don’t want to deal with you ever again. Ungrateful bully.
This article appears in Nov 6-12, 2008.
Wow … an old man picking on a teenage girl … truthfully, HE is the one that should have been embarassed and ashamed of his own conduct. What alot of these old bastards don’t realize is that YOU are doing them a favour, by working monotonous and low paying jobs, and if it weren’t for teenagers alot of businesses simply wouldn’t be open. You are doing the best you can and that’s all that matters. I’m sorry no one else in line stood up for you, because that man was being an ass. Reminds me of a time at a certain fast food sandwich maker, where ONE poor teenager was stuck doing the job of 3 people. There was a 40-something yuppy at the cash and he looks at her and goes “so is this FREE?”, insinuating that he had waited long enough to pay for his food. I regretted not saying anything at the time, but your story reminds me that in the future I should really try and speak up when someone is way out of line.
what a tool. express lane doesn’t mean that the cashier is meant to work twice as fast as all the other cashiers…just that you won’t be stuck behind giant carts of food. and i’m sure that if you thought this guy was an asshole you weren’t “the only one that thinks this,” lol.
Stupid is as stupid does and you’re going to meet all of them at a cash. I worked in a grocery store for a year and it was an eye-opening experience indeed. A true sociological field study in human behavior. If humans keep behaving badly like this, apes win :P. My favorites were the yuppie 30 to 40 something females who can’t put down their cellphones long enough to get the transaction done. They’re so busy talking to their phones that they don’t even have the decency to make eye contact. It’s fun to get back at them … pack fresh fruit (especially bananas) in with their frozen dinners and ice cream. Put their eggs at the bottom of the bag and toss cans and bottles in on top of them. Twist their bread around like a pretzel. Don’t worry, they won’t notice. They’re busy.