I hate being pushed around in the supermarket.

Oh yeah - the other random act of kindness that I see happening all the time here (pretty much every day) - strangers helping (without being asked) women with prams.  Like getting prams up & down stairs, onto & off of buses, etc.  And I'll admit that's something that I wouldn't volunteer to do - because I'm afraid I'd drop it or stumble or something & it would end up being far worse than if I had done nothing. 

[ My husband (UKC) always says he loves going to the US but he is so glad to get back to the UK because he finds people too nice and intrusive and find sit exhausting to have everyone offer to help and so much friendliness lol . He is used to the don't interfere british thing and especially finds it pushy if a shop assistant approaches him - if he needs help he would ask for it. I find people here helpful but if I need help I will ask.Like if my hands are full I will ask the nearest person to open a door or get something off a high shelf.

I can totally appreciate your husbands view Tanya, I know where he is coming from  Sounds awful doesn't it finding people 'too nice and intrusive'?? But I suppose that's the way some of us Brits are.

However, when I have travelled several times now (Minnesota) I have come across the really, really, really, really friendly shop assistants who are so bright and cheery it has me wondering whether they have had too many sweets, or the more laid back, grunt style that I am more used to here    More often than not though, it is really really cheery shop assistants. 

That said it does make a nice change.....and I have become accustomed to the 'Minnesota Nice' although in that respect people are more reserved and laid back..almost horizontal! I love it

This just happened:

I was about to walk into a shop and I saw that a young woman was about to walk out the door at the same time, so I stepped to the side of the door in order to let her get out. (The door was stuck open so nobody had to hold the door.)

Intead of walking straight out the door - which I had purposely given her room to do - as soon as she stepped out of the entrance she turned to the side where I was and almost walked right into me.

I guess she didn't understand that I was stepping aside in order to let her pass.

This afternoon I was leaving the supermarket carrying a bag of groceries. The woman (older to elderly) walking in front of me was carrying two quite large bags ... and a man stopped and helped her carry them to her car.

So it does happen. 

However, when I have travelled several times now (Minnesota) I have come across the really, really, really, really friendly shop assistants who are so bright and cheery it has me wondering whether they have had too many sweets, or the more laid back, grunt style that I am more used to here    More often than not though, it is really really cheery shop assistants.  

As someone who has worked retail in the US:

They're cheery because they're told to be and on occasion they get into trouble if they're not cheery enough.  I've witnessed someone get a verbal warning for not smiling enough at work.  Plus, in almost every state in the US it's a lot easier to fire someone without cause than it is in the UK.

oh, and to pop another balloon (not that anyone's mentioned this one yet): wait staff in the US are helpful and enthusiastic not because they're naturally nice or because US culture is more outgoing or considerate or anything: they're helpful and enthusiastic because they live on tips and it's legal to pay them below minimum wage as long as they make up the difference in tips.

oh, and to pop another balloon (not that anyone's mentioned this one yet): wait staff in the US are helpful and enthusiastic not because they're naturally nice or because US culture is more outgoing or considerate or anything: they're helpful and enthusiastic because they live on tips and it's legal to pay them below minimum wage as long as they make up the difference in tips.

It happens in the UK as well.  The new law in 2008 was supposed to change that, but I've heard that it hasn't always filtered down.

As someone who has worked retail in the US:

They're cheery because they're told to be and on occasion they get into trouble if they're not cheery enough.  I've witnessed someone get a verbal warning for not smiling enough at work.  Plus, in almost every state in the US it's a lot easier to fire someone without cause than it is in the UK.

oh, and to pop another balloon (not that anyone's mentioned this one yet): wait staff in the US are helpful and enthusiastic not because they're naturally nice or because US culture is more outgoing or considerate or anything: they're helpful and enthusiastic because they live on tips and it's legal to pay them below minimum wage as long as they make up the difference in tips.

I agree with that as well! I am typically a pretty cheery person, but I always tried to turn the charm up a notch because it would get me better tips when I did restaurant work. My experience was better with retail, but I had a boss that was also a good friend.

In recent past experience I've had in Idaho, I'm finding more and more that companies in the U.S. get away with the most ridiculous stuff and they do it saying "No matter if you have an issue with it! There's at least a dozen people that would love to be in your position right now so your expendable!"  All because of how high the unemployment rate was in our area! (I had actually heard a manager in my company in a different division make this comment to one of her employees! As her and I were on the same management level, I told her that I thought that comment was very inappropriate to say to an employee and why her employees didn't respect her!) I don't put up with that kind of talk and I hate that companies feel that they can treat their employees that way! I hate the "motivation through fear" tactics! Sad really that it's ok to treat people like that.

As someone who has worked retail in the US:

They're cheery because they're told to be and on occasion they get into trouble if they're not cheery enough.  I've witnessed someone get a verbal warning for not smiling enough at work.  Plus, in almost every state in the US it's a lot easier to fire someone without cause than it is in the UK.

oh, and to pop another balloon (not that anyone's mentioned this one yet): wait staff in the US are helpful and enthusiastic not because they're naturally nice or because US culture is more outgoing or considerate or anything: they're helpful and enthusiastic because they live on tips and it's legal to pay them below minimum wage as long as they make up the difference in tips.

I hate to pop YOUR balloon lamuella but I also have worked retail in the US and tended bar in the UK and I was helpful and friendly because that's just me.  I like to treat people the way I want to be treated.  I like to give customers good service.  I like to be a nice person.  I didn't rely on tips, wasn't threatened with dismissal for not smiling, I just like to do my job well.

I hate to pop YOUR balloon lamuella but I also have worked retail in the US and tended bar in the UK and I was helpful and friendly because that's just me.  I like to treat people the way I want to be treated.  I like to give customers good service.  I like to be a nice person.  I didn't rely on tips, wasn't threatened with dismissal for not smiling, I just like to do my job well.

I'd rather be around happy people than grumpy pusses! So by being nice people are nice to me, I enjoy my day, sometimes I make someone smile who wasn't smiling before (yay!), and getting tips was a bonus when I did restuarant work. I no longer work in restaurants but I do work directly with customers and am still nice because I want to be. I enjoy helping people.

Though I know what lamuella meant, I just wanted to add that some people are genuinely nice. When you're having a cruddy day it's nice to see/count the good things out there isn't it?

Oh yeah - the other random act of kindness that I see happening all the time here (pretty much every day) - strangers helping (without being asked) women with prams.  Like getting prams up & down stairs, onto & off of buses, etc.  And I'll admit that's something that I wouldn't volunteer to do - because I'm afraid I'd drop it or stumble or something & it would end up being far worse than if I had done nothing. 

I've had people do that for me, or hold a door open for me and the pram to get through.

I can just about deal with an ASDA shop if it's not peak time but I NEVER set foot in the veg aisle as it's just too crowded for me to deal with.  We do a lot of internet shops or Aldi or Lidl to avoid big crowds.

And what's up with the horrible grocery carts that have casters on the front AND back so that you can't steer them at all??

That's interesting, because I have the same issue with the ones in the States that only swivel at one end, I find that those are impossible to steer.....they have the turning circle of an oil tanker!

Maybe its because I'm from Texas and we have loads of space even in supermarkets (and city centers)but here I feel like everyone is running into me and I try to be polite and let people through but I am one of few. Sometimes i just want to say something rude but I don't.

You sound just like DW - she's always complaining about this, that people just seem to be coming from all directions!

It all depends where you live. DH and I both absolutely hate going to the supermarket here! We're in East London, and on a Saturday, it is 100x worse than shopping on a holiday in Pittsburgh! DH is a Londoner born and raised, and he absolutely hates it. Sometimes we have to go on a weekend, but if we can, we go at night during the week when it's not too bad (though it is still far busier than saturday prime time shopping back home).

DH and I were just making grocery shopping plans via e-mail, because our list is getting long, and we do NOT want to be caught out during bank holiday shopping.

I do think it's a bit harsh to make a blanket statement that "British people don't think about other people and have no manners," which is a lot of what I am reading. And in fact, I think my British hubby would agree with that. The fact is, when somewhere is as crowded as our Tesco gets, all you want to do is GET OUT, as fast as you can. When we're shopping during one of the busy times, I find myself getting agitated and anxious, and slightly claustrophobic. I am a friendly and polite person (I like to think so anyway) and I make an effort to smile and be nice to people, but in that situation I am not able! 

You sound just like DW - she's always complaining about this, that people just seem to be coming from all directions!

Yes, I think this has to do with the way UK supermarkets are laid out - with stuff all over the place and no apparent logic applied to where things located.

This is not like my experience in the US, where it was usually obvious which aisle everything was going to be in, and you walked up one aisle and down the next, putting your things in your basket/trolley as you went along, while the people in front of you and behind you were going in the same direction as you were. Very organized and takes much less time.

I had completely forgotten that I used to shop like this until it was mentioned on this thread.

I think UK supermarkets do this because if everyone is wandering around aimlessly,  looking for the things they need,  they are more likely to buy crap they don’t need.

That's interesting, because I have the same issue with the ones in the States that only swivel at one end, I find that those are impossible to steer.....they have the turning circle of an oil tanker!

Haha!! I've had a few of those in my time! How about the one's that make noise like nails on chalkboards when they roll!? Sheesh! LOL!

The shopping cart problem is EVERYWHERE you go, not just the UK...Actually, now that I think about it, I haven't had that issue here in the UK yet! The Morrisons that I shop at I think is actually kept up really well in all areas! So I can't complain about much here other than I get ran into by people a lot and they know they are doing it and they don't care, they just plow right through anyways...But my response back is to just go at a different hour when it's not so busy.