Special Snowflake Stories

[gramma dishes]

Although the foul language wasn't really essential to telling the tale, I agree wholeheartedly with the author.  The customer is most certainly NOT always right and shouldn't have horrific behavior rewarded!

And management should stand up for their employees even going so far as kicking out a truly abusive customer if necessary.  I'd love to see it happen.   

[Sirius]

With all the times I've been to my favorite local restaurant I've never seen or heard a customer being abusive to a server there.  So, I'll bet the management of this place doesn't tolerate it.  Plus, another thing that leads me to believe that the management of this (extremely popular) restaurant doesn't tolerate abuse is that there's little turnover in employees.  Most of the servers who are there now were working there when we first found the place in 2004.  I personally would rather go to a restaurant that has a good working atmosphere. 

[fluffy]

Cannot wait my turn at the store. My grocery store has self check out lanes, where you scan and a belt takes your items to a bagging area.  Normal procedure is to scan items, then pay, and then bag.  I had purchased 2 large bags of cat and dog food so I had filled the bagging area up and was not able to utilize the divider they provide so the next person can ring out.  I'm bagging as fast as I can so I could place the divider in between my purchases and hers.  Note I also had cupcakes at the furthest point from my position, making them vulnerable to be squashed if she where to start her purchase.  So instead of waiting she sends her 2 extra large laundry detergents down the belt and they start crushing my cupcakes! I saw so much red I had to keep my mouth shut or risk being thrown into to deepest darkest ring of ehell.  I was able to grab both her bottles and set them aside before the cupcakes got damaged, I finished bagging and and walked out.

I have to say, it drives me crazy when someone fills up the bagging area at the self-checkout and then makes me wait to start scanning my groceries. I think it's a bit SS to assume that an entire line of people should wait while you finish getting your things together. If it looks like I might be holding the line up, I will move my groceries over to the side so that the person behind me can start scanning. The woman should have noticed your cupcakes, but you also probably should have moved your cupcakes so that she could start on her own groceries.

[Ceallach]

laud_shy_girl  ~~  Did the groom know that your husband hadn't been notified of the change?  I guess what I'm asking is whether this was a deliberate act on the part of the Best Man who fully changed the arrangements purposely to leave out your husband with no one else's knowledge, or was this just a spontaneous decision they all came to together because they got hungrier earlier than they had anticipated and wanted to be fed NOW and they just forgot that your husband wasn't there to be on board with the new plan.

And that may well be the longest and most convoluted sentence I've ever written! 

but it made prefect sense.

I think It was more them just not thinking. DH says BM is selfish and it was not a "lets exclude Mr Shygirl" more a "I am here now and I want..."
We will see them at the wedding, but it's been the first time since we got married 3 years ago, that we have seen BM. It will most likely be one of the last times we see him, as he and DH just don't communicate anymore.
It's a shame because I really like his wife and apart from him being selfish in a general way we always got on very well.

Ugh I hate these situations.  It's frustrating because sometimes you know that the people meant no harm and it's a genuine mistake, but that doesn't make it any less hurtful.  In fact, it's almost more hurtful knowing that it's not malicious and that you've simply been "forgotten".  I'd much rather be able to ask somebody why they chose to exclude me, than have to accept the fact that I'm so insignificant as to not warrant a passing thought by anybody else in the group.   I felt a little this way last time I went to a wedding (and the hen's party).  I'd flown internationally to be there and made a big effort, but felt really excluded from the whole thing.   AT the wedding reception the bride invited me to the next day brunch, which I'd known nothing about (It was very much an afterthought, "Oh hey, are you around tomorrow?").   It just hadn't occurred to her to mention it to me before.  And I would have loved to go, except I'd already made my travel plans (given it was less than 12 hours away!) which at that point couldn't be moved seeing I'd arrange for somebody to drive me.   More annoying was later when  other guests would say "Are you coming to the brunch tomorrow?" or "Will we see you tomorrow?" and having to politely make my apologies.   It sounded like a lot of fun.   Shame everybody knew about it apart from me!

[o_gal]

Cannot wait my turn at the store. My grocery store has self check out lanes, where you scan and a belt takes your items to a bagging area.  Normal procedure is to scan items, then pay, and then bag.  I had purchased 2 large bags of cat and dog food so I had filled the bagging area up and was not able to utilize the divider they provide so the next person can ring out.  I'm bagging as fast as I can so I could place the divider in between my purchases and hers.  Note I also had cupcakes at the furthest point from my position, making them vulnerable to be squashed if she where to start her purchase.  So instead of waiting she sends her 2 extra large laundry detergents down the belt and they start crushing my cupcakes! I saw so much red I had to keep my mouth shut or risk being thrown into to deepest darkest ring of ehell.  I was able to grab both her bottles and set them aside before the cupcakes got damaged, I finished bagging and and walked out.

I have to say, it drives me crazy when someone fills up the bagging area at the self-checkout and then makes me wait to start scanning my groceries. I think it's a bit SS to assume that an entire line of people should wait while you finish getting your things together. If it looks like I might be holding the line up, I will move my groceries over to the side so that the person behind me can start scanning. The woman should have noticed your cupcakes, but you also probably should have moved your cupcakes so that she could start on her own groceries.

I have to disagree that it's a bit of SS. If you have enough groceries that you have to use the self-scanners that include the large bagging area, then it is your right and not rude at all to make full use of that area while you need it. Reader said that she was "bagging as fast as I can so I could place the divider in between my purchases and hers". The next person in line must wait until it is safe for him/her to start, which means that the divider is down or the groceries of the previous person are sufficiently out of the way. It is not required of one person to arrange their groceries to make it easier for other people, and it is not being SS of that person if they choose not to. It is up to the next person to make sure that they are not going to crush the first person's groceries. Insisting on beginning  to scan while the previous person is not finished is SS, IMHO.

[MissRose]

When I use the self scan lane, if someone is in front of me, I wait until they are done unless they put up the divider between my things and theirs if they are not done bagging their items.  I will do that for others (put up the divider) when I am the one that has paid for my stuff but not yet bagged things. 

[ladyknight1]

Today is the beginning of final exam week for the summer session at my university. The building I work in houses our College of Nursing (CON), and has become much more interesting in the two years they have been here.

Today, a student or group of students (SS) thought it would be wonderful to sprinkle shredded paper confetti all over the stairwell and landing area from the first floor (where our office suite is) all the way up to floors 3 & 4 where the CON is. The stairs are vinyl-covered, and are very slippery when paper is sprinkled all over them.

Our building's management company only keeps one housekeeper on staff during the day, so she is spending all of her time vacuuming up a thousand+ pieces of paper.

[MindsEye]

Cannot wait my turn at the store. My grocery store has self check out lanes, where you scan and a belt takes your items to a bagging area.  Normal procedure is to scan items, then pay, and then bag.  I had purchased 2 large bags of cat and dog food so I had filled the bagging area up and was not able to utilize the divider they provide so the next person can ring out.  I'm bagging as fast as I can so I could place the divider in between my purchases and hers.  Note I also had cupcakes at the furthest point from my position, making them vulnerable to be squashed if she where to start her purchase.  So instead of waiting she sends her 2 extra large laundry detergents down the belt and they start crushing my cupcakes! I saw so much red I had to keep my mouth shut or risk being thrown into to deepest darkest ring of ehell.  I was able to grab both her bottles and set them aside before the cupcakes got damaged, I finished bagging and and walked out.

I have to say, it drives me crazy when someone fills up the bagging area at the self-checkout and then makes me wait to start scanning my groceries. I think it's a bit SS to assume that an entire line of people should wait while you finish getting your things together. If it looks like I might be holding the line up, I will move my groceries over to the side so that the person behind me can start scanning. The woman should have noticed your cupcakes, but you also probably should have moved your cupcakes so that she could start on her own groceries.

My grocery store has some of those self-checkout lanes (which I love) but they do not have "divider bars" (?) in the bagging area.  So my procedure when I use those lanes is to scan, bag, and then pay.  (Otherwise  it is inevitable that someone else will start to scan in and send down their groceries, despite the fact that there is no way to physically separate out different orders in the bagging area.) 

To me it feels a bit SS if it drives you crazy to have to wait for the customer in front of you to finish their transaction before you start yours.  (And yes, bagging your groceries is part of the whole transaction.)

[ladyknight1]

Cannot wait my turn at the store. My grocery store has self check out lanes, where you scan and a belt takes your items to a bagging area.  Normal procedure is to scan items, then pay, and then bag.  I had purchased 2 large bags of cat and dog food so I had filled the bagging area up and was not able to utilize the divider they provide so the next person can ring out.  I'm bagging as fast as I can so I could place the divider in between my purchases and hers.  Note I also had cupcakes at the furthest point from my position, making them vulnerable to be squashed if she where to start her purchase.  So instead of waiting she sends her 2 extra large laundry detergents down the belt and they start crushing my cupcakes! I saw so much red I had to keep my mouth shut or risk being thrown into to deepest darkest ring of ehell.  I was able to grab both her bottles and set them aside before the cupcakes got damaged, I finished bagging and and walked out.

I have to say, it drives me crazy when someone fills up the bagging area at the self-checkout and then makes me wait to start scanning my groceries. I think it's a bit SS to assume that an entire line of people should wait while you finish getting your things together. If it looks like I might be holding the line up, I will move my groceries over to the side so that the person behind me can start scanning. The woman should have noticed your cupcakes, but you also probably should have moved your cupcakes so that she could start on her own groceries.

I have to disagree that it's a bit of SS. If you have enough groceries that you have to use the self-scanners that include the large bagging area, then it is your right and not rude at all to make full use of that area while you need it. Reader said that she was "bagging as fast as I can so I could place the divider in between my purchases and hers". The next person in line must wait until it is safe for him/her to start, which means that the divider is down or the groceries of the previous person are sufficiently out of the way. It is not required of one person to arrange their groceries to make it easier for other people, and it is not being SS of that person if they choose not to. It is up to the next person to make sure that they are not going to crush the first person's groceries. Insisting on beginning  to scan while the previous person is not finished is SS, IMHO.

This is extremely timely for me.

Last Wednesday, after work, I went to a market that has self-checkout lanes. I bought 3 items, using the self-checkout lane. There are four separate lanes, and I was the only person using one. I placed my items on the belt, scanned them, bagged, them and paid using my card and using the cash back option. Between pressing my cash back selection on the pad and finishing the transaction, two women were immediately behind me. They weren't there when I pressed pay on the screen and they hadn't put their items on the belt, but were up at the payment kiosk. It gave me the shivers.

[gramma dishes]

...   Today, a student or group of students (SS) thought it would be wonderful to sprinkle shredded paper confetti all over the stairwell and landing area from the first floor (where our office suite is) all the way up to floors 3 & 4 where the CON is. The stairs are vinyl-covered, and are very slippery when paper is sprinkled all over them.

Our building's management company only keeps one housekeeper on staff during the day, so she is spending all of her time vacuuming up a thousand+ pieces of paper.

The next Instructor should have made the "lesson of the day" be having the students who thought this was such a clever idea do all the cleaning up of every single tiny bit of that confetti.  And to get an "F" for the day since they used their class time to do it and therefore missed the day's lesson. 

There is no way the school should allow them to add that kind of job unnecessarily to the housekeeper's duties.  And confetti would also clog up the vacuum cleaner.  The students should have had to do it by hand and supply the bags to put the stuff in, too.

[siamesecat2965]

Cannot wait my turn at the store. My grocery store has self check out lanes, where you scan and a belt takes your items to a bagging area.  Normal procedure is to scan items, then pay, and then bag.  I had purchased 2 large bags of cat and dog food so I had filled the bagging area up and was not able to utilize the divider they provide so the next person can ring out.  I'm bagging as fast as I can so I could place the divider in between my purchases and hers.  Note I also had cupcakes at the furthest point from my position, making them vulnerable to be squashed if she where to start her purchase.  So instead of waiting she sends her 2 extra large laundry detergents down the belt and they start crushing my cupcakes! I saw so much red I had to keep my mouth shut or risk being thrown into to deepest darkest ring of ehell.  I was able to grab both her bottles and set them aside before the cupcakes got damaged, I finished bagging and and walked out.

I have to say, it drives me crazy when someone fills up the bagging area at the self-checkout and then makes me wait to start scanning my groceries. I think it's a bit SS to assume that an entire line of people should wait while you finish getting your things together. If it looks like I might be holding the line up, I will move my groceries over to the side so that the person behind me can start scanning. The woman should have noticed your cupcakes, but you also probably should have moved your cupcakes so that she could start on her own groceries.

 My store doesn’t have lanes and dividers but I kind of wish they did.  The way the self checkouts are set up there is there are 4; 2 on either side, with 3 hooks right next to the scanner holding bags.  So you scan your items, and, per the annoying voice, place them in the bag.  And to the left of the scanner is a spot to place your basket.  So no one can put their stuff anywhere until you’re done.  Although I have had people behind me try and shove me out of the way as I’m finishing and trying to grab my bags! I just want to say to them, are you really in THAT much of a hurry you can't wait the 3 seconds for me to get my stuff and move out of your way?

[fluffy]

I don't mind waiting a couple of minutes, but people will often leave you waiting for 5+ minutes while they slowly bag a giant cart-load of groceries. The self-checkouts are supposed to be express lanes. Which means that most people are using them because they just have a few items and are trying to get in and out of the store quickly.

If you have a lot of items or you're not very fast at bagging, you should use a regular lane with no item limit and a dedicated bagger.

[MyFamily]

The self-checkouts by me all require you to scan and bag and if the weight on the bagging area doesn't match what the machine thinks it should weigh (ie you decide to put the item in your cart and not the bag), it refuses to let you scan anything else.  All these other self-checkouts make me glad that the ones we have require this, since it makes it less confusing and less likely to cause problems.

[dawbs]

I don't mind waiting a couple of minutes, but people will often leave you waiting for 5+ minutes while they slowly bag a giant cart-load of groceries. The self-checkouts are supposed to be express lanes. Which means that most people are using them because they just have a few items and are trying to get in and out of the store quickly.

If you have a lot of items or you're not very fast at bagging, you should use a regular lane with no item limit and a dedicated bagger.

The bolded isn't true at every store.
My local store has u-scans that are express lanes and u-scans that are not. 

[wolfie]

The self-checkouts by me all require you to scan and bag and if the weight on the bagging area doesn't match what the machine thinks it should weigh (ie you decide to put the item in your cart and not the bag), it refuses to let you scan anything else.  All these other self-checkouts make me glad that the ones we have require this, since it makes it less confusing and less likely to cause problems.

Those are so annoying if you are scanning something really really light and it doesn't seem to feel it there in the bag. Or if you have a few big things where it would be best to move a bag once it is full but you can't because then the sensor goes off and tells you to put it back.