Unpleasant Incident

[lathany]

I had something of an unpleasant experience shopping in my local Tesco store today and I'm still wondering if I handled it right.

Now, I've always had a big thing about personal space and have never liked the people who move beyond the (cashier) end of the conveyor belt. The ones that particularly annoyed me were the people who stood far enough forward that I couldn't use the signing counter for signing. However, I've never said anything about it.

I will also add how much I hate the new pin machines in Tesco (and everywhere else). I don't feel that they are secure enough and always stoop over them in a protective fashion when typing in my pin. (Yes, I suspect you can already see where this story is going...)

Right, back to today. There were two men behind me in the queue and neither of them were staying back behind the stopping point on the conveyor belt. One of them was wandering back and forth around the aisle (the other cashier point behind me was empty) and the second one was standing right opposite the cashier. I handed over my card, heaved shopping into the pushchair and heard the cashier ask for my pin. I straightened up and looked around meaningfully. This worked, not at all. The one opposite the cashier still was. The other one was now standing directly behind me.

So, I asked them to stand back because I wanted to type in my pin. Needless to say, they were both very offended and rude (although they did actually stand back).

I felt rather guilty about the whole thing for several reasons (even though I keep justifying it).

i. They were both looked the sort of unshaved, unkempt types that television always portrays as the bad guys. (Although, I believe I would have said the same had they been anyone else.)

ii. I probably could have typed the number in without them seeing what it was. (But only probably; with them situated at different angles and both close it would have been difficult.)

iii. I was all but accusing them of trying to steal my pin. (Although, I really couldn't think of a better way of putting it.)

What would you have done? If it happens again, is there any other way of dealing with it? Or am I simply underestimating the security "sides" of the new pin machines?

Comments

[lathany.livejournal.com]

you'd probably say "Sure, no problem" wouldn't you?

<shuffles>

I would. However I'd also panic about being in their personal space and then come home and write an LJ entry about "How close should you stand to someone at a pin machine?"

;-)

[arralethe.livejournal.com]

And breathe

I think what we're trying to say here is you're a rare, polite, civilised person. Unfortunately, the word that makes the difference there is rare