Nah, they just count through the bag.

I'm saving plastic! The environment!

This is a tough call. I never buy more than one or two lemons or limes, so I dunno.

Who here has ever apologised to the checker, other shoppers, or both for being over the limit?

Last week the checker called me over to the express lane because no one was in her line, and I was in a long one. I had a basket full o' crap, and said I was over, but she made the universal sign of not giving a shit about the rules, the raised eyebrow followed by, "eh."

Of course, as she was checking the stuff some one got in line behind me and huffed.

And in my head I was screaming, "TOTALLY NOT MY FAULT!"

But I just ignored the person because I wasn't feeling at all apologetic.

This was a long useless story brought to you by the letter "P" for "procrastination."

I will sneak into a second movie in a multiplex with no problem, but I won't go over in a checkout line. It makes ethical sense IN MY HEAD.

Well, if you're a Kantian, it's not consistent, but if not, sneaking into a movie doesn't quite have the same externalities as making someone wait.

Recently, the only time I'm in the Express Lane is when I'm doing the check yourself out thing at Sav-a-Center. Which I love.

Self checkout! Self checkout rocks. Except for the part where they switched around the machines at my local one so you can't type in the name of your wacky unstickered vegetable anymore, you have to cycle through lists looking for the right one.

I figure that's because we've got a big Spanish-speaking population here and they don't want to make correct selection depending on English spelling skills, but still. Annoying.

I totally had that recently, too, Allyson! It's like when you go in the men's room (when it's a one-holer and there's the inevitable line for the women's) and come out to men waiting. Oops.

As someone who's been a cashier, it's faster to scan them individually for quantities under, say, ridiculous.

Plus then they don't have to teach the cashiers how to count.

One place we shop at has a 10 items more or less lane. I like.

I think you are warped by NYC-style shopping. Out here where there are plastic burbias nearby, even 20 items is express. Especially compared to that person with 2 teetering full carts over there.

Oh yeah, you're totally right. So what counts as 'express' should be adjusted to the size/clientele of the store.

Once again, if I were just in charge of everything, everything would be so much better!

I count items. And I glare and make nasty comments under my breath if people are really awful -- like thirty items.

But what really pisses me off is express lane (cash or credit only) usage when people WRITE CHECKS.

Esp. when I am standing behind them with one bottle of lemon juice or something and a dollar bill. I get really huffy and bitchy then.

My only problem with Self Chckout is that when I'm getting 15 frozen dinners (it happens, okay?) I can't keep the full bags balanced on the bag holder thingy and it yells at me if I put them in my cart before I'm done.