# Discussion thread for the "Polls only" thread (Part 3) **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [January 29, 2026, 6:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-3/1027157 "2026-01-29T18:21:35Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 191
**Author:** ![Procrustus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/procrustus/32/2994_2.png) [@Procrustus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Procrustus)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2026, 11:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-3/1027157/3801 "2026-10-30T23:07:01Z")
> [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](#): > > When you notice when it happens, maybe it would be good practice to politely PM the offender and suggest they edit their reply to a “Never mind” and repost in this thread. Or ignore it. (I may have been an offender in the past). I don’t think we in danger of losing control over our beloved “polls only” forum. ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2026, 12:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-3/1027157/3802 "2026-10-31T00:53:58Z")
> [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](#): > > It’s understandable that people will occasionally accidently post discussion in the other thread. I think part of the problem was that at least one person linked to a poll from another thread, and that may have drawn some people who didn’t realize they were in a “no discussion” thread. ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2026, 2:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-3/1027157/3803 "2026-10-31T14:21:04Z")
Another “which of these” pools that really needs an “i think none of these are rude” option. ---
**Author:** ![LavenderMagnolia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/2bfe46/32.png) [@LavenderMagnolia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LavenderMagnolia)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2026, 2:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-3/1027157/3804 "2026-10-31T14:26:58Z")
I honestly forgot. Will try to add. ---
**Author:** ![Mollie\_Magill](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mollie_magill/32/20882_2.png) [@Mollie\_Magill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mollie_Magill)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2026, 2:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-3/1027157/3805 "2026-10-31T14:47:08Z")
I think the hovering in the car is rude, unless there are no other spots open. You can walk that extra fifty feet; I’m not going to rush and break my eggs because you’re lazy. ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Drake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ad7895/32.png) [@Dr.Drake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Drake)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2026, 4:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-3/1027157/3806 "2026-10-31T16:09:42Z")
Agreed. The “leave the money on the counter” option is borderline, and also problematic in other ways, but I must admit that I’ve done it maybe twice. ---
**Author:** ![Thumper668](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thumper668/32/20803_2.png) [@Thumper668](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thumper668)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2026, 4:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-3/1027157/3807 "2026-10-31T16:16:01Z")
All of those things are a little inconsiderate, but I don’t think any of them crosses into rude territory. ---
**Author:** ![ricepad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b38774/32.png) [@ricepad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ricepad)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2026, 4:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-3/1027157/3808 "2026-10-31T16:19:57Z")
Waiting for somebody to finish loading their car so you can have their parking spot is rude if you’re impeding other parking lot traffic. If not, then not. But would it kill you to walk an extra 50 feet? ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2026, 4:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-3/1027157/3809 "2026-10-31T16:33:38Z")
You are assuming there are open spots 50 feet away. I only wait for someone to finish loading if there aren’t any spaces in the lot. Which happens from time to time in most of the lots i use. ---
**Author:** ![SCAdian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scadian/32/3292_2.png) [@SCAdian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SCAdian)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2026, 5:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-3/1027157/3810 "2026-10-31T17:25:18Z")
Another “which of these” pools that really needs an “i have no idea who any of these people are” option. ---
**Author:** ![Mollie\_Magill](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mollie_magill/32/20882_2.png) [@Mollie\_Magill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mollie_Magill)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2026, 5:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-3/1027157/3811 "2026-10-31T17:51:12Z")
Like I said. It’s not rude in a full lot. ---
**Author:** ![LavenderMagnolia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/2bfe46/32.png) [@LavenderMagnolia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LavenderMagnolia)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2026, 6:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-3/1027157/3812 "2026-10-31T18:15:46Z")
I was a supervisor at one grocery store, where people occasionally tried the “leaving money on the counter”. There were two or three regular customers who always came in for a newspaper, and they were allowed - since before I worked there - to take one and leave the money. Typically these people would say hello and hold up their paper before setting money down. One minor annoyance is that items need to be scanned for inventory, so when you leave money, an employee needs to get another one of that item and scan it, then put the money that you left into the register. This is simple enough, but I think it raises a question of “Other customers wait in line to buy one or two items; why allow that person to skip the line?” There was one time when I turned away from a register at the Customer Service Desk, after several transactions, and saw about four dollars sitting on another part of the counter. Nobody had said anything to me. I didn’t know what that money was supposed to pay for, nor how long it had been there, so I would not know where to start looking on the cameras. And we were usually too busy for me to close down the Service Desk and go watch footage. ---
**Author:** ![thorny\_locust](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thorny_locust/32/431_2.png) [@thorny\_locust](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thorny_locust)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2026, 6:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-3/1027157/3813 "2026-10-31T18:19:26Z")
> [@SCAdian](#): > > Another “which of these” pools that really needs an “i have no idea who any of these people are” option Those I just skip. Skipping the checkout line might, I suspect, potentially get you in trouble even if you do leave enough money. How do they know it was enough, after all? They weren’t able to check what you were taking. And you’re probably screwing up their inventory, because it wasn’t scanned. I don’t think it’s rude, exactly; but I do think it’s a bad idea. ---
**Author:** ![carrps](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carrps/32/2957_2.png) [@carrps](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carrps)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2026, 7:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-3/1027157/3814 "2026-10-31T19:01:51Z")
Just read the new polls, and the one about the shopping cart strikes me as a tiny bit rude. I have offered and been offered a cart either of us had just finished using. If I don’t need one, I’ll say so, but the onus is still on the offerer to return their cart. Not to expect the offeree to take it for them. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2026, 8:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-3/1027157/3815 "2026-10-31T20:01:41Z")
_The store is busy and each checkout lane has at least three customers. A person only wants to buy one item. They take the item, leave enough money on the counter at the Customer Service Desk, and walk out._ This may be illegal and is certainly rude. True, for things like newspapers, some stores are Okay with it. _the checkout lane, there is no bagger, so the cashier does it. The customer does not help the cashier bag their items._ If a large order, this certainly can be rude, as it makes more work for the cashier and slows up the line. If the customer complains about how the cashier is loading the bags, it goes into VERY rude. ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2026, 9:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-3/1027157/3816 "2026-10-31T21:56:51Z")
> [@thorny\_locust](#): > > > [@SCAdian](#): > > > > Another “which of these” pools that really needs an “i have no idea who any of these people are” option > > Those I just skip. Same. That’s obviously a poll for someone other than me. 🤷‍♀️ ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Drake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ad7895/32.png) [@Dr.Drake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Drake)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2026, 10:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-3/1027157/3817 "2026-10-31T22:05:40Z")
Yes. When I have done it, it was because the cash register was unmanned and the cashier was nowhere in sight, for several minutes. I figure I was doing them a favor by not just stealing. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-3/1027157.md?page=190)