I was in the grocery store and had fewer items than usual but a lot more than 15. I was in a regular line when the supervisor directed me to use the 15 Items or Less lane. Always obedient, I went into the lane and unloaded my groceries, but I could tell the checkout lady was upset. Meanwhile, a man with even more stuff than me was sent over by the same supervisor. He was clearly embarrassed when a person with a few items in his hands got in line behind us.
I tried to joke with the unhappy woman at the register, but she was not going to cheer up. "If she sends them over, I have to check them out. Doesn't matter how much stuff they have, I'm not supposed to say anything," she said. So much for discretion, I thought. I told her it was embarrassing to be the one with too many items but, after all, it was an employee who told me to get in this line. I should have just been quiet because she was quickly being overwhelmed by the injustice of the situation.
This made me remember the relative who thought I was a rule-breaker. Here I am fretting about being in the express lane-breaking bad!
When I talked to my daughter, she reminded me a similar thing had happened to her father-in-law.
He was in a grocery store and was sent to the express lane even though he had a cart of groceries. In his case, the customer behind him objected. After trying to explain that it wasn't his idea to use that line, he tried to ignore the man. He was putting his groceries in his trunk when the same man approached and sprayed mace in his face. They never caught the guy. Rolling around on the ground with a face full of mace is an extreme price to pay for getting in that line.
I'm prepared now for the next time. When I'm told to use the express lane, I'm going to shout, "Try and make me!"
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