How does it actually work: This is how it is with that turn bar
Supermarkets, we are all naturally familiar with them. Even though online shopping is quite a thing, I haven't tried online supermarket shopping yet. And to be honest, I find grocery shopping every now and then quite soothing. Unless you have a gigantic long. grocery list, of course, because carrying is less fun. Or wandering through the supermarket while hungry, that is — especially regarding healthy food resolutions — a very unwise plan. And I also don't like it when there's a bizarrely long line at the checkout (although self-checkout machines make it a lot easier). Or when the product I want is out of stock. Or when my plastic bag, tears on the way home. But the absolute worst in the supermarket? I find it when people don't put the divider bar on the conveyor belt for the person behind them. Because I really don't understand those people. Come on, that's just common sense, right? At least, that's what I always thought. And then you stand in line, with a person in front of you who is still unloading all their groceries. No problem, I'll wait to put my things on the belt. But then. BUT THEN. My blood starts to boil when that person in front of me is done — and that's it. The divider bar is not picked up and is not placed behind their groceries. Yeah sorry, but that's just the very first step you learn in grocery shopping etiquette, right? As you might notice, this is a deeply rooted annoyance of mine, I can't help it.
What I do in those moments is grab the divider bar myself to place in front of my groceries and put another divider bar behind my groceries, after which I try to look meaningfully at the person in front of me. Like: I am now performing YOUR task. Placing that bar behind my groceries, I obviously don't mind, because that's how it should be, but that bar in front, that's what bothers me. And this has happened to me quite often (hence perhaps the deeply rooted irritation), and now I also associate the type of person with this act of protest. The refusal to place the divider bar.
Anti-social people. That's the category I would unceremoniously put you in. People who consider others are aware of the etiquette and place that bar down. Occasionally, my meaningful look has had an effect and the bar was placed down after all, with apologies afterward. Aha, I thought then, I taught someone something. Because how is it supposed to be? The person who places the groceries on the belt, then places the divider bar for the other. That's how it should be, and I will fight to the end if someone wants to tell me otherwise.
Is it a world problem that I'm complaining about now? Oh, absolutely not. But for some reason, this always bothers me when I go grocery shopping. And I've been grocery shopping for a few years now, so by now, I am quite passionate about this issue. You will never see me not placing the divider bar down. Just the thought of it gives me the creeps.
a girl sitting behind a checkout scanning groceries.
