Existential Corner (something to think about)

About three weeks ago I went to the grocery after work. I was ravenous so I simply grabbed some stuff for a salad and went to the self check out. Self check out has been around for several years but my grocery store just implemented it within the past month or so. There were people in front of me that are using it for the first time (I know, they must be from a third world country), and were really slow. Some of them had huge baskets of groceries; a month's worth from the looks of it. Okay fine. I'm thinking that everyone should 1) already know how to use the self check out and 2) it is understood to be used by people that have one or two items or at most have a small hand held basket full of items. NOT a month's worth of groceries.


My assumptions were incorrect as it would appear, and not only that there was a mother with two children allowing her seven year old daughter learn how to use the system! Remember I am ravenous, and I just got done working with the public, on my feet, on concrete floors for eight-and-one-half hours, so I am beginning to lose my patience.


I decide to go to a manned express lane, and I say something sarcastic which I'm bound to do sometimes when I'm trying to keep it together. I said something like: "I'm all for teaching your children, but when there is a line behind you waiting maybe you should tell little Susie that we should learn about the process when the store isn't so busy." I then punctuated it with a smile.


A woman in front of me turned to me and said: "Maybe she's teaching little Susie that it doesn't matter that impatient people are behind her and they can simply wait their turn."


Given the mood I was in I was actually still able to see the error of my thinking and I even said so to this woman. I do have to admit afterwards that this incident did raise the question: what was really being taught to this child:

• that she and her family are the only people in this world
• she didn't need to think of others and therefore lack courtesy
• or simply, how to use the self check out

I also had to ask myself: why were my needs any more important then her learning how to use the check out?


Was any one person right or wrong in this situation? Let me know what you think.