The invisible cashier

[Imogene]

who was literally on the to clock out for the day, and asked if she could check her out.

I've had that too many times to count. People come up to me as my FES is busy shutting down my drawer, I'm just hanging out, waiting.
"Are you open?"
"I'm sorry, I'm closed."
"Well, you shouldn't be."
"Sir, as it is, I'm in danger of going into overtime, I was scheduled to leave at *beep*, it is now *beep* If I stay any longer, I won't be returning next week. There is an open register at #, and, once my manager finishes what she's doing, she'll be back on her register."

Or those people who try to get me to sign back in once my drawer is closed.
"You should open a lane and help your coworkers check out customers!"
"I have no money in my drawer. I couldn't do anything to help. Plus, I was told to, 'Get your ass home!', so, off I go. There are backup cashiers who can and will be called to help ring if my coworkers deem the lines are too long."

[greensinestro]

Then starts screaming at me "ISN"T THERE ANYONE WORKING HERE?????"

I've actually said this, but usually at places like McDonald's or Taco Bell. It irritates me to no end when I go in to one of these places, and when I walk up to the counter, nobody is there, and none of the employees in the back that see you say "Can I help you?" or "Someone will be there in a minute, sir". I usually have to say "Isn't there anyone working here?" I wish they would reply, "No, we're bullshitting back here!"

[Becks]

Too bad when something is closed/out of order, we can't sprinkle fairy dust on it to make it invisible.

That would rule.

[Sableonblonde]

It irritates me to no end when I go in to one of these places, and when I walk up to the counter, nobody is there, and none of the employees in the back that see you say "Can I help you?" or "Someone will be there in a minute, sir". I usually have to say "Isn't there anyone working here?" I wish they would reply, "No, we're bullshitting back here!"

Back when I was a cashier, I was pretty much the only person who stayed in front of or at least near their register all the time. My co-workers were constantly wandering off to talk to someone on the other end of the stand. It would make my blood boil whenever a customer would come through their line, notice there was no cashier, then come over to me instead. My co-workers would figure since at least there was person on a register (me) it was no big deal. And I admit, if someone would come into their line, I would just tell them "Someone will be with you in a moment" and just wait for my co-worker to notice they had a customer. God, I hated working with other people, I never want to do that again.

[AirHostess]

I love when I see that happen at check in at the airport, passengers standing at an empty desk waiting for a check-in agent...as if they will magically appear!

[Miffed]

we would call people down to the empty third or fourth register, no one would move. They would glance over to the empty line, then just look away and keep standing where they were, even if they were behind like four or five other people.

That's pretty much the norm for me during 7oclock rushes. I'm always on the end of the active registers, which is always the ignored spot. Even after I obviously finish serving someone, people in the line will just stare at me when I call out. They don't say anything to anyone, they just stare at me. And people who walk up to me (after not waiting in the lines) look at the lines, then at me, the lines, me, probably thinking it's too good to be true. I serve those people since, hey, why not? nobody else is coming over!

Somewhat ironic because when I would be helping people and walking around behind the stand to get their stuff, somebody will come up to a closed register (on the left side next to the huge lines) and try to get my attention, rattling off what they want. Sometimes demanding to be served, only to be told we were busy

[smileyeagle1021]

this makes me happy that when I worked at the concession stand at the theatre that we had just one line... complete with those fancy ropes, and we'd just call up the next person like at the bank... kept most of the idiots at bay.
working at longs we only had a total of 3 registers and the photo desk... I was 1st cashier (not as nice as it sounds) so I always ran a lane... you would be amazed how often people would just stand at the photo desk waiting for someone to show up when there was a huge sign up there telling people to have the cashier page a photo employee over.