Line Cutters...They DO Exist Past Elementary School!

Today I walked into a bakery, and a woman walked in after me. The lady behind the counter then says, "I can help whoever was next." The woman, who most definitely walked in AFTER me, said, "yes, I would like a loaf of wheat bread, please." Um...excuse me, maam? You were most definitely NOT next. But sure enough, she walked out with her bread before I ever got helped.

A similar thing happened to me a few weeks ago at Office Depot. I was in a pretty big rush, and I was waiting in line for the sole cashier to finish with a customer. The customer left, and a woman and her three children walked right in front of me and put their stuff on the counter. The cashier looks at me and says, "Weren't you next?" But the woman pushed her stuff toward him, completely disregarding me. I didn't feel like putting up a fight.

What is wrong with these people? I mean, this is something you learn in Kindergarten. First come, first served. No cutting in line, no saving spots. You don't completely ignore the person who got there first. It's not the way things work in a civilized society.

Maybe I'm invisible. I never thought of that. Maybe I have a magical power that enables me to go sight unseen to my fellow patrons. If I knew how to harness that power, I could avoid a lot of unpleasant encounters with people I don't feel like talking to. Or maybe these line cutters are just WAAAAAAAAY more important than me. They can tell just by looking at me. They see me and think, my needs are far more pressing than this young woman's, even though she got here first. Screw her...I'm getting my bread before her!

I'm not sure I believe in karma, but in times like this I hope it exists. Then these line cutters might find themselves in a rush and unable to get service. They'll get stuck in that line behind the really slow grocery store cashier and the customer who hasn't updated to debit cards and therefore is painstakingly filling out a personal check. Or they'll be behind that customer who picked the one item without a price tag, and the cashier has to call in a price check. But alas, these people will just get mad for having to wait, and feel as though an injustice has been done to THEM...they won't know it's their punishment for being crappy and cutting me in line. Sigh.

I wish I was as important as these people, so I could walk in front of other people and get service first. Maybe someday. A girl can dream...