Line Cutting at Costco Rant, Long!

[mom to minnie&mickey]

Same thing happened to us today at a halloween event.Some guy in line behind m us to meet a super hero jumped out with his daughter and ran up to the front. I looked him in the eye and said " sir we are all in line ", referring to myself and the 4 families ahead of me. He grabbed his daughter back and said "Come back, stay out of that woman's way, she is obviously in a hurry".

Ummm...dude, you were the one cutting line, you were in the hurry. He was just mad that he got called out on his bad behavior. I just get so sick of the "me,me,me" society.

Exactly, they don't expect to get called out because most people think its not worth the fight and remain silent. When they do get called out on their bad behaviour, they try to turn it around like you are the unreasonable one because when you cannot defend, go on the offence. Good for you!

 

[AnnaFloridaLover]

Like I said Costco was packed with people and most carts were very full. I guess some checkers are more thorough than others but in my case he actually took my bill and ticked off all 9 items i had in my cart.
It was my teenage son who said to me "I hate line cutters" as we have always taught our kids to stick up for themselves but to also learn to pick their battles. In that moment, after having waited in lines for more than 30 minutes he saw the injustice of it and spoke I suppose without thinking.

Not sure it is my problem to give a line cutter an out to save face. I have always been taught and now teach my kids that whatever you do in life be ready to accept the consequences of it.

That is true about accepting consequences and the same goes for confronting someone. You really don't know what they are going to do and there is a crazy person on every corner. It's just not worth it to have a hissy fit over some rude line cutter and that's what I would tell my kids. Pick your battles.

 

[Gumbo4x4]

Those already on an interstate (throughway) have the right of way when it comes to merging traffic. Yes, it would be good if they allow traffic in, but they don't have to.

Sources:
http://www.thenewstribune.com/news/local/article25870837.html
http://www.mlive.com/news/jackson/index.ssf/2011/07/trooper_talk_drivers_must_yiel.html
http://www.mlive.com/news/index.ssf/2012/10/traffic_talk_who_has_the_right_1.html
https://forum.officer.com/forum/pub...rcement-questions/76012-right-of-way-in-merge

Now, if anyone can find a link showing those on the throughway have to give way to the merging traffic, I'd like to read it.

Oh, and OP, the guy was a jerk. You saying anything isn't going to change his ways. He still got away with it.

You're not required to give way, but you ARE required to maintain a reasonable distance between your vehicle and the vehicle you're following. So practically speaking, you are required to "leave a hole".

 

[nancygirl1]

We waited 20 minutes just to get to the cash to pay and then were faced with a second long line to get the receipt checked. The second line was 2 lanes and was quite long with about 20 people in each lane moving slowly.
As we were about 2 people from the receipt checker in the front I noticed him casually pushing his cart trying to find an opening which he did in front of me. No doubt in my mind he knew what he was doing.

I hate people that cut in line. I have said in the past "excuse me, but the end of the line is back there." And I point. I have never had a confrontation because the times I've done it the people have actually listened. Go figure...

 

[manning]

He wouldn't have gotten away with me, I'm mean.

I had this happen to me at Disney years back. A kid butts in front of me. I tell him to get out of line. He looks at me and says his dad is from new York. OK go tell your dad I'm from Chicago. He never came back. must have been the machine gun reputation of the past.

 

[lifesavacation]

That's funny & shows that we're all different. I look past more on vacation than I do at home. It could have something to do with the fact that most people here seem to have no patience & try to take advantage of those of us who have a little patience.

I'm going to try my best to change the way I view line cutters at Disney on my next trip. After the Las Vegas shooting, I'm determined to put more positivity out in the world.

 

[tarheelmjfan]

You're not required to give way, but you ARE required to maintain a reasonable distance between your vehicle and the vehicle you're following. So practically speaking, you are required to "leave a hole".

In a perfect world, that would be the case. When you're driving 75 mph (& many people driving much faster), there's rarely enough space for someone entering the interstate in heavy traffic at a much lower speed, unless a car is able to change lanes or someone slows down substantially (in our area that means getting blown at & people driving aggressively around you), but we try to help people get out. When we're the ones trying to access the interstate, we often have to slow down or stop & wait for a break to enter. We often have to stop to exit the interstate as well. That's the only way to deal with the traffic, unless you're okay with being in an accident. If you don't have to deal with the amount of traffic & aggressive drivers that we do, lucky you.

 

[ols386]

At the Costco in my area, the line to have your receipt checked can be fairly long. The clerk checking the receipts doesn't just glance at your cart/receipt, they will check several (4-6) items to make sure you paid for them.

TBH, I'm not sure why they check items. They don't do that at other stores where I shop.

 

[sasywtch]

Our Costco's here glance at the receipt.

Driving-on ramps. According to a CHP I know, (whether this is the law or not, don't know but it's generally followed anyway), onramps were designed as a "runway" so you can gain the speed of traffic and merge right in at freeway speed. Coming to a complete stop would not be wise here in CA. I don't know about others on here from CA but if I'm in the slow lane and see cars coming up the ramp to merge, I try to get over or I slow down/speed up to let them in. Truckers do the same, they move over to let the cars on the freeway. I don't know where the OP who brought this up is from but if you're driving in CA, I wouldn't do it your way here. The merging car will find it's way in front of you here by poking part of their car in a teeny inch of space to get over and they will not stop. For the all the bad driving we have in CA, this is actually pretty well followed on onramps (letting merging traffic in).

 

[Gumbo4x4]

In a perfect world, that would be the case. When you're driving 75 mph (& many people driving much faster), there's rarely enough space for someone entering the interstate in heavy traffic at a much lower speed, unless a car is able to change lanes or someone slows down substantially (in our area that means getting blown at & people driving aggressively around you), but we try to help people get out. When we're the ones trying to access the interstate, we often have to slow down or stop & wait for a break to enter. We often have to stop to exit the interstate as well. That's the only way to deal with the traffic, unless you're okay with being in an accident. If you don't have to deal with the amount of traffic & aggressive drivers that we do, lucky you.

To be clear, if traffic is running 75, there needs to be plenty of gap between cars to be safe. So, should be plenty of room to merge. Now, if the car merging is trying to merge at well below the speed of the flow of traffic, now it's no longer about space. That's just someone failing to properly merge - part of which is matching the speed of the traffic flow.

 

[tarheelmjfan]

To be clear, if traffic is running 75, there needs to be plenty of gap between cars to be safe. So, should be plenty of room to merge. Now, if the car merging is trying to merge at well below the speed of the flow of traffic, now it's no longer about space. That's just someone failing to properly merge - part of which is matching the speed of the traffic flow.

Unfortunately, on the interstates down here there's usually heavy traffic, with little space. Most people leave a cars length of space, if that. It doesn't matter that there needs to be more. That's not reality. You have to drive with the traffic rather than expect someone to allow a lot of space between cars or expect them to change lanes. If you pull out in front of someone & get hit, you will be at fault regardless of how you think things should be. Defensive driving is the name of the game here.

 

[tarheelmjfan]

OP, again, I apologize for continuing to derail your thread. I just don't think it's right for people to jump all over the pp & tell her/him they didn't know how to drive, when they were the ones that didn't know the rules of the road &/or don't know what it's like to drive in heavy traffic in the real word.

 

[Gumbo4x4]

Unfortunately, on the interstates down here there's usually heavy traffic, with little space. Most people leave a cars length of space, if that. It doesn't matter that there needs to be more. That's not reality. You have to drive with the traffic rather than expect someone to allow a lot of space between cars or expect them to change lanes. If you pull out in front of someone & get hit, you will be at fault regardless of how you think things should be. Defensive driving is the name of the game here.

I'm not buying that. If all the lanes are running THAT close all the time, there's no way you're maintaining 75 MPH.

 

[tarheelmjfan]

I'm not buying that. If all the lanes are running THAT close all the time, there's no way you're maintaining 75 MPH.

It's not all the time. At rush hour, it's bumper to bumper. At other times, it's just heavy, fast moving traffic where it's not always possible to get over for cars entering from major roads. It's often a mad house between cars merging in & other cars trying to get off at the next exit. Come on down & join the circus. You'll quickly see what I mean.

 

[Kaytie]

When you're driving 75 mph (& many people driving much faster), there's rarely enough space for someone entering the interstate

There needs to be, though. Closer isn't safer, faster isn't quicker.

Unfortunately, on the interstates down here there's usually heavy traffic, with little space. Most people leave a cars length of space, if that. It doesn't matter that there needs to be more. That's not reality. You have to drive with the traffic

A [single] car length between vehicles at 75 MPH is ridiculous and dangerous. One car length in stop and go traffic, okay.

 

[tarheelmjfan]

There needs to be, though. Closer isn't safer, faster isn't quicker.

A [single] car length between vehicles at 75 MPH is ridiculous and dangerous. One car length in stop and go traffic, okay.

I agree, but that isn't reality here. We have to drive based on the traffic situation we have. People need to realize that different situations require different responses. Telling someone they are wrong about traffic in their area is naive at best. If people drive thinking cars will slow down for them to merge here, they had better have good insurance.

 

[sam_gordon]

To be clear, if traffic is running 75, there needs to be plenty of gap between cars to be safe. So, should be plenty of room to merge. Now, if the car merging is trying to merge at well below the speed of the flow of traffic, now it's no longer about space. That's just someone failing to properly merge - part of which is matching the speed of the traffic flow.

And you're assuming the on ramps are long enough to get the cars up to cruising speed. We have some that are, but far more will get you up to about 60-65 (keep in mind when most of these on ramps were built) and you finish accelerating once you're in a traffic lane.

Obviously there's a gap between cars on the interstate. That doesn't mean the gap the big enough for a car to merge at speed. And think about it, the merging car would have to be going the exact same speed as the two cars it's trying to merge between.

The bottom line is the LAW states cars on the highway have the right of way. Merging traffic has to find it's way to fit in. That might actually require slowing down (or even stopping) on an on ramp. If I'm on the interstate and I see someone on the on ramp, I'll try to move over. That's not always possible though. I doubt I'd slow down because I don't want to have to rely on the guy behind me anticipating me slowing down.

 

[sunshinehighway]

I'm not buying that. If all the lanes are running THAT close all the time, there's no way you're maintaining 75 MPH.

And there's no way anyone is merging into that from a full stop.

 

[sunshinehighway]

And you're assuming the on ramps are long enough to get the cars up to cruising speed. We have some that are, but far more will get you up to about 60-65 (keep in mind when most of these on ramps were built) and you finish accelerating once you're in a traffic lane.

Obviously there's a gap between cars on the interstate. That doesn't mean the gap the big enough for a car to merge at speed. And think about it, the merging car would have to be going the exact same speed as the two cars it's trying to merge between.

The bottom line is the LAW states cars on the highway have the right of way. Merging traffic has to find it's way to fit in. That might actually require slowing down (or even stopping) on an on ramp. If I'm on the interstate and I see someone on the on ramp, I'll try to move over. That's not always possible though. I doubt I'd slow down because I don't want to have to rely on the guy behind me anticipating me slowing down.

I do understand what you are saying and yes it's the responsibility of merging traffic to fit in. The thing is, if you are stopping often enough when getting on the highway that you complain about people almost rear ending you and getting mad at you, then you're doing something wrong. Stopping on a highway on ramp is not a regular, normal, expected thing.

 

[Gumbo4x4]

And you're assuming the on ramps are long enough to get the cars up to cruising speed. We have some that are, but far more will get you up to about 60-65 (keep in mind when most of these on ramps were built) and you finish accelerating once you're in a traffic lane.

Obviously there's a gap between cars on the interstate. That doesn't mean the gap the big enough for a car to merge at speed. And think about it, the merging car would have to be going the exact same speed as the two cars it's trying to merge between.

The bottom line is the LAW states cars on the highway have the right of way. Merging traffic has to find it's way to fit in. That might actually require slowing down (or even stopping) on an on ramp. If I'm on the interstate and I see someone on the on ramp, I'll try to move over. That's not always possible though. I doubt I'd slow down because I don't want to have to rely on the guy behind me anticipating me slowing down.

Agree on who has the right of way, but as sunshinehighway pointed out, there is NO way a car that fails to merge at 60 is ever going to merge from a dead stop.