A small mistake in a grocery store should never turn into a moment where you feel singled out.

So, what would you do if you apologized after a simple misunderstanding in a grocery store, but the cashier and another shopper just couldn’t let it go and kept making comments? Would you be embarrassed and leave the store without buying anything? Or would you wait through the line and check out with someone else?

In the following story, one shopper chooses the latter, and it just happens to be the store manager working the line. Here’s what she did.

AITA For complaining about a cashier after she told me off for lining up in the wrong section

Earlier today, I went to the local supermarket to buy some meat for a BBQ. I don’t normally go here and only moved to this part of my suburb a few months ago.

When I was done, I went to the registers. I noticed one had a shorter line, while the other was much longer.

The other register, which was longer, was the only register that you could buy smokes and alcohol from, so I assumed, since today was a public holiday, that most people were probably getting alcohol with their food. So I went to the smaller line.

I was standing there, probably about a minute, when the customer in front turned to me and went, “You know it’s ONE line for all the registers” (this was said in a very sarcastic tone)

The cashier confirmed what the lady had said.

To which I look at the cashier, who confirms this, but not in a nice way, “Yeh, ONE line.”

Now this was new to me. I had been to plenty of shops, and it was always the case that you lined up behind the register you wished to pay at. This supermarket was also part of a chain, and in their other stores, it was never the case that you had to line up in one line.

There were also no signs indicating that it was a 1-line-only policy or whatever.

So I replied, “Oh ok, I’m sorry. It’s a bit confusing.”

She tried to apologize.

To which the cashier replies, “How is it confusing? It’s pretty simple.” Once again, this was not said in a polite manner.

The other customer then chimes in with, “Seriously, how can not notice something so obvious?”

The cashier is now trying to hide her laughter.

I replied, “I’m sorry, there was nothing to indicate it, and I’ve never been to a shop with one line for all registers policy before.”

The cashier kept making snide remarks.

Cashier says, “It’s really obvious. There is nothing confusing about it, and I don’t know how you couldn’t have noticed it in the 1st place.”

The cashier and customer are now both just (in my eyes) being mean about it. Both keep at me about how I couldn’t notice something so obvious, etc…

I hadn’t made a big deal. I apologized. I didn’t kick up a fuss or refuse to move. I just said it was confusing.

I turned around and said (in ****** off tone), “Look, I said I’m sorry, I just stated that it was confusing, you didn’t need to be rude about it.”

Frustrated, she refused to go through that line.

I then walked off and lined up behind the other people.

When it came my turn to be served, I refused to go to that lady’s register and ended up being served by the store manager instead (it wasn’t planned. He just happened to be on the next register that opened up).

I explained what had happened and how upset I was. I pointed out that nowhere does it state that you need to line up in 1 long line instead of at the different registers.

Now, she’s getting mixed opinions.

He apologized but stated nothing further.

I walked out of there and cried (I hate confrontation).

Some people have agreed with me and said I did the right thing by complaining, but others have said I should have just left it and that the cashier was probably just stressed from working.

AITA?

Yikes! Situations like this are always so objective.

Let’s see how the readers over at Reddit feel about what happened.

Here’s what a supermarket employee thinks.

Here’s someone who gets it.

For this person, she made an innocent mistake.

That’s why this reader doesn’t like new stores.

That cashier is so far out of line that they should be fired ASAP.

If you enjoyed this story, check out this post about two gym members who say an employee is rude for kicking them out well past closing time.