This place is awful. I noticed since I got here that the flaming rich will bump your arm and grab stuff around you like you aren't there. They will hit you and not even say excuse me. The next time someone thinks running over me to grab a can of soup is a keen thing to do...they are going to get a scolding. People here think they have a right to cut in front of you in line and hit you to grab an item.

One lady a the bank thought she was going to cut in front of me, and one of the tellers noticed and waved me over quickly, and we listened to her huff and puff impatiently. Even the teller rolled her eyes.

This stuff happened where I used to live, but mostly people let you have your personal space...in fact, they would stand away from others as if they were diseased. I think I preferred that. Not here....

[reply to Shawnee]

Simple ... move the dumb bugger's cart. And watch how outraged they get when they see you have dared to move THEIR cart. OMG! This is amusing, and I'm always ready with a gushing apology, oh I'm so sorry.

I handle aisle blockers by turning my head to scan the shelves and moving very very slowly ... bump with trolley... apology time. This is the one time when the crappy rattly wheel on the cart is useful; if they have half of their wits about them, then they might hear you coming.

Something I'm sometimes tempted to do, but never quite got over the apathy threshold to actually do, is to drop random items into other people's shopping carts. Especially if it is something potentially embarrassing like condoms or tampons or some such. Seems like a good reply to the abandoned cart situation.

On shopping carts, did supermarkets never hear of the idea of maintenance???

Z - too funny on the maintenance. No, I don't think they do maintenance.

Last night - leaving the store - I'm in the right turn lane "arrow". Beside me left turn lane "arrow". I pulled up, truck beside me in left lane to far up for me to see, if I can go ahead - so I wait. Well, they decide they want to turn right, "right in front of me". Good thing I waited. Just curious, I noticed that the occupants were of "Hispanic" descent - "Arrows are the same in English & Spanish, right?":D

People texting when driving. And they 'fly the bird' when you honk cuz they almost hit you! I hate NW drivers.

I just finished spending an hour drafting an e-mail to a pain-in-the-ass co-worker to explain why I gave some space to someone with a higher priority project instead of to her project. It took an hour, because she constantly forwards my e-mails to the partners she works with (who like her and who are technically some of my bosses,) so I have to write the e-mail as if it is going to my bosses when I really should be simply saying "because your project is less important. Sorry."

My job is to allocate space and other resources, and she always tries (and fails) to go over my head if she doesn't get her way. But it's always a nuisance to go through the process of proving her wrong again.

Ok. I'm better now.

Aaarrghhh...my eye has been twitching on and off for days now! SOOOO annoying!

Oh, that's the worst Razz, it happened to me not that long ago. I was griping about it to my mom and she said her eye twitched for a month one time. I nearly killed myself on the spot... but anyway, I was taking those "Shot-o-B" mega vitamin energy pill things that you see at the checkout at health food stores. When I stopped taking them, the twitching stopped.

Consider that maybe you are getting too much or too little magnesium.

I am so amazed at the sheer volume of drugs Americans are exposed to, two full page adverts in most US mags and most of that is the disclaimer small print. In Europe we don't have that much exposure especially at supermarket checkouts. And to get back to supermarkets and why they are so irritating; it's not the shoppers coz they are all just like us, all walks in life, what annoys me is the shop workers not moving aside for you when they are shelving up and pushing in front of you to get to where thay are going. On the other hand I feel strangely invaded when they say hello and welcome to my face. Funny life.

We used to say that twitchy eye was a sign you were coming into money. Made us feel better. And twitchy lip (which I have now) is a sign of love on its way.

Yay!

Funnily enough, myself and the colleague who made this up said it with such conviction it is probably given knowledge in my home town now.

I can't talk about the way people behave in supermarkets. I have already ranted enough about them so much it will show up if I ever have an ECG.

I HATE that twitchy eye thing! For me, it's usually a sign of too much stress or too little sleep.

I go into supermarkets armed with decorem and love for humanity. I swear if any part of my face twitched, I would be asked to one side at the checkout. My eye (right) twitches when I'm stressed but not for 5 years now. Due to less stress. If you are a guy: be courteus to all women and silently laugh at the guys.

Actually - a little bit more sunshine in a dark thread. As usual I stepped back out of someone's way in the Co-op last night, and swung my basket in front of me to create more room. The man coming past thanked me!. He was at the checkout in front of me too and turned and smiled when I let a little boy just buying toothpaste in front of me.

There are people who value courtesy out there you know. Thanks for reminding me Icile - and welcome if you haven't already been welcomed!

You are very welcome. I do that all the time, especially for old people. If you go into town thinking you are going to be pushed and shoved then just think about your own kindness: I smile at everyone. If you are in a super super hurry (happens) then do what I do: go slower especially when driving. Drag it out and go home safe and say to yourself or whoever "that went well." For me. Hate to think how the soreheads sleep.

It's like those commercials (aka adverts) for . . . whatever it is. Little acts of kindness multiply and come back to you.

I think I told you guys before that one year several years ago my New Year's resolution was to make sure I complimented good service to that person's supervisor, or the customer service desk, or whatever. I still try to remember to do that. It doesn't cost me a dime, and hopefully it makes someone's day, helps them on a raise evaluation, or whatever.