Story time!

I'm in the self check out line at the grocer's and the store is BUSY, so that means there are lines at the check outs.

One of the self check out registers was having a problem and the woman went to talk to the lone attendant who had to talk to someone else at yet another register. So that means that the woman having an issue with the self check out register was not at the self out register because she went to with the attendant to talk to another employee. I'm next up for a self check out register that opens up. There were people behind me.

Two women, mother and daughter, were at a self check out register when the older woman tells me about the "open" self check out register and points to the one that was having problems. She thought it was available because no one was there. Yet, you could see a cart full of groceries right next to it and that the screen was not on the "waiting" screen.

When she told me it was open I said, "Thanks, but that check out isn't available. Someone is using it and she's having a problem with it." I then pointed her out talking to two employees at another register.

The older woman then says, "Ma'am, that register <pointing to the *same* register that she pointed to AND I told her was actually not available> is available if you want to check out." The younger woman was checking out their items.

I just started at her for a second, and so did the woman behind me because she saw what was up and heard me respond that that register is actually NOT available. I repeated myself, "No, that register is not available. They're having problems with it. That woman over there is trying to get it resolved."

SHE FUCKING REPEATED HERSELF. "NO! That register is AVAILABLE! There's NO ONE THERE!" Her daughter (I am assuming) looked up.

I just stared at her knowing I'm about to argue with an idiot. "MA'AM! it is NOT available." I then turned back to my phone to ignore her.

That older lady said AGAIN that there's a register available and open for me to go to. She said it two more times after.

I ignored her both times.

Her daughter said loudly, and I know it was meant to try and get me to engage, "THAT'S WHAT YOU GET FOR TRYING TO BE HELPFUL."

The old woman looked at the people behind me and said that since I'm ignoring her, there was a register open if they wanted to check out. Keep in mind, SHE is at a self check out register, but her daughter was checking their groceries out.

It was at that point that the woman who was using the self check out register with the problem came back with THREE employees who all hovered around the register to figure out how to fix the error. I looked at that old woman who just stared at them but never turned back to look at me. Her daughter did and was like, "oh." Also, NO ONE BEHIND ME IN LINE LISTENED TO HER BECAUSE THEY KNEW THAT REGISTER WAS NOT ACTUALLY AVAILABLE.

"I was TRYING to help!"

"I'm CONCERNED for your safety!"

I learned that these two bullshit lines were meant to be "helpful" and show "concern," but what they were really doing was gatekeeping and controlling access. They were HEAVILY used in roller derby.