Supermarket Etiquette

Hey Mr. Freelance Supermarket Car Park Car Washer Uperer, if I want my car professionally cleaned by someone with a damp cloth and a plastic trolley with a bucket full of suspiciously brown fluid hanging from it, I will display a sign on my dashboard saying "please mildly displace the dirt on my car while I am in the shops, thanks"

Also, I hate The Catcher-Uperers, these are the people, usually a family with kids, who display any and all of the faults mentioned in the OP, except that due to sheer bad luck, will enter the supermarket at the same time as you, so you spend the entire shop contantly overtaking and being caught up by these idiots. Even if you deliberatly wait for 10 minutes to let them get far ahead, you can guarantee you will catch them up again before you get to the baked beans. In the end you are forced to race ahead, missing half the stuff you want to buy, get to the checkout and somehow they join the checkout next to you and still beat you out the shop.

Also, at the bent bargains shelf there are two classes of people. There are those who try desparately to appear aloof, as if to imply that they are infact quite well off, and therefore only having a look at that 3p off pot of jam and are not at all bothered, no, they will usually hang back from the ravenous scavengers at he front bobbing and weaving to get a look. Then there are those who elect to contruct a barrier around the shelf, usually including the trolley parked sideways and their natural girth, thus allowing them to pick up and smell, shake, poke and put back every single item on the shelf at their leisure, before deciding theres nothing they actually want anyway.
 
What irritates me is when you are queuing up behind someone at the till. They have been stood there for the last two minutes, and yet when they are finally asked to pay, they almost act surprised. Fish around in their handbag and finally pull out their purse. But wait. "Do you have a *insert supermarket loyalty card here* madam?". Another 30s pause while she checks all 15 pockets before finally retrieving it. To top it off they will usually take half an hour over retrieving their bagged shopping from the ed of the till, delaying me even further.

It's common sense people. Make use of that queuing time to get everything ready. Christ, if I'm only buying a few items, I'll even start counting out approximately the right amount of money if paying cash.
This is the thing that annoys me most about any shop.

I was behind someone in Wilkinson the other day and she finished bagging up her shopping, removed the back-pack she was wearing and then hunted around in it for her wallet. She then spent an age finding the correct card before finally entering her pin. After this, she put the card back in her wallet (as one would expect) and after putting the wallet back in her back-pack she managed to spend a further 5 minutes putting the back-pack back on and adjusting the straps.

Surely this process could have been a) quicker and b) performed out of the way of the till - well the strap tightening anyway.
 
Last edited:
hmf i enjoy my walk around the supermarkets, though i usually go to morisons on a thurs/fri when its open late(10) at about 9-9:30, that way i can wander about with my ipod on, slowly, killing a bit of time, picking up all the bakery offers(4sausagd rolls and 8cheese+onion rolls for 59p anyone?) and then not have to wait long at checkout, it also means i avoid all these troublesome people :D
Hate the godsquad oldies that stand infront of the condoms not letting anyone grab a box because you feel WIERD about it. Just because they dont beleive in contraception..
 
Can we just move back the front of the supermarket for one moment please.

Thing is, I do a monthly shop and it generally fills 1 and a half trollies.
I have a 2 little-uns and occasionally have to take them along if we can't get babysitters. I also take a big printed out list, which changes slightly from month to month.

It's like a military operation. It really is.

I get myself all calm and ready for the whole "experience" drive into the car park and watch idiots take all the family parking spots and then totter off to be even more ignorant inside no doubt.

Its is by far the worse etiquette going related to supermarkets as far an I am concerned and there should be some sort of law against it...
 
Presuming these people do not have (or are about to have) kids then yes, it is thoughtless. I have the same issues with people using the disabled spaces and parking right next to the entrance in the "drop-off" zone as "I am only picking up a few things"
 
Presuming these people do not have (or are about to have) kids then yes, it is thoughtless. I have the same issues with people using the disabled spaces and parking right next to the entrance in the "drop-off" zone as "I am only picking up a few things"

Or the people who have child seats, and no child with them, but thinks it is like some sort of permit to park there anyway...

I have seriously considered writing a big rant on a piece of paper, standing outside a supermarket all day long and putting it under the wiper of everyone who parks in disabled / family bays informing them of how inconsiderate it is.

The thought of one of them giving me a smack in the mouth as a result puts me off quite a bit though.
 
I have the same issues with people using the disabled spaces and parking right next to the entrance in the "drop-off" zone as "I am only picking up a few things"

If my Mam sees a car parked in a disabled space without a disabled badge, she'll stand and wait until the person comes out and challenge them. If they're not disabled in any way, their ears are on fire by the time she's finished with them :D
 
The one that really gets me and i am surprised it hasn't been mention here. Is people who have full five minute conversations with people in the door way effectively stoping anyone getting in or out and are totaly oblivious to the mayhem they are causing. These are far wrose that the aforementioned aisle stoppers. And it's not just super markets this special bread of idiots kind to everywhere
 
Oooo I bet I’m guilty of being a little ‘rude’ in supermarkets and not realised it. The problem is, you are so pre-occupied trying to find what you need, if you have a list of stuff to get, you sometimes forget your manners – and before long you’ve eventually peeved some poor shopper off.

I do agree though, some of these on the list are pet hates of mine. Sometimes though, you just have to raise above it, get your shopping done, and get out there as fast as possible.

After all, supermarkets are mostly crowded horrid money lifting holes, that only serve purpose to get me supplies so as I can eat to live… I get my shopping done, and I get home and pack it away. Once a week, its hardly worth getting worked up over..

However, I do understand. If nothing else, this thread will perhaps help me be more conscious of supermarket etiquette..

Do hate it though when someone on front tries to pay by cheque for something like a quid, or someone bashes into you and doesn’t say sorry..!! That is rude.!!!
 
What annoys me the most, is the jobless scum in there at lunch time spending their benefits on the cheap range foods for their kids then the premium booze for themselves, holding up the people who only have a set time for their lunch breaks.


Or the OAP that decides to spend their pension on a leisurely shopping trip.

NOT on a weekday when everyone is at work but on Saturday morning!!!

They then usually grumble loudly about how busy it is and how everyone gets in their way!
 
Another annoying personality

Emergency Stop Man
The person that is walking towards the checkout with a full trolley and then stops for no apparent reason right in front of you. This sudden manouver then leads to you giving yourself a hernia trying to stop your overladen trolley from careening into them.
 
Another annoying personality

Emergency Stop Man
The person that is walking towards the checkout with a full trolley and then stops for no apparent reason right in front of you. This sudden manouver then leads to you giving yourself a hernia trying to stop your overladen trolley from careening into them.

This drives me mad im much like a HGV when I go to the supermarket im a big guy, I move as fast as possible and I carry as much as possible so i dont need to visit again for a while. So when these pratts stop infront of me im not going to be slowing down anytime soon so keep your dirty looks n grunts because ive just clipped you to yourself, you inconsiderate **** :mad:
:D
 
I move as fast as possible and I carry as much as possible so i dont need to visit again for a while. So when these pratts stop infront of me im not going to be slowing down anytime soon so keep your dirty looks n grunts because ive just clipped you to yourself, you inconsiderate **** :mad:
:D

I'm not that big but also pack a single basket with 2 weeks worth of food, stacking it upto the handles and carry milk and cereal with my other hand.

I hate old people that get in the way or move at a snails pace. Maybe there should be a designated oldies shopping time. (sorry grandma's and grandad's)
 
Back
Top Bottom