Seriously? What is so fucking hard to understand about this. One line is more efficient and better for all involved.
We have signs at our stores telling us to get into two lines. I don’t see what the big deal is, tbh.
I’m a two line guy. I asked, and the cashier sais there are supposed to be two lines.
Sometimes they have barriers as a hint to form two lines.
God help you if you are smaller than I and we meet in Krogers You Check It line. 
So far this hasn’t been an issue at the Harris Teeter where I shop, since whenever I go to the self-service checkout area there hasn’t been a line to use one of the four self-checkout stations. At worst I’ve had to excuse myself to get past someone at one of the front stations to get to one of the ones in the back.
Are you referring to the self-checkouts like at Walmart where there is usually one nearest the store and one slightly offset nearer the front wall?
I always assumed those were for two separate lines. Admittedly it gets a little complicated when the patron at the first register completes their sale then they have to weave through the line at the second register to leave.
Don’t hate us. We just think we’re right.
I hate when the people don’t form lines at each checkout like a person should.
Me too. I don’t understand the problem here.
Although, honestly, generally the only time that I’m at a self-checkout is at about 6:30 in the morning and there aren’t any lines at all then.
Although I’ve never asked to get any sort of official word on the topic, the Superstore near me has self-checkout lanes, and most of the time the two lanes are attended by a single line. I do find it more efficient as whomever is next goes to the next available checkout and does his or her business; you aren’t left waiting in that one line you always get stuck in where someone ahead of you has half a dozen coupons (one of which can’t possibly be expired), an unidentifiable item that has no tag and is the last of its kind in the store, a pricing dispute on another item, and pays almost entirely with small change.
Not that the self checkouts don’t have their own problems, as you’ll inevitably get the person who has no idea what they’re doing and has to call over an attendant five times, but on the whole it works better for me – as a single-line for two lanes with four checkouts – than the full-serve checkouts.
Military grocery stores rule. Without capitalism forcing candy bars and trashy magazines down our throats, we get to do the 1 efficient line thing.
I don’t get it. All of the self checkouts I’ve never been to are lined up just like regular registers (so, like little chutes) that allow for a single line at each.
Except Home Depot, they have self checkouts that are doubled up, so people just line up behind each row of two.
In most places I’ve seen the queues is one line and let’s say four self serve registers.
It makes sense because this way the next person in line goes first and it’s fair.
Some people see four self serve checkouts and think there ought to be four lines. You get in a line and take your chances.
After all in the “regular lines” there are many openings. If you get in line and it seems short and the person in front forgets their money or credit card declines. You just wait. Even if you were there before all the people that got into other lines.
So these people feel the same principle should apply to self service. You get in a line and if you get behind the guy who can’t work the self service then you wait.
I agree with the OP but not everyone thinks like us
As an a sorta aside.
I am just amazed that some “civilized” countries populace generally don’t even recognize the concept of lines period. Not the 4 seperate lotto lines, or the one line branching into 4 super fair lines.
And these countries will be part of the future Earth’s one big gubment…
There are some stores around here who have those, but the more common style is to have a square shape, where the checkouts are basically at each corner. The one cashier/monitoring station is then centered between the top two. In this case, I completely agree that it’s one goddamned line.
Because mathematics (queueing theory) proves that it is more efficient (more customers will be served faster) to have a single line serving all the checkouts.
But most people don’t understand this. Also, one big line looks longer, so people see it and are upset at the ‘long wait’, even though the line actually moves faster. Plus most store designs work better for many small lines rather than one big line.
Why does the US military hate America 
The grocery store I usually shop at does not have double stacked self checkout lines (instead they have the extra long ones with a separate bagging section) so it’s not an issue.
One long line does seem to make more sense, though I’d worry about people trying to ‘cut’ ahead to get in line for the second one.
I guess the dbl queue makes sense if there is a very limited number of self checkouts. The local supercenter here has at least 10 chutes, some express, some no limits. You check out the efficiency of the shopper in the chute and make a choice. Or commit to a cashier lane.
The big slow downs I’ve seen lately come mostly from coupon clippers with their wads of coupons the cashier has to double check with groceries she already bagged.