Indeed it is not.

What I don't get is the "snacking through the store" trend, where not only do they help themselves to the grapes, but you see kids sitting in the cart munching their way through a box of cookies or crackers. Is it not possible to survive a half hour or hour of grocery shopping without eating?

Maybe it's just my age or traditional upbringing showing, but my parents didn't find it necessary to feed us during a trip to the store and in fact taught us that the items didn't belong to us until they were paid for. I suppose "eat now, pay later" may be related to the current mindset of instant gratification and people buying things on credit.

Yes, there are certainly worse things in the world, and it may be a perfectly acceptable practice to many, but I admit I was a bit surprised the first time I saw this.

For the record, I've never seen anyone, adult or child, grazing the produce department and I've been grocery shopping thousands of times.

Would you be as horrified to see me drinking a cold bottle of soda as I shopped? Sometimes you get thirsty and checking out is still 30 minutes away. It's not like I'm going to stash the empty behind the Cheez-its. Technically, it's not mine yet. But, I'll continue until a shop employee objects. I think I've adequately expressed my intent to pay by opening it.

As far as kids eating in the store, it may not be the first stop of the day. Maybe Mom's gathering up a few staples after 4 hours in a Doctor's waiting room. And it's 2 hours past Junior's regular lunchtime. I know some people would strongly object to a demonstrably cranky kid in the store. I think opening the box of graham crackers is preferable. Kids aren't machines. Finding the on/off and volume switches isn't always simple.

This is right up my alley since I am a checker at a grocery store You are right they should know the difference between a cucumber and zucchini regardless of training. As far as asking how something tastes I am guilty of that but that is because at least for myself I really do want to know as seeing someone come through my line might be the only time I see someone buying that particular product. So at least for me it isn't meant to be all up in your business and it might just might be the same with your checker. Now for my pet peeves at the grocery store: bratty kids running around or screaming their heads off, people in line gabbing on their cells not paying attention to what is going on (i.e. what they are doing on the payment machine or answering checkers questions in a timely manner), paper or plastic sir? Really it isn't a freakin SAT question, on the self check out pay attention to what the machine is saying and don't get pissy with the checker cause you aren't paying attention to the prompts, people who put in a veggie bag more then one variety of apple or any fruit or veggie. Ok yes I understand save the planet and I thank you but recycle the bags, there are others behind you in line, and why must people look for that one darn penny? Ok those are my pet peeves at the grocery store. Oh before anyone yells at me over all at my new company I work for I like my job and over all they are much better then Safeway customers by a long shot! I almost heart Kroger

Let me guess? Safeway? One of many reason why I wont shop there anymore.

The checker nonsense with the club cards when the lines are long.

Impotent managers calling for extra checkers/baggers instead of jumping on and helping themselves-and tellong(not asking)employees to leave the stocking of the shelves for a second to help at the registers.

HUGE pallets blocking the aisles-hire more people and stock before opening hours.

A few chains(Whole Foods and Bristol Farms are infamous for this)stock far too much Fish,Meat and produce than normal turnaround-so freshness suffers and everything is suspect in these departments.The display is pretty-but I could live with smaller dispalys and fresher fish,meat,vegetables.

Staffing specialty areas with staff who have neither knowladge or passion for what they are selling.

Also for the record, I never said I was horrified but that I was surprised. Yes, that goes for adults drinking soda as well. I see it happening often enough that it must now be acceptable, but it makes me wonder how on earth we ever survived before... and while I understand the reasons you give in your reply, yes, it still does surprise me when I see it.

I always try to use the self-checkout, even with coupons. I've found it still is faster for me.
Agreed! If I wanted to donate a dollar, I would contact the organization.

I see you've visited our local K-mart! Some days I wish I had a Hummer so I could just blast my way out of there.

Local Albertson's has added cup holders to the carts. The new, giant carts.
Avoiding the enormous kiddie cars and the fiendish oldsters caroming around in the electric carts is challenge enough but now I have to push something designed to hold more groceries than will fit in my car. Yes, they have handheld baskets, but put in a few bottles of wine and some milk and suddenly you are wishing for wheels.

My pet peeve: Starbucks near the front entrance. Takes up half the produce section and the lines block the entrance. They also stake our their space with freestanding kiosks selling SB products that are like a slalom course.

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My biggest pet peeve are the baggers/checkers who put one or two things in a bag. They then get upset when I rebag everything and stuff it in one or two bags.

The other day I was at Safeway and the woman in front of me lined up her items, end to end, barcode facing up, in a single file line down the center of the belt. Of course, she couldn't be troubled to stop this nonsense so the rest of us behind her could start unloading our baskets.

I hate it when supermarkets only carry national brands of beer. Budweiser, Bud Light, Heineken, Sam Adams....B O R I N G!

It would make sense for markets to stock local microbrews...it's time to support the truly tasty beers!

Actually all the US supermarkets do it but I have never observed it in Europe. I do detest Safeways in Maui though. If you stop for more than 4 seconds or attempt to read a label you will have a Safeway employee trying to assist you or asking "How are you today?". I think they get a $0.25 bonus for every "How are you today?".

MisterNice

Funny, because that has actually worked to my advantage a number of times.

After seeing the receipt, often my shittakes would be rung up as plain mushrooms, which are significantly less expensive.

Of course, this does serve to illustrate why the employees should be better trained, as it can get expensive for the store.

This is one of the reasons I use self checkout. It's faster to find the produce codes on the list and punch them in myself than it is to explain what all of my vegetables are.

Another pet peeve: giant bins full of non-grocery items taking up space. My local Krogers have stuffed animals, DVDs for sale (and the "Redbox" where you can rent DVDs that just takes up space ), and a bunch of other crap. Trying to compete with Wal-Mart, I guess. I'm not amused.

I used to be tired of hearing that, too, until I started working for a non-profit organization that is the beneficiary of many of those $1 donations. We get around $50,000/year, one dollar at a time, from five local grocery stores and it makes a huge difference in our ability to offer quality programs to people in our community. Just thought you'd like to know that there are real people benefiting from what you're tired of hearing.