Ring 'Em Up

 The first year I worked as a cashier at the store that sold all things from grocery items to clothing to auto supplies Christmas came. 

Christmas is a busy time for all stores and a store like that is no exception. Sales for one day at our store would be at least a million and a half dollars. The selling season is about a month long.

Needless to say there were a lot of people with really big orders. You could see carts piled high with merchandise. Most cashiers did not mind ringing up those big orders because they would simply slide the merchandise down to the end of the lane and someone else filled bags.

For people who only stopped in to pick up a few things and did not want to wait in a line of big orders we had express lanes. If a person was buying 20 items or less these were the lanes to use. It was a lot faster for them and easier for the cashiers.

That first Christmas I was assigned to an express lane. I was kept busy all night.

Then I looked up. Pulling into my lane was a woman with 2 carts piled high with merchandise and groceries. 

I nicely said, "This lane is only if you have 20 items or less." I pointed to the sign above my register. 

She told me she had been sent there. By who? She pointed to my manager.

I looked at my manager. She shrugged her shoulders and lifted her hands as if to say, "What else could I do?"

I gave the manager a dirty look. Then I smiled at the woman and rang up het groceries. I bagged them as I went. Some of the other items were too large for bags. Those I placed right back into her carts.

Then I did what the baggers were instructed to do. I asked if I could help her take her merchandise to her car. She said she could manage 

I then turned off the light indicating that my lane was open. I took my 15 minute break.