I hate being pushed around in the supermarket.

A colleague was complaining about bicycle riders who swoop up behind you and then start ringing their bells at you so that you're startled and don't know which way to jump. I hate the ones that shout "right" or "left" and I'm never sure if that means they want to pass on that side or they want me to jump that way (into a bush).

I understand everyone is in a hurry, but when someone literally pushes me out of the way with their shopping basket so they can get what I was trying to reach for, without even acknowledging my existence it tends to annoy me. You can say 'pardon me', 'excuse me', 'sorry', or 'get the hell out of my way'. Any of them are fine, I just want people to acknowledge they are aware of my presence. I am 5 ft 6 and chunky, so no one can really use the exuse they didn't see me. If I need to reach to get something, I will say 'Excuse me'. I have found the majority of people look at me like I am insane for being polite.

Grocery shopping here leaves me cranky and out of sorts for the rest of the day because it feels like no matter what time of day or day of the week I go, it is when the crazies and rudest people in town decide to go. Every week I toy with the idea of 'having a few' before going just to see if it makes it easier. 

Gosh, didn't realize people had such a bad time with grocery shopping! I have maybe experienced some of the aggro, say, at the Camden Sainsbury's on a Saturday afternoon. But normally -- in Leeds anyway -- I would hit the shops fairly early and only encounter a few old dears who were fairly civilized. Times to be avoided were schools home-time and Test Matches. The thing that bothered me was having to trudge up to the shops every-single-day-after-day because we did not have a vehicle (no, I tell a lie. we did have a car but no driving licenses! ) We would try to go as a family on Saturday and do a big shop but still had to drag out every day.

You think about this a lot, don't you, sweetpeach? 

No. It was brought up here so I mentioned it. I don't have a problem with people's behaviour in supermarkets either.  I have had to learn to adjust to different ways of doing things . I learn by paying attention to the way the people around me do things. Better to learn how the people around me maneuver than to always worry about being pushed or bumped.

I've tried the 'when in Rome' way of doing things but it just didn't work for me. Being rude and pushy, bumping into and running over people without so much as a 'get out of my way' goes against the way I was raised. I am trying to find a middle ground somewhere, but still fall into the 'shocked and outraged' area of feeling bruised and abused by the time I have finished my list.

I immediately thought of this thread tonight when I was in Tesco earlier-

I was looking at something and this woman's trolley was in my way, so I was looking around it.  She had wandered two feet down looking at something else. But she immediately ran over, pushed her trolley out of the way of where I was looking and apologised extremely politely for having her trolley in my way. I told her not to worry at all!

I am one of the lucky few I guess since I say excuse me when I need to get by or I a patient just like I would be in the US.
The only part that bugged me was being rushed at the checkout - that stopped now that I primarily shop at sainsbury as their policy is not to start the next person until you are completely done - I appreciate that!

The only part that bugged me was being rushed at the checkout

I never pay until I'm fully bagged and loaded up. That way they have no choice but to wait fo rme. 

I always shop online and have our food delivered.  My hubby was amazed at how less crowded the stores in the area of the USA we visit are. 

I never pay until I'm fully bagged and loaded up. That way they have no choice but to wait fo rme. 

Good idea. I hate having to bag yourself -- I can never go fast enough. On the other hand, having done it myself I can put all the cold stuff together and I know where the eggs are 

I never pay until I'm fully bagged and loaded up. That way they have no choice but to wait fo rme. 

Oooh! Remind me to never stand behind you in the queue at a supermarket!! LOL! I'm always in a hurry and I'm probably the annoying person trying to rush everyone else through.

Oooh! Remind me to never stand behind you in the queue at a supermarket!! LOL! I'm always in a hurry and I'm probably the annoying person trying to rush everyone else through.

Hehehhee. I'm sure I'm pissing everyone off!

I never pay until I'm fully bagged and loaded up. That way they have no choice but to wait fo rme.  

I do the same.  I can't deal with someone else's groceries being thrown on the counter on top of mine while I am still trying to put mine away.

I never pay until I'm fully bagged and loaded up. That way they have no choice but to wait fo rme. 

And that is how it should be!  Obviously I do the same.  I do not rush.  That is how phones and keys are lost, wallets and debit cards left behind.  They can all wait, same as I would patiently wait for them.  It would go a lot faster if the cashier would help, though!  But that would take standing up.    I could never do that job sitting down all day, straining my neck to  look up at people and all the groceries rolling by at chest hight.  (Honestly though I never have more than one big canvas bag plus a small backpack full of stuff anyway.)

I hate how the bagging area is on a downward slope and everything comes tumbling down into one mess of a pile.

A colleague was complaining about bicycle riders who swoop up behind you and then start ringing their bells at you so that you're startled and don't know which way to jump. I hate the ones that shout "right" or "left" and I'm never sure if that means they want to pass on that side or they want me to jump that way (into a bush).

If they're riding their bike on the sidewalk, they have to wait for you since they're technically braking the law. Bikes on the sidewalk are a huge pet peeve of my husband. He doesn't move out of their way. Bikes belong on the road, not the footpath!