I don’t know why but lately common courtesy has become a real pet peeve of mine, or should I say the lack of it. So I have been really focusing on teaching it to my children because with the amount of adults who lack it, the next generation is sure to not catch it.
The one place that I find this to be the truest is in the grocery store. Perhaps I am just too sensitive to the issue but it has gotten to a point where I absolutely dread going to the store because I know that I will be irritated.
For instance, the carts that people stop and park in the middle of an aisle or a small area that no one else can get through. Then they walk over to the vegetables and begin to take their sweet ole time picking something out. Even worse, when you say “Excuse me,” you are met with a dirty look. As if you are in the wrong, how dare you ask them to actually move?
So I tell my children, you should pull your cart over to the side where it’s not in the way of other people. At least make sure there is space for people to walk through.
Then there is the whole walking on the right side. Isn’t that common courtesy? The flow of traffic in a grocery store would be so much smoother if everyone followed this rule. So I tell my children, always walk on the right side. Even if someone else is going against traffic, you do the right thing.
Then we get to the checkout…oh, one of the most irritating things for me is when someone has all their stuff up on the conveyor belt and they can’t seem to muster the energy to reach over and grab the bar that separates groceries.
On my more rebellious days I don’t do it for them, instead, I start piling my groceries right up on the belt so that you can’t tell whose is whose. Then you get that dirty look again, where I scream inside, “You were the one who was supposed to put a bar behind your groceries!”
So I tell my children (I am only rebellious when they aren’t around), always put a bar after your groceries because that shows who they belong to.
But then you get another irritation while you are still in the checkout lane. The person in front of you doesn’t move their cart to the end. This prevents you from putting all of your groceries on the belt. So you wait while they search for their check-card or dig for coupons.
I tell my children that when it’s our turn, move the cart to the end right away, so other people can get all their food items on the belt.
But we’re still not done. Even though I have paid for my groceries and I am on my way out, you get those coming in who insist on pushing their way in rather than letting you out first. Common courtesy is you allow someone out before you make your way in…so yes, I also tell this to my children.
Finally, I remind my children that there is never a good reason to not return your cart. When people choose to leave their carts free floating in the parking lot, they are showing no concern for other cars who could get banged up by them.
Can you tell I went grocery shopping today?
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