Seriously, it takes like 1 second to scan an extra item. I used to work as a cashier and I'd take people through express even if they were 3 or 4 items over, because it makes practically no difference. In a lot of places the '12 items or less' is a guideline, not an absolute rule.

I was at the grocery store a few weeks ago and the cashier waved me over to her just-opened checkstand because the line I was in was really long. She was in an express lane, I had a cart full of items. Despite having seen my cart and waved me over, she bawled me out for having too many items.

If, as a cashier working a 12 items or less register, you find it a problem to ring up someone with 13 items, you're a horrible cashier. It takes less than a second to scan it and put it in a bag. If it takes more than that, you shouldn't be a cashier.

Consideracy. That's my new favorite non-existent word!

For all you know OP might have accidentally miscounted their items and thought they had 12. They could have missed one in their counting.

my last job was a supermarket cashier and my manager told us the number is an approximate suggestion not a definitive cut off

Oh, thanks for clarifying, I figured she had a few to go

19, "btw the way"? By the way the way?

You caught that I see. :P

I see you didn't

Well #125, Look at your #78 comment on the other FML. Looks like we all **** up, aaaaaaaaaa? :P

I believe my last was where I misread the FML... To which I admitted to my mistake and didn't reply along the lines of "oh you saw I read it wrong I see". I could be wrong though....

Oh alright! I found it. It's the 78th comment on the FML about the father saying "well that escalated quickly". Now you know, go to town

No it would be YDI if the cashier just made him either go to a different lane or leave one item behind, but verbally abusing a customer is never justified under any circumstances. Yes it is annoying when all kinds of people think the item limit doesn't have to apply to them, but that still gives the cashier no right to say anything bad to that person. You should have demanded to see a manager and got his ass fired.

Most supermarkets allow for a few extra items in the express lanes, and they haven't had express lane meltdowns. "10 items or less" is more of a guideline than anything, so that people don't have to wait behind people with full carts if they only have a handful of items. And anyway, it's quicker to scan through 12 or 13 items than it is to count every single item every customer has to make sure they have exactly ten or under.

I can think of a few circumstances where said rudeness would be acceptable.... but no sane customer would create these circumstances.

Oh you so have a fined tuned something, Horton;)

Or any job that requires talking to people!

Bingo. Maybe go load up another cart and drop that off, too.

Perfect. Have fun with his/her anger and just keep dropping things off. I'd laugh :P

That would have accomplished nothing except to further delay customers in line. The cashier can't leave the check stand and will simply call for someone else to pick up the items and put them back, inconveniencing yet another person.

If was the OP I would have gotten 13 small ish pieces of candy, and gotten back into that cashier's line again just to see him have a breakdown.