KaySquirrels Blog Thingy

Here in the UK, once you’re done loading your groceries onto the conveyor belt in the checkout aisle, it seems to be your responsibility to put the little separator-thingy onto the belt, to indicate where your items end. It makes more sense to do things this way, since there’s nothing as annoying as the person in line behind you starting to unload their shopping cart before you’re done, leaving you with little or no room on the conveyor. It also seems a lot more courteous to do it yourself, so that the person behind you doesn’t need to stretch and contort themselves to reach over all of your items to grab their own separator.

In Canada, we usually do things the other way. Before you start to load your food on the belt, you need to put the separator bar down, to indicate where your items begin. I’ve never seen it done any other way, but I think I prefer the way it’s done on this side of the pond.

People over here aren’t as concerned with where their food is on the conveyor belt, though, and it almost makes me twitch. A Canuck MUST advance in line along with their items, keeping themselves right beside the beginning of their groceries. No, I can’t tell you why. If you want to annoy a Canuck, let their Kraft Dinner boxes get more than a few inches away from them.

The British are quite happy to plunk that little bar down and let their items get further and further away from them in the checkout lane. It boggles the mind, I mean who knows what can happen?! Maybe it’s because they don’t have Kraft Dinner here, and so can’t possibly understand the passion we have for those unnaturally orange coloured little noodles..

But could this be a Canada vs. UK phenomenon? Are there places in Canada where people put the bar down for the next person? What do you think is the best way to do things? Should I contact my consulate if I am prevented from standing within easy reach of my items?