" How We Do Things Here "

[sunny-dave]

or "The Arrogance of Old Biddies"

Dave goes to (busy) local Co-op to buy Sunday paper.

Joins queue of about 7 people (some with quite a lot of shopping) waiting in single queue for the two tills. No-one in a rush - locals chatting happily.

Notices a couple of (fullish) baskets tactically placed near the front of (but not in) the queue.

Watches with interest as a couple of elderly ladies (at this point they are still 'ladies') return at intervals to add extra items to baskets. This goes on for about ten minutes (the Co-op checkout process is not fast ... )

Queue moves on until Dave is now third (behind a couple of very pleasant young mothers and their happy children) - there are now a few people behind Dave too.

Elderly ladies return to baskets and assume position at front of queue.

Polite young mothers exchange glances, but say nothing.

Dave thinks "Stuff this" and says (very politely) : "I'm sorry - but there is a queue"

Elderly Old Baggage (no longer a lady) snarls : "My basket was holding my place - that's how we do things here"

Dave contemplates his options and then (with heart pounding) says : "No we don't - I've shopped here for five years and you get served in the order in which you physically join the queue".

Dave is backed up by the (now more confident) Nice Young Mothers and the people behind him mutter agreement too.

Old Biddies deploy the Death Ray Stare, but slink to the back of the queue.

On being served by the (lovely) checkout lady, Dave is given a big wink and a smile and a complimentary chocolate :+)

Sunday Dave xx

[mikey4444]

Well done Dave !

[goodgoalie]

Good for you, Dave - they won't do that again!

[sunny-dave]

I'd have said nothing if they'd fetched just one or two items whilst mainly queuing - it was the brazeness (is that a word) of it that offended me - plus I hadn't even had a cup of coffee yet, let alone my brekker.

[anneasquith]

Life is too short ,embrace our elderly eccentric ladies, unless one is rushing off to save the world like Superman .

[New Judge]

"...embrace our elderly eccentric ladies"

From dave's description they are not "elderly eccentric ladies". They are rude, ignorant, self-centred pigs (with apologies to our porcine friends).

[anneasquith]

Or they may have dementia ?

[pastafreak]

I'm an elderly lady, and there's no way I'd have the nerve...and sheer rudeness...to do what your local ladies do...
...and I'm a New Yorker...sheeesh!

Just watch your back now, Dave ;-)

[Mamyalynne]

We should deploy those Ladies to Border Control, well done Dave for getting out in one piece;-)

[New Judge]

Then they should not be out unaccompanied. Anyway it's very doubtful. They seem to remember exactly where they left their baskets. Don't make excuses for bad behaviour.

[Mamyalynne]

Oh dear.

[pastafreak]

I doubt they have dementia...they knew exactly what they were doing.

[gness]

Now, I haven't seen two at it, Dave but browsing the magazines recently I saw one of them doing it.....I watched and was surprised nobody challenged her....

I had decided that were I in the queue I'd hide her basket behind that big box of reduced items.....so good for you!

Being elderly has its advantages.....being rude isn't one of them... :-)

[Mamyalynne]

......like calling people pigs.

[gness]

Oh...a reminder, Dave....chocolate gives you a headache.....you may have to give it away..... ;-)

[whiskeryron]

Or they may have dementia ? Or playing the Dementia card !!!

[Peter Pedant]

I think I might have put basket to one side... -
or added things I thought I wanted but then didnt - - into it

I had a 'laydee' complain bitterly that the two OAPs behind her of which I was one wanted to get in from of her but she WOULDN'T ! I admit I was making unhelpful one liners while she did so
( we were kick boxing champions and were once on telly as bodey and doyle but had aged badly etc)

[sunny-dave]

I was quite careful to make sure no-one saw which car was mine ...

[sunny-dave]

I do like the adding extra items wheeze... possibly from the "embarrassing ailments and family planning" rack ...

[gness]

Now there's an idea, Dave......add bits and bobs when they're not looking.....condoms....razors.....anything small you can slip in and they'll not notice till it goes through.... ;-)

[gness]

Ooops....snap!!!!