My wife had an appointment, so I volunteered to handle the grocery shopping with our three-year-old son. We spent well over an hour making our way through the store, checking off everything on our list. By the time we were done, our cart was completely packed and the total was probably around $600.
When we finally reached the checkout area, I realized there wasn’t a single cashier available. Every traditional register was closed, and the only option was self-checkout.
There were eight self-checkout stations, all occupied, with more than ten people already waiting in line. Several of the carts ahead of mine were just as full as mine, if not bigger. Everyone looked frustrated, and people were visibly sighing and wondering why there weren’t any cashiers.
After waiting for several minutes without the line moving much, I estimated it would probably take at least another 45 minutes before it was my turn. I also wasn’t thrilled about scanning hundreds of dollars’ worth of groceries myself, including produce that needed to be weighed and looked up manually.
The longer I stood there, the more irritated I became. I knew my wife was expecting me back, and I didn’t want her appointment to end with us still stuck in a checkout line.
So I made a decision. I took my son out of the cart, left the full cart where it was, and walked out of the store.
Later, both my wife and my sister told me I handled the situation poorly. They said the employees would likely have to throw away the refrigerated and frozen items because of store policy, creating unnecessary waste and extra work for the staff.
I understand their point, but I also don’t think customers should be expected to wait nearly an hour and do the work of a cashier when the store has chosen not to staff any registers.
So, AITAH for abandoning my full cart and leaving the store instead of waiting it out?