Apr 14, 2010

Aisle Rage

Sort of like road rage only it happens in a grocery store.   Have you ever suffered?  Or are you one of the inconsiderate people who invoke it in others?  Here's how you can tell, give yourself one point for each yes answer:

Do you wander aimlessly from one side of the aisle to the other instead of keeping your cart to the right?  You see, it works sort of like a road, where people following traffic rules makes things run much more smoothly.

Has your cart ever been parked sideways in an aisle?  Double points if you've left it there while you went to a different aisle to get something you forgot.

Are you oblivious to what is going on around you?  (Say yes if you've ever had a line up of four carts waiting for you to decide whether you want your tuna packed in oil or water..... go for the water packed tuna, it's better for you.)

Do you bring your five kids to the store with you during the after work grocery store rush?

Do you let your toddler wander behind you munching on a box of animal crackers and drinking a chocolate milk because you don't want to make them sit in the cart because they will cry about it even though they are clearly wreaking havoc as they stand obstinately in front of the dairy coolers not letting anybody get their milk?

Do you refuse to move forward at the register which prevents the person behind you from putting their groceries on the belt?

If you answered yes to ANY of these questions you could be the target of aisle rage.   If somebody walks past you shaking their head in disbelief and mumbling to themselves you'll know for sure you need to work on your aisle ettiquette. 

Rant within a rant.  I don't care how cute your kid is.  I had kids, they were cute too.  Get your kid out of the way.  You are teaching them to believe that the world revolves around them.  It doesn't and the rest of us will be saddled with having to teach the obnoxious brat that lesson when he/she becomes our student, employee, co-worker.  Consideration, it's a positive trait that will serve your precious little muffin well in the future.  Pass it on.

11 comments:

  1. I hear you...
    People are also texting and talking loud on their "bluetooth" phones while slowly pushing/aiming their carts. Very annoying. I think we need a hands free aisle law now.

    It also bugs me when someone knocks something off the shelf,and then just leaves it on the floor.

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  2. haha!
    i think this post should be sent to every person's email! i can't stand people who are oblivious to the fact that OTHER people need to shop as well.

    i am guilty of not having my son in the cart, but that's because ever since he could hold his head up on his own HE wants to push the cart. so yes, i'm that poor woman who is holding her baby in front of her so he can control the cart while still trying to get the shopping done.

    btw - i am posting under my real name now (my posts used to be signed as ikw)

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  3. YES! Well said!

    My pet hate, and it might be just a country thing, is folks who run into each other at the supermarket and then take up the width of the aisle, with their trolleys, as they stand and chat (and they often have several family members with them).

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  4. Pat - I always get tricked into thinking they are talking to me when they one of those hands free phones. And who doesn't pick up something they dropped? Amazing.

    mi - Oh, I'm not advocating that kids not be allowed out of the cart. It's only when their parents don't supervise them that I have a problem. They have to learn to get along in the real world but that comes from parental guidance. This kid was standing right in front of the milk cooler defiantly staring at us all while his mother was clueless.

    Foxy - I forgot that one. Also very annoying.

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  5. Oh,those people that keep their cart in front of you so that you can't unload yours are definitely on my hit list..It's the height of rudeness.

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  6. What?! I must live in Disneyland. Oh. It might be more a case of I don't have to shop when a billion others are there, so it's a lot more relaxed.

    However, I'm the one you can COUNT on to 'talk' directly to those runaway and/or loud kids. (I'm almost sure 'KNOCK it OFF' doesn't count as talking, but they get it and bigger surprise? Startled parents get it, too.) Oh, yah. A leetle bit of bete noir for me.

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  7. Amen, sistah!! :)

    I can't stand it when parents are not supervising their kids in public.

    At the grocery store it's definitely annoying...Iwanski and I also get very annoyed when we go to our favorite Chinese buffet (which we frequent :)), and there are little kids running around everywhere, unsupervised, and often bumping into adults who are walking back to their tables... some of whom are carrying hot tea or egg drop soup! Yikes! Parents, watch your children, please!

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  8. Had a bad day at the market, did you?
    Thoughtless people make life hard wherever they go.

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  9. Sling - I hate that. Then I have a hard time keeping up with the checkout lady. I end up tossing stuff on the belt.

    Booda - Oh, you are good. I can only ever bring myself to shake my head and roll my eyes.

    MHP - The rudest partent I ever ran across was at Shedd Aquarium in Chicago. I patiently waited for my turn to see one of the exhibits. I crouched down close to the glass trying to take up as little room as possible. Along comes this mother with her son and she guides him to stand right in front of me. Unbelievable.

    Mom - That obvious?

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  10. YEEEEEESSSS! I love that last paragraph! Having worked in a public aquarium for 12 years there is nothing more annoying than parents who haven't taught their kids manners or respect. I've seen 4 year old push stranger 5 year olds out of the way for a better view of a shark and the parents don't say a thing. not right.

    I have a kid, and even though she's only 18 months old she has to stay in the cart at the store even though she'd rather pull everything off the shelves :)

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  11. I am totally innocent and will easily move aside and allow someone frail or obviously suffering to go ahead of me...I keep to the left and say excuse me and please...and treat it as a sort of social occasion with strangers - I like strangers sometimes more than those I know too well and no matter what Mum and dad said i always talk with and make eye contact with strangers...hasn't got me killed yet

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