# 20 Items Means 20 Items



## simplynewt (Nov 11, 2011)

How many times have you went to the store and was in a hurry. When you get to the checkout lane, there are 5 people in front of you have seem to have 40 items in their cart! 

Do these people not know how to count? 

Are they in as much of a hurry as I am?

Do they passively say to themselves that it will be alright?

Just wondering if anyone has run into this and what do you do, if anything, when confronted with someone who blatently ignores the liuttle sign that says 20 Items OR LESS.


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## redtailgal (Nov 11, 2011)

Yes!  Pet Peeve of mine.

My fav cashier at my local food lion will say to them "Oh! Goodness!  Well, that's ok, I dont mind checking you out, but I'm gonna zip thru these other people who respected the rules first!  I'm sure you will understand!"

Man, I love that cashier.

I guess I am sort of a snot.  I've been know to ask "excuse me, did you see the sign, the one right there?  OH, well I have less than 20, so can I just jump ahead?"

Yup, they get miffed.  They get over it too. lol


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## elevan (Nov 11, 2011)

If I'm in a large chain store that has self checkouts I'll zip through those first.

Otherwise I pay no mind to the 20 or less checkout.  Here's why...If that line has 5 people in it (following the rules or not) and another line has 2 people with completely full carts, I know that I'll get through the line with 2 full carts first...it's just a law of number when it comes time to ring them up and pay...less people equals less time even when they have more items.


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## DuckLady (Nov 11, 2011)

Yesterday I was shopping and I had about 30 items in my cart. As I passed the express lane, intending to go to a regular line, the cashier invited me in. There was no one in line, no one around. Just as I got done unloading and the cashier started ringing, 3 people showed up.

Sometimes you don't know what happened before you got there. Those 20 items or less signs are not law. They are guidelines.

If someone had been so rude as to chastise me, they would have gotten an earful.


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## simplynewt (Nov 11, 2011)

terrielacy said:
			
		

> Yesterday I was shopping and I had about 30 items in my cart. As I passed the express lane, intending to go to a regular line, the cashier invited me in. There was no one in line, no one around. Just as I got done unloading and the cashier started ringing, 3 people showed up.
> 
> Sometimes you don't know what happened before you got there. Those 20 items or less signs are not law. They are guidelines.
> 
> If someone had been so rude as to chastise me, they would have gotten an earful.


That would be a different situation. If there is no one in the store and you are invited with your 30 items into a 20 item lane. I see no problem. But if you are in a crowded store and there are 20 lanes with maybe 3 lanes designated "Express Lanes" and you have someone with a shopping cart full, clearly not 20 items. then I would have a tendecy to get perturbed. I usually would not confront the 20 Items violator because I believe in what comes around goes around and they will wait their time in some fasion somewhere down the road. 

But for right now, I am in a hurry. Maybe that is the problem today - everyone is in such a hurry to do everything.


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## secuono (Nov 11, 2011)

Twenty-FIVE is fine, twenty-Six, get the heck outta line!

I hate it when there are people clogging up the fast lanes...cashiers never care here...ugh.


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## Roll farms (Nov 11, 2011)

Honestly, I think that if my biggest problem of the day was worrying about what someone else is doing in the line ahead of me, then I'd thank my lucky stars that I don't have any real problems that day.

Don't sweat the petty stuff, don't pet the sweaty stuff.


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## simplynewt (Nov 11, 2011)

Roll farms said:
			
		

> Don't sweat the petty stuff, don't pet the sweaty stuff.


I like that. I suppose if you are in a supermarket that has 20 lanes and only 5 of them are open and two of them are express lanes and you have 50 people ready to check out and the mojority has over 20 items, the store needs to open up some more lanes.


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## lilhill (Nov 12, 2011)

Roll farms said:
			
		

> Honestly, I think that if my biggest problem of the day was worrying about what someone else is doing in the line ahead of me, then I'd thank my lucky stars that I don't have any real problems that day.
> 
> Don't sweat the petty stuff, don't pet the sweaty stuff.


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## Genipher (Nov 16, 2011)

I start counting my items as I walk to the check-out. And if I start unloading and found I have mis-counted, I get embarrassed!
I once heard someone say that they should charge extra for every item over the limit.

By the by, do a bunch of bananas count for one item or 5, 6, 7, etc.?


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## aggieterpkatie (Nov 16, 2011)

Roll farms said:
			
		

> Honestly, I think that if my biggest problem of the day was worrying about what someone else is doing in the line ahead of me, then I'd thank my lucky stars that I don't have any real problems that day.
> 
> Don't sweat the petty stuff, don't pet the sweaty stuff.


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## Ms. Research (Nov 17, 2011)

Roll farms said:
			
		

> Honestly, I think that if my biggest problem of the day was worrying about what someone else is doing in the line ahead of me, then I'd thank my lucky stars that I don't have any real problems that day.
> 
> Don't sweat the petty stuff, don't pet the sweaty stuff.


X2.   Love the saying Roll!  

And if the sweaty stuff is on a goat....definitely don't pet.


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## jodief100 (Nov 17, 2011)

Last night I got behind someone in the express lane, they have 12 turkeys and I figured no big deal.  They had to ring up every single one seperatly and were making notes in a book as they did it!  

I was late getting home, hubby was late, the dogs needed to be walked before they peed on my carpet....again.  I just waited patiently, what else can you do.

Don't sweat the small stuff.  Life goes on and the carpets need cleaning already anyways.


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## 20kidsonhill (Nov 17, 2011)

terrielacy said:
			
		

> Yesterday I was shopping and I had about 30 items in my cart. As I passed the express lane, intending to go to a regular line, the cashier invited me in. There was no one in line, no one around. Just as I got done unloading and the cashier started ringing, 3 people showed up.
> 
> Sometimes you don't know what happened before you got there. Those 20 items or less signs are not law. They are guidelines.
> 
> If someone had been so rude as to chastise me, they would have gotten an earful.


I have had the same thing happen to me more than once.


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## CYGChickies (Nov 20, 2011)

I ignore the limit to a point. If it'll take me less than five minutes to ring up--not hard to estimate--then I don't sweat it. It takes me about half the time to get my cart full than it does most people to get their 20 items. I've always been a speed shopper even when browsing. Get in, grab, get out! If I can shop without ever coming to a complete stop then it's a good day!

The one time this DID make me mad was last year Wal-Mart on Black Friday. I had ONE item, headed for the express lane and got behind a rude woman with two--count em TWO--overflowing carts. Also, our Wal-Mart shuts down all but one aisle at night and on a very very good day it takes about 30 minutes to get checked out. The line goes all the way through the front section of apparel and still they won't open another aisle. Checkers are standing aimlessly at the front of the store and STILL no more aisles opened. It's enough to drive a person insane. We have a lot of factories in town and people who work the second shift have to shop after 11pm etc and they deserve to not stand for five hours in BLAZING HEAT (so much for those industrial air conditioners) and slowly lose their faith in humanity. Just sayin.

CYG


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