Pexels/Reddit

Patience is always a rare commodity in a checkout line, but in this particular story, it was completely out of stock.

One cashier, still new to retail, was doing her best to navigate a busy rush. A few items refused to scan, so a coworker stepped in to help while another register was called to open.

The whole thing took maybe two or three minutes.

But evidently that was too long for one entitled customer, who threw her pool noodles and towels on the floor, stormed out, and called the cashier horrible names on her way.

A second register was opening right there, so she could have just walked over.

Some people will do anything to avoid a short wait.

Keep reading for the full story.

Customer throws her shopping on the floor because I took too long

I only recently started working in retail, which means I’m not as fast as a cashier as I was.

Yesterday, it got fairly busy. We had a huge line, and I had trouble with some items not scanning.

So the employees did their best to get by, but apparently their efforts weren’t enough for one exasperated customer.

While one coworker was helping me figure everything out, we obviously called someone to open up another cash register.

Apparently, we took too long, and this one lady in line just threw her shopping on the floor (some pool noodles and towels) and stormed out of the store, calling me horrible names while doing so.

This employee was understandably flabbergasted by the brazen overreaction.

And while I do get the frustration and how she probably had places to go, we really only took 2-3 minutes.

Another cash register was opening that she could have gone to.

This customer must have really been going through it.

What did Reddit have to say?

You never know how close someone is at any given moment to just completely snapping.

Many “adults” don’t act much like adults at all.

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If there’s one positive thing about working retail, it does help you build a pretty thick skin.

And another thing about this customer…

This customer turned a three-minute wait into a full-blown performance, and ironically, the only person who lost anything was her.

The cashier was new, the scanner was being stubborn, and backup was already on the way, which is about as reasonable as a retail delay gets.

Frustration is human, but a tantrum is a clear choice.

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Author

Benjamin Cottrell

Benjamin Cottrell | Assistant Editor, Internet Culture

Benjamin Cottrell is an Assistant Editor and contributing writer at TwistedSifter, specializing in internet culture, viral social dynamics, and the moral complexities of online communities. He brings a highly analytical, editorial voice to his reporting on workplace conflicts, malicious compliance, and interpersonal drama, with a specific focus on nuanced stories that lack an obvious villain.

As a published author of rhetorical criticism, Benjamin leverages his academic background in human communication to dissect and elevate viral social media threads. Instead of simply summarizing events, he provides readers with balanced, deep-dive commentary into why the internet reacts the way it does. In addition to his cultural reporting, he is an experienced fine art photography essayist and video game reviewer.

When he isn’t analyzing the latest viral debates, Benjamin is usually chipping away at his extensive video game backlog, hunting down the best new restaurants, or out exploring the city with a camera in hand.

Connect with Benjamin on Instagram and read more of his essays on Substack.