New peeve: the coupon master

[Vegas Halo Fan]

I just made a trip to Smith's to pick up a few items. The woman in front of me had a large basket full of stuff, but with scanners it doesn't take that long to ring up even a large amount of groceries. At least that was my thinking. Then she whips out her wallet of 9,000 coupons and starts going through them to see what she can use. She has them fanned out on the counter and is literally looking at them one by one. (For the record, I sometimes use coupons, but I pull them out as I shop, so when I get to the register I have already separated the ones I will be using). Some of her coupons are for free merchandise, but of course she has not recorded the price of the item on the coupons as is required to redeem them. Of this horse-choking stack some of them won't scan, so the cashier has to manually enter the numbers. Had I not already had my merchandise on the belt I would have moved on. It took literally 20 minutes for the cashier to finish with the coupons alone.

[gotbeer]

I would have just left.  Including the items on the belt.

[Blarg]

Why would you stand in the line for 20 minutes watching this clusterfrack?

[Vegas Halo Fan]

The wife was with me, and when I mentioned something about moving on to another line, she said "She will be finished soon. I'm not in a hurry."

 

I have a lot of patience, but it doesn't extend to people who are inconsiderate, obnoxious or just stupid.

 

It doesn't happen so often now, because most people don't pay with cash. but we have all been behind the person who would spend five minutes digging through the coin section of her wallet to find exact change. Also, her cousin, the check writer, who had nothing filled out on the check before reaching checkout.

Edited May 16, 2015 by Vegas Halo Fan

[gotbeer]

So the next time the game is on, and she wants you to do something.  your answer should be the game is almost over, I'm not in any hurry.

[Blarg]

You need a divorce.

And toilet paper, pick some up on the way home.

[Vegas Halo Fan]

So the next time the game is on, and she wants you to do something.  your answer should be the game is almost over, I'm not in any hurry.

 

Trust me, these things do come back around.

[mp170.6]

I don't understand the economics of grocery coupons in the year 2015.  The lady you describe probably subscribes to multiple newspapers and spends an hour or two each week cutting them out, sorting, etc. 

 

The ROI for coupon clipping is probably like $10/hour when all is said and done, and only if you're lucky.  Reminds me of the people who sit in line at the Costco gas pumps for 30 minutes so they can save $2.10 on a tank of gas. 

[Vegas Halo Fan]

IReminds me of the people who sit in line at the Costco gas pumps for 30 minutes so they can save $2.10 on a tank of gas. 

 

And fill their tanks with gasoline that will gum up their fuel systems.

 

A Jaguar mechanic told me several years ago that gasoline is gasoline, except for the additives that some companies put in it to keep fuel systems clean. He told me to use Shell, Chevron or Arco gasoline and I would never have a deposit-related problem with my fuel system. I have ever since, even though it costs a little more. $1-2 per tank and stay out of the repair shop? I'm in.

[AngelArcher]

Costco has top tier gasoline.

[mp170.6]

Hey cezero, how about the knuckleheads in Vancouver, WA who drive to Portland to avoid sales tax?  I wonder how many of the traffic jams on the I-5 bridge over the river are caused by people trying to avoid $0.83 in sales tax?

[mp170.6]

Costco has top tier gasoline.

 

Looks like Costco finally got their act together.  They say they became a Top Tier distributor in March 2014.  I know in the past, there was a lot of inconsistency in gas quality. 

 

http://www.costco.com/kirkland-signature-gasoline.html

http://www.toptiergas.com/retailers.html

[HeavenlyHalos]

Hey cezero, how about the knuckleheads in Vancouver, WA who drive to Portland to avoid sales tax?  I wonder how many of the traffic jams on the I-5 bridge over the river are caused by people trying to avoid $0.83 in sales tax?

 

Or those who drive from Portland to Vancouver just to legally buy weed. At least until July 1st.

[GoodTimesGoneBad]

I think they should have a seperate line for everyone wanting to use coupons, ebt, and food stamps. I always get stuck behind a lady with 3 kids who bought the wrong kind of cheese and now the bagger has to run and find the right one.

[Glen]

I don't understand the economics of grocery coupons in the year 2015. The lady you describe probably subscribes to multiple newspapers and spends an hour or two each week cutting them out, sorting, etc.

The ROI for coupon clipping is probably like $10/hour when all is said and done, and only if you're lucky. Reminds me of the people who sit in line at the Costco gas pumps for 30 minutes so they can save $2.10 on a tank of gas.

Even at its busiest I've never waited more than 10 minutes in line for gas at Costco. And if you're already there to buy other stuff, why not fill up where it's cheaper?

[Glen]

The wife was with me, and when I mentioned something about moving on to another line, she said "She will be finished soon. I'm not in a hurry."

I have a lot of patience, but it doesn't extend to people who are inconsiderate, obnoxious or just stupid.

It doesn't happen so often now, because most people don't pay with cash. but we have all been behind the person who would spend five minutes digging through the coin section of her wallet to find exact change. Also, her cousin, the check writer, who had nothing filled out on the check before reaching checkout.

I occasionally find myself behind the grandma who is apparently using her debit card for the first time. She has to dig it out of her zippered wallet, and said zipper usually jams. Then she gets the wrong card out. Finally, she gets the right one and swipes it backwards and upside-down. When she swipes it the right way, the buttons befuddle her.

[Brandon]

I actually like taking my time with the impatient assholes. Peoples patience seems to be tied to what they are buying, not the process of checking out. So the guy with a can of Axe spray is visibly upset with the couple buying that nights groceries.

We had that happen the other weekend where we went nuts for meal prepping and the guy behind us just wanted to buy some juices for him and his kids. He gave us the look like we were assholes for taking up too much of his time because of our groceries....this was also the normal line, not the expedited one. I finally have enough of the sighing and say, "You think this is bad, wait until we break out the checkbook and coupons."

[arch stanton]

I've learned to resolve myself to an unpleasant checkout experience over here so I just laugh it off and chock it up to environment except for the line cutters. I'll fight that battle every time.

[Slegnaac]

What, no one else uses Self-Check?

[mp170.6]

"Unexpected item in bagging area"

 

"Unexpected item in bagging area"

 

"Unexpected item in bagging area"

[Tank]

i fart a lot in line. as a result, i don't really have any problems with the people around me. 

 

 

at least not the unconscious ones.

[Vegas Halo Fan]

What, no one else uses Self-Check?

 

Every time I have tried it at Smith's, it always either wants me to bag something that is already in the bag, or it calls a cashier because of an invalid entry linked to the bar code on an item. If it worked more than 25 percent of the time, I would love to. Unless I had a lot of stuff, and then there is nowhere to put it - because God forbid, if you move it from the bagging area to your cart to make more room, this creates another error and a prompt to call a cashier.

[tdawg87]

The other day I was at Walmart behind an old man and his wife and it was pretty clear that at least both of them had a roach in their Depends.

I thought diapers were supposed to not only hold in the poo/pee, but suppress the odor as well? What good does a diaper do if everyone within a 15 foot radius knows you shit yourself? It's just a fluffy pair of underwear if you ask me.

Also why does old people poo smell so much worse than anything else? Do yams and prune juice make such a horrid combo? Is it because they're just shaking loose a colon booger that's been hanging around for 50 years, festering? Idk.

They didn't have any coupons though.

[Lhalo]

always when it's available

 

i get all produce and meat at yoke's, which has no self-checkout, unfortunately

 

everything else (mostly booze), I get at Albertsons, which thankfully has self-checkout

You're aren't allowed to self checkout alcohol here in CA. I've lost hours of my life since the state implemented that rule.

[Redondo]

It doesn't happen so often now, because most people don't pay with cash. but we have all been behind the person who would spend five minutes digging through the coin section of her wallet to find exact change. Also, her cousin, the check writer, who had nothing filled out on the check before reaching checkout.

 

Drives me nuts when you get behind someone like this. It's like they have never done this before in their life and they are over 65.

 

I use the self check whenever possible. I have learned the number codes for the fruits and vegetables I buy. Unfortunately you can't buy too much because it won't fit on the platform and then you need the clerk to remove bags and put in your cart.

 

Went to Sam's the other day and only bought one item. Went to self check and items rang up the wrong price. I go to the return are and I am next in line. There are 2 couple at the counter. One lady can't get her card registered correctly because she has moved 5 times and they have to go through all of them to correct her registration. The other couple are returning numerous items of which they don't have receipts or boxes which require a search for each and every item by someone int he store with a walkie talkie. Then when that is done the manager has to approve each and every one. Ugh. Stood there for 15 minutes and thought about leaving many times. Finally the 5 address lady is done and it takes me literally 30 seconds to purchase the item.