Retail Etiquette re: Checkout lines at big-box stores... is it or isn't it a sighting

[Ironclad Alibi]

I was in the OP's situation once, except I had the full cart. A single register was open. A guy came up behind me with two items. I told him he could go first. He balked, but I insisted it was OK. It was not a situation normally encountered.

[marasbaras]

I've let people in front of me before and I've been the one to benefit.

There is no social obligation to do so. And, to not do so is not rude. It's just very magnanimous to allow someone to cut like that.

If some bitch ran over my foot while rushing to the front with a ton of stuff ... I'd probably push her cart aside while she was unloading and insist on going first. Either that our we can get the police involved for a little Assault action.

[nomorecarts]

letting the 2 items person go is nice, but not letting them is not rude, and the 2 items person asking would be truly horrible

also, the way wal mart works

the front end is on a scorecard, the front end assistant manager and/or CSM(s) have probably gotten into a little trouble over that unless it was late at night or early in the morning. they have to have X number of self checks, Y number of belted registers, and Z number of express lanes open. they pull people from the floor for a predetermined amount of time, not just til the lines are gone to meet these requirements. my store opens an express lane at 7 every morning, and they keep it open until at least 9 or 10, some nights probably as late as 12 or 1(friday the 1st, the situation explained my thread "ya think" in brain burps) but I can't say for sure as there's usually one open when I leave at or before 10. if it was overnights the scorecard usually only has 1 cashier on it, and at that point you're waiting for a supervisor to wander past and help you or for the cashier to finish the 200 item order, but don't count on them opening an express lane(not sure how they do tobacco on overnights) the CSM is also not going to be as easy to find on overnights, if there's only one register open they'll be doing things elsewhere until they get beeped to do something by that cashier

[Broomjockey]

I'd say not a sighting, and as for what should be done, I'd just pop over to customer service (if the line's not too long), and ask if they had staffing issues and that's why express registers weren't open (A sneaky way of asking why they're not having them open).