# Do you get snarky with people with more than x items in the Express Lane? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [December 21, 2011, 8:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-get-snarky-with-people-with-more-than-x-items-in-the-express-lane/606933 "2011-12-21T08:34:02Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2011, 3:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-get-snarky-with-people-with-more-than-x-items-in-the-express-lane/606933/41 "2011-12-22T15:35:28Z")
> [@Alessan](#): > > I know ignoring people can be hard if you’re from Iowa - maybe you should take classes from New Yorkers. Just one of the many life skills that can be learned form New Yorkers. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![hogarth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hogarth/32/1773_2.png) [@hogarth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hogarth)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2011, 3:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-get-snarky-with-people-with-more-than-x-items-in-the-express-lane/606933/42 "2011-12-22T15:36:09Z")
> [@expectopatronum](#): > > i don’t get snarky with people at the grocery myself. i just look for the shortest line (which is not necessarily the express lane- there were dozens of times while working as a cashier i’d observe a line 6 people standing in the express lane while there were several other empty registers open) and go on my way. I look for the shortest line too, but women count as two people for that purpose. As noted on the Simpsons: > [@](#): > > Apu: Let’s go to…that line. > Marge: But that’s the longest. > Apu: Yes, but look: all pathetic single men. Only cash, no chitchat. ---
**Author:** ![lieu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c2a13f/32.png) [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2011, 3:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-get-snarky-with-people-with-more-than-x-items-in-the-express-lane/606933/43 "2011-12-22T15:38:13Z")
No. I will question someone that is intentionally rude or commits some actually egregious offense but I’m not getting worked up over people just being people. ---
**Author:** ![Bridget\_Burke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7cd45c/32.png) [@Bridget\_Burke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bridget_Burke)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2011, 4:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-get-snarky-with-people-with-more-than-x-items-in-the-express-lane/606933/44 "2011-12-22T16:07:26Z")
> [@monstro](#): > > OK, I went back and read the OP. > > Why would you brag about this? She was a pain, yes, but you have no moral high ground either. She might have been the type to go beserkers on you, your friend, and your son. And you would have only provoked her. > > Your son needs you to model how to handle such situations maturely. Pissed off or not. Hey, he’s got to learn how to snark. He’ll be a teenager some day & grateful for his training… (I wouldn’t snark at the situation. Especially at this time of year–tempers are high enough at Target. Besides, this is Texas; they might be armed!) ---
**Author:** ![PunditLisa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/4af34b/32.png) [@PunditLisa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PunditLisa)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2011, 4:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-get-snarky-with-people-with-more-than-x-items-in-the-express-lane/606933/45 "2011-12-22T16:13:08Z")
> [@CitizenPained](#): > > I’m not so pretentious as to pretend to be the Perfect Role Model All The Time on the intarwebs. Serious question: How old are you? ---
**Author:** ![expectopatronum](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/expectopatronum/32/173_2.png) [@expectopatronum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/expectopatronum)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2011, 5:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-get-snarky-with-people-with-more-than-x-items-in-the-express-lane/606933/46 "2011-12-22T17:47:29Z")
> [@hogarth](#): > > I look for the shortest line too, but women count as two people for that purpose. this woman doesn’t. i say hello, swipe my card, and leave. transaction takes about 30 seconds since i usually have an express lane amount of items. ---
**Author:** ![Fair\_Rarity](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fair_rarity/32/153_2.png) [@Fair\_Rarity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fair_Rarity)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2011, 1:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-get-snarky-with-people-with-more-than-x-items-in-the-express-lane/606933/47 "2011-12-23T01:57:10Z")
A few months ago, a guy tried to cut me in an express line. While I think I was technically over the limit (something like I had 17 in a 15 line or similarly close), cutting is not the answer. When I said “Excuse me, but I was behind that guy,” he stared into my cart, mentally counted my stuff, and glared at me as he got back behind me. I normally don’t go over the limit, or if I do only by a couple (by number of total items, not numbers of kinds of things), but I figure I am generally super fast, so I don’t really worry too much about it, and I am a big person for following the rules. I will use a carriage, even if it is an express lane. I’m not going to carry a 12-pack of soda around the store and 8 jars of baby food just so someone doesn’t get offended I might be using the “wrong” lane when I’d be very clearly under. When I cashiered express lanes, if someone came uninvited way, way over the limit, after I was done ringing them up, I’d say “Just so you know for next time, this is an express lane.” I wouldn’t refuse them service, but I didn’t want to see them back there the next day, as express lanes often just have a counter and not a moving belt, which makes big orders really hard to process. Also, the other customers in line would hear me say something to the “bad” customer and not be assholes to me about it when it was their turn. ---
**Author:** ![bengangmo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/50afbb/32.png) [@bengangmo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bengangmo)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2011, 2:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-get-snarky-with-people-with-more-than-x-items-in-the-express-lane/606933/48 "2011-12-23T02:27:52Z")
Kinda off topic, but what surprises me is the number of people that would stay quiet for fear of being beaten up. Is shopping in America really that dangerous and violent that you’re going get a smackdown for telling someone they have broken the rules? ---
**Author:** ![Acid\_Lamp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d6d6ee/32.png) [@Acid\_Lamp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acid_Lamp)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2011, 2:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-get-snarky-with-people-with-more-than-x-items-in-the-express-lane/606933/49 "2011-12-23T02:52:37Z")
> [@bengangmo](#): > > Kinda off topic, but what surprises me is the number of people that would stay quiet for fear of being beaten up. > > Is shopping in America really that dangerous and violent that you’re going get a smackdown for telling someone they have broken the rules? No. The board just skews this way for some reason. I’ve spoken up in public any number of times and rarely had anything more aggressive than a “mind your own damn business” tossed back at me. ---
**Author:** ![Comicenbe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/59ef9b/32.png) [@Comicenbe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Comicenbe)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2011, 3:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-get-snarky-with-people-with-more-than-x-items-in-the-express-lane/606933/50 "2011-12-23T03:00:53Z")
Not really, but I get snarky in general 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Purple\_Scottie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/a698b9/32.png) [@Purple\_Scottie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Purple_Scottie)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2011, 3:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-get-snarky-with-people-with-more-than-x-items-in-the-express-lane/606933/51 "2011-12-23T03:08:29Z")
I usually assume that they may have been specifically waved over by a cashier due to other lines being busy when the express lane isn’t. Not specifically express lanes but tonight the pharmacy was so busy areas that generally don’t do general checkouts (the actual pharmacy check out, photo area) were repeatedly paging overhead encouraging customers to come check out in those area. If I have been waved over and after I get in line but before start actually being checked out and a person with the 10 items gets behind me, I offer to let them jump ahead of me. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2011, 5:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-get-snarky-with-people-with-more-than-x-items-in-the-express-lane/606933/52 "2011-12-28T05:58:49Z")
No, but, in general, I don’t get snarky with people offline, unless it’s someone I know well–and even then only after I know they’ll receive it as intended. One person’s snark is another person’s fighting words. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-get-snarky-with-people-with-more-than-x-items-in-the-express-lane/606933.md?page=2)