Crowded Supermarkets

[jon0844]

When you get to a certain age, you develop X-ray vision! That's also how you can tell everyone younger than you is up to no good, even when you can't see them!

 

[LE Greys]

All very true but on the subject of what I call 'bread manglers' (imagine what would happen if they did that in a bakers shop ) there are also fruit squeezers,just look at all the thumb shaped bruises on the apples.Also is it neccesary to examine every tin of beans on the shelf before choosing one.

With tins, you don't want a dented one, because they are not properly airtight. Still, it should be possible to find one in the first couple of rows. Unlike most other stuff, getting the older ones (conveniently placed at the front) does not matter too much.

 

[strange6]

I must admit to being a loaf squeezer. It's the only way to make sure if it's fresh or not. Nothing worse than buying old bread

 

[HawkeyeTheNoo]

I hate crowds generally so supermarket shopping isn't a pleasant experience for me, but at least I don't have my wife's trouble of having her bottom "accidently" brushed against in the aisles every week! :-x

 

[2Dogbox]

Never go to the supermarket on a Saturday or Sunday as it will be chaos. I prefer going weekdays or in the middle of the night, but then again I can do that because I work shifts, I feel sorry for anyone who has to go on Saturdays.

I also squeeze bread. There is nothing worse than a stale loaf or one that lasts for about a day. I always look for a decent date on the bread too.

 

[Smethwickian]

I've always said that a supermarket that doesnt allow children under 12 would be a major success! The reason why screaming, yelling, moaning and I want'ing can be heard country wide is that kids just dont wanna go to asda in there free time!

Going back to the original title of this post - don't get me started on children! Why do people feel it necessary to take them everywhere, no matter how busy?

And why do some people with tiny, tiny babies have HUGE buggies the size of a small family car? And not just the buggies, but huge bags hanging off every part of it - what are they carrying? Spare clothes, nappies, feeding equipment, food, toys, tissues, wipes, more nappies, more clothes - all for a quick trip to the shops. For goodness sake, GET OUT OF MY WAY.

I would suggest lockers or cages people could leave them in (yes, buggies and screaming, smelly contents) at the entrance to shopping centres and supermarkets, but that would only encourage them into town in the first place and they'd still be dawdling along the street blocking every avenue of escape.

 

[SS4]

Going back to the original title of this post - don't get me started on children! Why do people feel it necessary to take them everywhere, no matter how busy?

And why do some people with tiny, tiny babies have HUGE buggies the size of a small family car? And not just the buggies, but huge bags hanging off every part of it - what are they carrying? Spare clothes, nappies, feeding equipment, food, toys, tissues, wipes, more nappies, more clothes - all for a quick trip to the shops. For goodness sake, GET OUT OF MY WAY.

I would suggest lockers or cages people could leave them in (yes, buggies and screaming, smelly contents) at the entrance to shopping centres and supermarkets, but that would only encourage them into town in the first place and they'd still be dawdling along the street blocking every avenue of escape.

Seconded, in addition you could abolish the parent and child parking spaces too. People are just too slow nowadays, I'd love to see a minimum speed limit imposed. Failing that some sort of one way system or fast lanes

 

[Smethwickian]

Seconded, in addition you could abolish the parent and child parking spaces too.

Oh, yes! Share that space out so that the rest of us aren't having to breathe in quite so hard just to squeeze in and out of the car in inadequately sized spaces.

Parents can chuck their horrid sprogs in the boot and get them out the back so why do they need to open the door any wider?

 

[strange6]

Never go to the supermarket on a Saturday or Sunday as it will be chaos. I prefer going weekdays or in the middle of the night, but then again I can do that because I work shifts, I feel sorry for anyone who has to go on Saturdays.

I also squeeze bread. There is nothing worse than a stale loaf or one that lasts for about a day. I always look for a decent date on the bread too.

Yes, Warburtons are giving their bread 5 days now so watch those dates and get molesting that loaf!

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

Has anyone noticed groups of Eastern Europeans setting up organized car washing facilities on supermarket car parks. They must be registered with the supermarket owners, as no-one ever moves them on. We now see a few of them in Cheshire East.

 

[LE Greys]

Has anyone noticed groups of Eastern Europeans setting up organized car washing facilities on supermarket car parks. They must be registered with the supermarket owners, as no-one ever moves them on. We now see a few of them in Cheshire East.

One group (of locals, I think, having never tried their service) operates in St Michael's Car Park in Stevenage. They've been there for years. M&S doesn't seem to object and nor does the Council.

 

[GB]

Has anyone noticed groups of Eastern Europeans setting up organized car washing facilities on supermarket car parks. They must be registered with the supermarket owners, as no-one ever moves them on. We now see a few of them in Cheshire East.

They seem to be springing up all over the place, not just supermarkets. I have seen several at petrol stations, garden centers and closed down petrol stations.

 

[anthony263]

Struggled through Tesco at 9am yesterday. parents with young children who cant control them and who wont get out of the way. Had problems with OAP's too busy chatting while they blocked the isle, swore at 1 old lady yesterday.

Everyone seems to cram around the reduced to clear shelf's at tesco as well.

I did manage to get a good size pizza at very low price, which i had for supper with family last night

 

[HST Power]

Struggled through Tesco at 9am yesterday. parents with young children who cant control them and who wont get out of the way. Had problems with OAP's too busy chatting while they blocked the isle, swore at 1 old lady yesterday.

Morrisons is a nightmare when it comes to OAP's, but young children are the worst when the parent/s can't control them. One morning, it was 3:00am on Sunday and nor me or my wife could sleep so we decided to get up and go straight to the Tesco 24 hour. Totally empty, shopping done in twenty minutes, perfect!

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

We get a better class of shopper at Waitrose in Wilmslow. The children are with Nanny and the more mature shoppers are having their provisions delivered by Ocado.

 

[HST Power]

We get a better class of shopper at Waitrose in Wilmslow. The children are with Nanny and the more mature shoppers are having their provisions delivered by Ocado.

I used to go to Waitrose but don't live near one anymore. My normal store is now M&S, with Tesco being used far less than what I once did.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

Don't you just hate the people with trolleys who seem to go into a day dream and block your path, get in your way etc. The worst is when you get about 2 or 3 women with trolleys stood in the middle of the aisle gossiping away and blocking the path!

The worst time to be in a supermarket is when large re-stocking deliveries are made from their logistics carriers and not all the shelves are then re-stocked overnight, meaning that all the aisles during the following morning are littered with full metal wheeled cages full of products for the shelf-fillers to use to re-stock the display areas. These metal cages are sometimes not attended by anyone, but just left there, blocking many aisles. These are far worse than people, as they are too heavy to move out of the way.

 

[SS4]

I was in asda today thinking I'd pop in and get some coke. Normal in and out job and self-service. Of course it didn't end up that way, my trolley was like a class 323 - just as soon as it got enough speed up it had to stop again because some idiot had wandered out in front.

Here is a list:

• Kids at least four paces behind their parents
• People stopping at random dead ahead
• Trying to force their way down an aisle which was partially blocked
• Cut up countless times
• Idiots walking slowly infront
• Getting glaring looks for letting a disabled person through the aisle
• Rammed once
• Noise
• A complete disrespect for staff trying to stock the shelves

 

[HST Power]

I was in asda today thinking I'd pop in and get some coke.

I apologise for saying this, but the way you wrote that, I couldn't help thinking that you were buying something much more exciting than Coca Cola....

• Kids at least four paces behind their parents
• People stopping at random dead ahead
• Trying to force their way down an aisle which was partially blocked
• Cut up countless times
• Idiots walking slowly infront
• Getting glaring looks for letting a disabled person through the aisle
• Rammed once
• Noise
• A complete disrespect for staff trying to stock the shelves

The kids part is what annoys me the most, with slow walking coming a very close second. I'm one of those people who'll always be moving at speed, whether it be in a supermarket, on a bike ride or walking to the station, I don't slow down! Being stuck behind slow people infuriates me, especially on the motorway. As far as the kids go, it's crazy. If they're not forty miles behind the parents screaming because they can't have the toy water gun, they're sixty miles ahead, and the mothers are standing about screaming 'get back ere', get back ere' now you little.....'

(H deliberately missed out!)

 

[SS4]

I apologise for saying this, but the way you wrote that, I couldn't help thinking that you were buying something much more exciting than Coca Cola....

It would certainly attract a different clientèle to Asda .
I was after some coca cola since they have it on offer at 15 cans for £4 at the moment.

The kids part is what annoys me the most, with slow walking coming a very close second. I'm one of those people who'll always be moving at speed, whether it be in a supermarket, on a bike ride or walking to the station, I don't slow down! Being stuck behind slow people infuriates me, especially on the motorway. As far as the kids go, it's crazy. If they're not forty miles behind the parents screaming because they can't have the toy water gun, they're sixty miles ahead, and the mothers are standing about screaming 'get back ere', get back ere' now you little.....'

(H deliberately missed out!)

Agreed, if a place is worth going to it's worth getting there quickly. Especially when you know what you want. In addition I never turn around on the spot, instead I loop around.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

When you get to a certain age, you develop X-ray vision! That's also how you can tell everyone younger than you is up to no good, even when you can't see them!

Thank you for making this point. I thought that only my wife and I were blessed with this ability.

 

[HST Power]

I was after some coca cola since they have it on offer at 15 cans for £4 at the moment.

15 cans for £4!!

I'm off to Asda!

 

[Tracked]

I like my local Morrisons branch, the way it has 2 exits that both have revolving doors but at any given time 90% of the customers are all trying to get in/out through the same exit and invariably end up stopping the doors revolving because too many people have tried to cram themselves into too small a space

It's not like it's that much difference distance-wise to the car park or anything, they're right round the corner from each other.

 

[Hydro]

People who "browse" items that are right in the way of what you want to pick up. For instance, I'm pootling around Asda with my trolley, with a good idea of what I want. Up and down each aisle, targeting what I need and having a quick scan of the aisle in case anything catches my eye when I turn into the dairy aisle to get me some yoghurt. The fridges are innaccessible, due to crowds of drooling dairy perverts staring and and ogling the products, and no-one ACTUALLY PICKING SOMETHING UP, PUTTING IN THE DAMN TROLLEY AND MOVING THE HELL ON. <deep breath>.

Aisles should be one way, with people cruising up or down the middle of the aisle, and pulling off to one side to stop, get their items, then rejoin traffic. Not weave from one side to another, turn a 180 and change direction, or God himself forbid, realise they've walked past what they want and abandon their heaving trolley in the middle of the aisle with 4 kids hanging off it and run back! The temptation to engage ramming speed and turn my trolley into a novelty Class 31 and view theirs as an errant Renault Espace is all too tempting.

 

[valenta]

Marks and Spencer have an irritating habit of having bottles of wine at the bottom of aisles, primed for somebody to knock them off with a trolley.

 

[LE Greys]

People who "browse" items that are right in the way of what you want to pick up. For instance, I'm pootling around Asda with my trolley, with a good idea of what I want. Up and down each aisle, targeting what I need and having a quick scan of the aisle in case anything catches my eye when I turn into the dairy aisle to get me some yoghurt. The fridges are innaccessible, due to crowds of drooling dairy perverts staring and and ogling the products, and no-one ACTUALLY PICKING SOMETHING UP, PUTTING IN THE DAMN TROLLEY AND MOVING THE HELL ON. <deep breath>.

Aisles should be one way, with people cruising up or down the middle of the aisle, and pulling off to one side to stop, get their items, then rejoin traffic. Not weave from one side to another, turn a 180 and change direction, or God himself forbid, realise they've walked past what they want and abandon their heaving trolley in the middle of the aisle with 4 kids hanging off it and run back! The temptation to engage ramming speed and turn my trolley into a novelty Class 31 and view theirs as an errant Renault Espace is all too tempting.

Unfortunately, not everyone has eyes like a SAL guidance system. I've occasionally found myself next to aisles scanning and scanning, and still can't find what I'm looking for and have to ask someone, who points out that it's been right under my nose the whole time. I doubt I could find a Bible in the Vatican Library sometimes.

Of course, if I do spot the target, my vision goes black-and-white, I lock on, track in and strike!!!
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

Marks and Spencer have an irritating habit of having bottles of wine at the bottom of aisles, primed for somebody to knock them off with a trolley.

Then you have to pay for it. It that their thinking?

 

[SS4]

15 cans for £4!!

I'm off to Asda!

Oddly enough it was 30 cans for £8 when my dad went on Thursday. But before you speed off Sainsbury's are doing 6 packs of coke for BOGOF at £3.09. Per can this is 0.92p cheaper than Asda

People who "browse" items that are right in the way of what you want to pick up. For instance, I'm pootling around Asda with my trolley, with a good idea of what I want. Up and down each aisle, targeting what I need and having a quick scan of the aisle in case anything catches my eye when I turn into the dairy aisle to get me some yoghurt. The fridges are innaccessible, due to crowds of drooling dairy perverts staring and and ogling the products, and no-one ACTUALLY PICKING SOMETHING UP, PUTTING IN THE DAMN TROLLEY AND MOVING THE HELL ON. <deep breath>.

The reduced meats section at Asda is the worst for this by far. The trolleys are in a semi-circle around the section like the wagon trains of the Wild West!

That being said I've had trouble finding stuff before including items as obvious as semi-skimmed milk in the milk aisle (I sometimes have trouble with green and red).

Aisles should be one way, with people cruising up or down the middle of the aisle, and pulling off to one side to stop, get their items, then rejoin traffic. Not weave from one side to another, turn a 180 and change direction, or God himself forbid, realise they've walked past what they want and abandon their heaving trolley in the middle of the aisle with 4 kids hanging off it and run back! The temptation to engage ramming speed and turn my trolley into a novelty Class 31 and view theirs as an errant Renault Espace is all too tempting.

Agreed, I'd like to see a minimum speed limit on the mid section too. In addition, I have felt like ramming trolleys out of the way although with me I think of the conservation of momentum (assuming an elastic collision to make the maths easier!) - speed up and increase mass

 

[HST Power]

A few years ago, I remember reading in the Telegraph about how different German supermarkets are to those over here. If you go shopping in Germany, you can use trolleys with inbuilt GPS systems that direct you to your items. You can insert your Visa card into the trolley to pay the bill and perform a whole other variety of rather interesting tasks merely by pressing a few buttons on the interface. I cannot remember how widely used these trolleys were used, but still, it sounded like quite a neat little gadget!

 

[LE Greys]

A few years ago, I remember reading in the Telegraph about how different German supermarkets are to those over here. If you go shopping in Germany, you can use trolleys with inbuilt GPS systems that direct you to your items. You can insert your Visa card into the trolley to pay the bill and perform a whole other variety of rather interesting tasks merely by pressing a few buttons on the interface. I cannot remember how widely used these trolleys were, but still, it's quite a neat little gadget.

It could probably get you to the section, but not the actual product.

"It's in the tinned goods section."
"I'm in the tinned goods section!"
"Third shelf up on the left."
"I'm looking at the third shelf up on the left!"
"Just to the right of the baked beans."
"I'm looking just to the right of the baked beans!"
*Points out required tin like a conjuring trick*
"Where the hell did they come from?"

 

[HST Power]

It could probably get you to the section, but not the actual product.

"It's in the tinned goods section."
"I'm in the tinned goods section!"
"Third shelf up on the left."
"I'm looking at the third shelf up on the left!"
"Just to the right of the baked beans."
"I'm looking just to the right of the baked beans!"
*Points out required tin like a conjuring trick*
"Where the hell did they come from?"

I imagine they work just fine in Germany, but I'll bet if they tried to import them over here they'd have to perform a whole load of ridiculous tasks thus making the system symbolic of British technology...unhelpful, annoying and extremely irritating!