The Jerk Who Cut In Front Of Me In Line

On Friday evening, I ran into the grocery store to pick up exactly eight items.  Eight.  Six of which were the same thing.

I went to self check-out just like I always do.  My buggy with my eight items is in front of my check-out station and I am digging in my purse to find my store loyalty card.  I can't find it so I ask the cashier to use the store card so I can get the discounts.

As that conversation is taking place, this guy who looks like he just walked out of the Jersey Shore cast party, walks up and starts to push my cart aside.  I looked at him bewildered.  He asked me if the machine worked.  I was confused.  I said yes, I'm using it.  He was like, well can I just use it first?  And AS HE IS SAYING THIS, he starts using it.  This involved pushing my cart to the side so he could squeeze past me and the cart.

Now this is a normal grocery store.  With normal rules.  There are four self check-out machines.  You wait in line and then go to the first available.  Normal manners and rules of society apply.

Unless you are Jersey Shore man, apparently.

But of course, as is the karma of cutting in front of someone, it didn't quite go as fast as he expected.  He had to fumble for cash and deal with the machine not taking it at first.  There were two cashiers there, and remember, I was mid-conversation with one of them so they were aware of me.  One came up to me because she was going to say something to him, but I rolled my eyes and noted not to worry about it.  Because in the grand scheme of things, this was not the end of the world.

But my personal favorite moment came when he left.  He never turned to face me and practically ran out of there.  But as he was walking away, he said in the most condescending tone, "look, you just made $0.50."  He so graciously left his $0.30 or so there for me, as a favor I suppose for having to deal with his rudeness.

And this my friends, is an example of something that happens to me over and over in life.

Not the grocery store specifics.  That was a new one.

But the whole "nice guys finish last" cliche.  That's me.

I can never find the nerve to say no to these jerks.  I wanted so badly to say no, go wait your turn, you are not only cutting in front of me but the other people in line.  But the words and the gumption never come to me in a timely manner.

I really do believe that the nice guys finish last.  And while I love being nice, I would love to not finish last one of these days.