Why Can’t We Read In Public?

I don't get it. I don't think I ever will. I was at the grocery store the other day, buying a few things so the girls could do some baking. I don't argue when 13 year old girls want to make cupcakes. So I'm there in line, with my four items: vanilla extract, butterscotch chips, Heath bar chips, and a king sized Heath bar.

So then I think, "Hey, I wonder if the ten items or less line is open?" WHY YES, IT IS!

But.

There is a line. Not the end of the world.

I get in line, everything seems fine. The lady in front of me has two items.  Sure, that's normal. Then I see the man in front of her. He's got about seven bags of stuff! What is the deal?! And then, behind me, comes another lady with a huge cart full of stuff!

This is the ten items or less line, people. TEN. ITEMS. This is designed so that people who only have a few things can get in and out quickly without having to wait twenty minutes behind your weekly shop.  If I'm doing my weekly shop, I am prepared to wait. I realize I am probably going to be at the store for about an hour. So when I get to the line, I am patient, because I was taught to wait my turn in Kindergarten. If someone is behind me who just has one or two things, they can go in front of me.  They should not have to wait for me. Get your one thing, pay, get out.  Simple. I'm willing to wait because I know that my process will take longer than yours.

So what was going on with these people trying to get in line behind me? I felt, like, betrayed by people's indifference to the rules. Rules are important! If we all obey the polite set of regulations, we will all have a pleasant shopping experience. Then, I thought about the fact that maybe they just didn't read the sign. Why? Why do our brains just shut off when we're shopping?  You see signs all day long. It takes you a half a second to read and process it.  Are we really that self absorbed that we can't see what's in front of us?

Do you notice signs posted in businesses?  Do you read them? Have you seen someone blatantly ignoring a sign? Tell me about it!

Grocerily yours,
Behka