It was a Saturday, and the store was very full. I work at the big electronics place, where people come to buy new TVs and phones. I like my job because I get to talk to many different people every day. Some people are happy, some are confused, but I always try to help them. My manager, Mr. Henderson, says I am good at it because I listen well. My right ear is shaped a little different than most people’s. It is not bad, just not the same. Sometimes I see people look at it, but I do not worry. It is just part of how I look.
Today, my job was at the checkout counters. The lines were very long. It felt like everyone decided to buy something big at the same time. I scanned items, took money, and told people to have a nice day. Each time I finished with one person, another person stepped up. The line did not get shorter, not really. I saw a young man, maybe around twenty-two or twenty-three years old, waiting in my line. He had a new video game system in his cart and a big smile. He looked a little impatient, tapping his foot, but he was waiting his turn like everyone else. He was about three people away from the front.
Then, a woman came walking very fast. She was not old, maybe in her late thirties. She had clean, nice clothes. Next to her was a man, I think her husband, who looked bored. He had his hands in his pockets and was looking around like he did not want to be there. The woman, she looked like she knew exactly what she wanted. She did not look at the line, or the people. Her eyes were straight ahead, like she had a goal. I thought maybe she was going to ask me a question, or go to the customer service desk. But no, she walked right past everyone.
She stopped at the very front of my line. She stood right next to the person I was helping. Then, she looked at the young man who was three people back. She did not say anything. She just stood there, holding a small box, waiting for me to finish with the customer I had. The young man in line saw what she was doing. His smile went away. He looked at her, then at the line, then back at her. I could see him take a deep breath.
When I finished with my current customer, the woman stepped up to the counter before anyone else could. The young man from the line spoke up. He said, in a kind voice, “Excuse me, ma’am, but the line starts back there. We’ve all been waiting.”
The woman turned her head slowly to look at him. She did not look surprised or embarrassed. She just looked at him with a steady stare. Her husband, who was still looking bored, shifted his weight a little. She said to the young man, “I have only one item. And it is a very small item. It will take me less than a minute. You have a large item, I can see. It will take you much longer. It makes more sense for me to go first.”
The young man did not like this answer. He said, “But everyone else has small items too, or big ones. We all waited. It’s not fair to just cut.”
I spoke up then, trying to be calm. “Ma’am, he is right. The line is back there.” I pointed to the long line of people stretching behind him. “You need to go to the end.”
She looked at me, not angry, but with a look like I was not smart. “That is not practical,” she said. “I am in a hurry. My husband and I have important appointments to get to. My time is valuable. This store should have a fast lane for people with single items. Since they do not, it is common sense for me to move ahead quickly.”
Her husband then spoke, for the first time. His voice was whiny. “Yeah, we really need to go. We’ll be late because of this.” He gestured vaguely at the line.
I felt my patience starting to get thin. It was one thing to be mistaken, but she was trying to use smart words to make wrong things sound right. “Ma’am,” I said, a bit louder now, “the rule is first come, first served. Everyone else is waiting. If you go, then everyone else will want to go. It will cause problems.”
A little child’s toy in another cart, a few feet away, suddenly started making a loud, chirping sound, like a bird with a very long, annoying song. It chirped over and over, making everyone look that way for a moment. It was so loud. The mother quickly tried to turn it off, making a soft shushing sound.
The woman in front of me did not care about the toy. She pushed her small box forward on the counter. “I am not asking to go ahead of everyone. I am only asking to go ahead of this young man, who has a large box. I am being reasonable. It is rude of him to make me wait when my item is so quick.”
The young man in line stepped a little closer. He was getting very mad. “You are not being reasonable! You are cutting in line! Everyone saw you!”
I heard someone from further back in the line shout, “Yeah, get to the back!”
The woman just looked at the young man. “There is no need for such volume. I am speaking calmly. You should do the same.” She then looked back at me, her face firm. “Are you going to serve me or not? Or do I need to speak to your manager about this poor customer service?”
That was it. My calm voice was gone. I put my hands flat on the counter. “You know what? No. I am not going to serve you until you go to the back of the line. You are not more special than anyone else here. We all have important places to be, and we all have to wait.”
Her husband piped up again, “This is ridiculous! We are spending money here!”
The woman narrowed her eyes at me. “I will call your corporate office. I will have your job.”
“Someone should call the manager!” a person behind the young man in line shouted. Another person, a lady a few spots back, pulled out her phone and started tapping on it.
Just then, my coworker, Sarah, came running up to my register. “Hey, can you help me for a second? The printer for the returns desk is stuck again, and there’s a huge line forming over there!” She looked worried. I looked at the angry woman, then at the young man, then at Sarah. My stomach felt a little twisted. There was a big problem at another place in the store, and Sarah needed help right now.
I sighed. “Okay, Sarah, I’m coming.” I looked at the young man, who was now in a very heated argument with the woman, her husband now making a lot of noise too. I felt bad for him. He just wanted to buy his game system and go home. I turned and followed Sarah quickly, looking back only for a second. The woman was still at the counter, pointing her finger at the young man’s face, her words fast and sharp. I did not know what happened next, or if the manager ever came. I only hoped that young man got to buy his game system in peace soon.
