"Mark Brader" wrote in message
...

Today in the supermarket I use, half the lanes are set up for the
customer to bag the stuff -- I hate this, as it takes much longer,

That is definitely not true here in my experience. It may be that US
supermarket checkout people are much more experienced at packing, but I can
pack my purchases twice as fast as any spotty "clerk".

What really infuriates me - and I think it may have been covered here
already - is the people, mainly women, who take an age to get out their
means of payment. It's the shocked expression on their faces when the
checkout person tells them the cost of their shopping - did they think they
wouldn't have to pay? And then the delay while they root around in their bag
for their cards/money...sometimes I could scream!

Ian