Chuckles in the Check-Out line

[Marvin Boggs]

Trying to understand a culture is always fun.  Peoples' mannerisms and their attitude toward those around them are something that fascinate me, so it is always a subject of observation or discussion whenever we go out.  I find Filipinos in general to have much more of a 'me first' attitude than I would have expected, even though they don't seem overtly rude or pushy.  The checkout line in food stores is one of the funniest places I visit, and always leaves me with a chuckle:

- Person ahead of me, after emptying her basket contents onto the counter, will almost always leave the cart there blocking my way.  Her part is done, the cart is now my problem to deal with.

- Person behind me, lets say at a 7-11, is just DYING to get their purchase items onto the counter before I'm done my transaction.  They are already next in line so I don't understand the compulsion.  Its as if, they want to guarantee they are next in case someone ELSE puts their stuff on the counter.

- Said person behind me will try to elbow their way up to the counter before the girl even prints my receipt, haha.  Its like, give me a fricking second people.  Cashier girl is as slow as molasses anyway, so you hulat lang there.

- at the local grocery: customers in line see me, see my filipina wife, then immediately check out what we have in the basket.  The responses are hilarious.  Middle aged mom with the disapproving glance on something extravagant, or guys checking out what beer I have, etc.  

- being in line behind a girl, who has just a few items...but turns out to be holding her mom's place.  Mom shows up with two loaded carts of stuff for the Sari Sari store to cut in front of us.  Gotta love it. 

- the amazing composure of almost every single Filipino I see waiting in lines.  In the west, customers would be having a meltdown at some of these 'offenses'.  I've left the store fuming on a couple of occasions.  But the Filipinos are cool as cucumbers, it wouldn't faze them if they waited in that line for a hour it seems.  

 

 

[OnMyWay]

20 minutes ago, Marvin Boggs said:

- the amazing composure of almost every single Filipino I see waiting in lines.  In the west, customers would be having a meltdown at some of these 'offenses'.  I've left the store fuming on a couple of occasions.  But the Filipinos are cool as cucumbers, it wouldn't faze them if they waited in that line for a hour it seems.  

Oh yes!  I can't take it!  I don't wait in any kind of line more than a few minutes.  If there is a buy one take one sale on shampoo, Filipinos will wait for hours!  

[GeoffH]

1 hour ago, Marvin Boggs said:

In the west, customers would be having a meltdown at some of these 'offenses'.  I've left the store fuming on a couple of occasions.  But the Filipinos are cool as cucumbers, it wouldn't faze them if they waited in that line for a hour it seems.  

That's one problem I don't have at least... I spent a big part of my working life waiting  on other people and I think it's made me partially immune I think.

My tolerance for waiting is roughly on par with SWMBO although both of us are less patient than her mama and papa who'll wait all day somewhere at times.

[hk blues]

1 hour ago, Marvin Boggs said:

Trying to understand a culture is always fun.  Peoples' mannerisms and their attitude toward those around them are something that fascinate me, so it is always a subject of observation or discussion whenever we go out.  I find Filipinos in general to have much more of a 'me first' attitude than I would have expected, even though they don't seem overtly rude or pushy.  The checkout line in food stores is one of the funniest places I visit, and always leaves me with a chuckle:

- Person ahead of me, after emptying her basket contents onto the counter, will almost always leave the cart there blocking my way.  Her part is done, the cart is now my problem to deal with.

- Person behind me, lets say at a 7-11, is just DYING to get their purchase items onto the counter before I'm done my transaction.  They are already next in line so I don't understand the compulsion.  Its as if, they want to guarantee they are next in case someone ELSE puts their stuff on the counter.

- Said person behind me will try to elbow their way up to the counter before the girl even prints my receipt, haha.  Its like, give me a fricking second people.  Cashier girl is as slow as molasses anyway, so you hulat lang there.

- at the local grocery: customers in line see me, see my filipina wife, then immediately check out what we have in the basket.  The responses are hilarious.  Middle aged mom with the disapproving glance on something extravagant, or guys checking out what beer I have, etc.  

- being in line behind a girl, who has just a few items...but turns out to be holding her mom's place.  Mom shows up with two loaded carts of stuff for the Sari Sari store to cut in front of us.  Gotta love it. 

- the amazing composure of almost every single Filipino I see waiting in lines.  In the west, customers would be having a meltdown at some of these 'offenses'.  I've left the store fuming on a couple of occasions.  But the Filipinos are cool as cucumbers, it wouldn't faze them if they waited in that line for a hour it seems.  

 

 

One more from me -

Two young'ish people in 2 separate lines at a fast food joint.  They make their way to the front of the line and then one or other jumps across to join their friend according to which line/queue is shorter.  To be fair, it happened in Hong Kong as well.  Shameful behaviour that would result in a few choice words or more in my country! 

[Snowy79]

I've had it a few times when I'm just about to be served and a hand with money in it appears around my waist and the person behind me is asking to be served. A few times I've just had to lean against the counter and trap their arm.  I always apologise obviously. 

[Tommy T.]

My worst (best?) situation occurred while standing in line at an S & R checkout line.

There were three places for cashiers but only one for a while. L and I were maybe third in line when suddenly a new checkout girl appeared at the register to our right - it was the disabled, pregnant, aged line. Two girls at the back of our line jumped over to the front of that line. They had been standing right behind us. They were still being served when we reached the front of the line and L lit into the cashier girls asking why they didn't serve the obviously old guy she was standing with (she is not pregnant and neither of us is disabled). She WAS pissed! The cashiers apologized but L let them have it a bit longer. The two girls who had cut over looked like they just wanted to disappear and were very embarrassed. I wonder if they learned or not?

But I also remember Thursdays in Queensland Australia - the day the dole checks came out... The "old chooks," wielded their carts like tanks and would race to an empty cashier or shorter line I never dared to get in their way and get run over.

And just one more... It seems like whenever I go to the SM grocery, I will try to find the shortest line - like everyone... But it seems like every time I get in a line, then there is a holdup because the cashier is out of change or has some other issue and then holds up the blue or red paddle. Everything stops as we all wait for customer service (I use "service" lightly) to notice and then come over and remedy the situation. I mean this happens just about every time! L laughs at me and I laugh too because their system is a bit absurd...

[Dave Hounddriver]

25 minutes ago, Tommy T. said:

L lit into the cashier girls asking why they didn't serve the obviously old guy she was standing with

I have been watching the lines in Dumaguete and the answer is:  Old guys need only walk past the line to the front and flash their ID and get served ahead of the rest of the line.  However, when some old guy tried that in MY line,  I was at the cashier and I flashed my Philippine driver's license and said "I am old too" and they served me first.

[Tommy T.]

25 minutes ago, Dave Hounddriver said:

I have been watching the lines in Dumaguete and the answer is:  Old guys need only walk past the line to the front and flash their ID and get served ahead of the rest of the line.  However, when some old guy tried that in MY line,  I was at the cashier and I flashed my Philippine driver's license and said "I am old too" and they served me first.

I guess I am a bit shy about doing that - maybe because I don't feel old inside? But I did do that one time in the water district payment line when a guy - younger than me, I think - started to place his stuff on the counter in front of me. I just swung around a bit so my back was facing him and the cashier looked at him, then me and motioned for the other guy to wait.... I don't understand the impatience I observe at times (especially when driving) compared to the infinite patience so often to waiting in the endless lines.

At that same SM I mentioned already, the "service" desk where they accept electric and other payments frequently will have one cashier where there are places for three - and a line of 25 people all standing there patiently waiting for the errand people who go up and make payments for 10 others... Strange place regarding customer service. But I am not usually in a hurry and there are sometimes a few pretty young women to observe - when L is not there or looking!

If I am standing in a line with a full blue basket or cart and somebody comes up behind me with just a couple items, I almost always tell them they can go in front of me. Sometimes they seem shocked, mostly thankful and a few do it and don't thank or say anything - that's usually the youngest ones. Probably they don't know how to react to a kind foreigner?

[sonjack2847]

5 hours ago, Dave Hounddriver said:

I have been watching the lines in Dumaguete and the answer is:  Old guys need only walk past the line to the front and flash their ID and get served ahead of the rest of the line.  However, when some old guy tried that in MY line,  I was at the cashier and I flashed my Philippine driver's license and said "I am old too" and they served me first.

I was in a line in Hypermart and I let 3 people(older) go in front of me then another 1 turned up to push in but the cashier said he is first as he has waited for 3 other people behind him and he is not so young. I suppose I should be grateful for her letting me go but the comment did cut a little.

[Marvin Boggs]

5 hours ago, Tommy T. said:

"service" desk where they accept electric and other payments frequently will have one cashier where there are places for three - and a line of 25 people all standing there patiently waiting

You just described every Wal Mart in the US

Funny shopping behavior also extends to the aisles, which are often too narrow in PH.  I'm usually pushing the cart, trailing on the heels of my wife as we maneuver through.  Can't tell you how many times another shopper has just stepped in between us, to stand and study what is on the shelf, totally blocking my way.  She can't wait 1 second until I pass by, so now I'm patiently waiting to see if she realizes I'm just standing there looking at her.  Nope.  I seem to be the only one in the store who parks the cart out of the way, or stands in a way not to block others, or moves to let someone pass, etc.  

Wife has pointed out how sometimes, the item she puts back on the shelf after deciding not to buy....someone else will put into their cart.  Like they are taking advantage of her missed opportunity or something.  She says this frequently happens in the Ukay shops haha.