Monday Madness: Grocery Store Etiquette

So I'm back to doing my Monday Madness, Tell It! Tuesdays, WTF Wednesdays, Throwback Thursdays and Sunday Scenarios.

Every Monday on my radio show, "Kickin' it with La La," I have a Monday Madness segment, so I'll share it on my blog as well. And today's Monday Madness is about Grocery Store Etiquette.

Check out this previous Monday Madness post on Driving Etiquette.

I went food shopping in ShopRite last week and encountered a little incident. I was standing in line, with my basket in the 10 items or less line. An older lady is waiting in the line next to me, she backs up with her cart and without looking she gets infront of me in my line.

So I'm just watching her getting all comfy in the line and I cleared my throat really loudly.

Then she goes, "ohhh excuse me!" I'm like, "no excuse me" and I just walked out the line and went into another one.

This prompted me to write about Grocery Store Etiquette because there are certain unspoken rules that people don't realize that they need to do!

#1 The Express Line

The '10 items and less' line is just for that...ten items or less!

So why do I constantly see people with a cart full of items that clearly look like it's 15 or more items. Read the sign people, this is an express line so people like myself can get in and get out and not have to wait for all your cans, boxes and coupons to be scanned.

Maybe you can slide with 11 or 12 items, but over 15 and you're cutting the express line limit in my book.

#2 No where to park your cart

I understand not everyone can go in a store, know exactly what they want and leave. There are many lost grocery shopping souls that get lost in aisles. They look at the calories on the back of a box, they look at expiration dates, they look at the different prices, they compare the prices to other labels and so on and so on.

If you're a lost grocery shopping soul and find yourself taking up space for awhile, do the rest of us a favor and scoot your cart up against the side. Don't leave your cart in the middle of an isle and walk away from it. Your cart should be like your kid, by your side at all times, hold on to it and keep it out of the way. You are not the only one food shopping! 

#3 Holding Up the Line



You're a couponer hunh? Well don't take offense to this next comment.

I stood behind somebody once who had a coupon for every item!! Like are you kidding me! One may call that a great shopper, but I call that wasting my time and I wish I wasn't standing behind you.

Also, if you forgot an item on your list, get out of the line, get the item and then go back and wait your turn. I can't stand the people who forget items and leave the line with their cart still blocking the line, holding up the cashier and the people behind them, the nerve of you!

#4 Eating While Shopping

I've seen people straight up grubbing on unpaid food in the ShopRite in my town. Like are you seriously opening that bag of chips and munching on food that you didn't pay for yet?

Is that even considered stealing? Or maybe not, but aren't you the least bit worried that the employees will stare at you and think you're stealing? Like the cameras might catch you. I just think that is tacky. It might be tempting because you're in a food store surrounded by a lot of good food, but geez eat before you food shop.

#5 Involved in the Cell Phone

I think cell phones are the number one distraction in blocking human interaction. Yeah, I know nowadays everyone is glued to their phone but don't let it consume you to where you're not paying attention to your surroundings.

I get that grocery stores are exploring the use of cellphones for food shopping but how rude is it for the cashier to be talking to you and you're on your phone chatting it up with someone else or texting and not paying the cashier attention.

Customers that used to straight up ignore me when I worked in the retail industry used to piss me off. They wouldn't get a, "Thank you have a nice day from me."

Act civil and have common sense, that is all I'm saying. People tend to turn into something else when shopping. If there is a sale, no running with your cart. Like calm down, what are you saving, like three bucks? And no cutting the line!

Sales come and go but grocery store scars can last for awhile.