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.

t points to Erin's post

I don't so that. If I have to write a check or even use my debit and only have a couple of items, I don't even go NEAR the espress lane.

I can't decide if check writers annoy me more, or people who decided to use a bonus card, coupons AND and atm/debit/credit card AND ARE ABSOLUTELY BEFUDDLED BY THE TECH.

Yes, I know those stupid readers vary from store to store, but.....staring at it hard will not swipe the card for you.

I lived in NYC long enough that I scream invective in my head at people who wait until they get to the cashier to pull out their wallet at fast food joints.

"What, is it a surprise EVERY TIME that you have to pay for your food? They told you how much it was when you ordered, you didn't think you might actually, oh, open your purse and get your money ready at that time instead of standing there?"