Nightmare at the checkout counter!
I managed to majorly piss off my local checkout lady one fateful evening in Argentina.
Supermarket shopping is a real chore for me, I’m no foodie I want to get in and get out. The lines here are huge and very slow moving so I always do small shops and use the express lane which is still crazy slow, 15 items max.
This had been going well for weeks until one day I had 17 items, yup a whole 2 items over the limit! With my minimal Spanish I had no idea what the lady was angrily saying to me when she wouldn’t scan all my items. This went on for some time until someone kindly pointed out to me I had broken local protocol and gone over the max limit.
I paid for the 15 items with cash as a courtesy to speed things up, the other 2 were still on the checkout, I figured she would put them through quickly for me after. But no she put them behind her and gave me a hand gesture to leave (I have no problem with the sign language wasn’t rude as such it’s just a way I have to communicate here).
The worst part is one of those 2 items was the chicken for my dinner L so off home I went tail between my legs haha. I felt bad but was disappointed with the way she handled it. No grudges held, I can see the funny side now but safe to say I count my items now every time.
For the record most people here are very friendly and helpful, never short of a smile. I do love it here was just a learning curve :)