So I did some grocery shopping this morning, since there was a brief window of "warm" weather (meaning it hit 20F for the first time in a week) between last week's cold and next week's, so I ran to get it done today.
I was running late, since I had a few items I don't normally get, and it took me a bit to find them and decide, so I'm already a bit twitchy when I get to the front of the store and see none of the registers are open.
"You can go use self checkout!" says an employee just standing around.
And nope, no, no thank you, do not want. Anyone who loves them, great, but I do not. I have only HAD to use them once or twice, and each one is different, and I do not have the time to learn how to use them.
I explain I don't care for them, I'm not comfortable with them, "Oh, I'll walk you through it!" and hey, I appreciate it, but oh god no, no thank you, it's bad enough when I'm doing it on my own, the machine is yelling at me, it feels like everyone is staring at me, people are yelling at me across the store what to do, but it is somehow WORSE having someone standing RIGHT THERE watching me doing everything wrong.
I try and explain I have to catch a bus in a few minutes, my brain is screaming, I DO NOT want to get stuck in town and sit on a bench outside for 12 hours before the bus comes back around. Even if I was willing, this is SO not the headspace to be in to learn this stuff, especially with my vision issues.
"Well, I don't know what else to do for you, you're the only customer right now," and I dunno, open a register? It's your job??
So I wander away, and I am genuinely thinking of just leaving, with all my groceries there, because I HAVE to catch that bus, but I also NEED a few of these items for the next few days until it will be warm enough again.
Fortunately, someone came up and opened a register, and yeah, they almost lost out on an over 100 dollar sale.