How does it work when another till opens up?

amother

Wed, Oct 11 2023, 7:32 am

If there is a long queue of people waiting to pay, some with large trolleys, with a lot of stuff. And a new till opens up, can someone who just heard that a new till was opening go quickly into the new lane to pay for a few bits? The person wasn't in the original long line to begin with. They were waiting around to see if another till would open.
Happens to be this was a non Jewish shop, sells household goods etc. I genuinely want to know what's right. Who from the large queue would go over to the new one, would the queue just split in half?

amother

Wed, Oct 11 2023, 7:36 am

amother Dustypink wrote:

This is the most British thing I have ever read lol

Lol!! I'm British but does this not happen in US?
I was the person who wanted to pay for a few things. A guy in the original queue got angry at me, when I asked the lady at the till (with the long line of people) if someone is coming to open another till. He said well if one opens one of us we would go there, there's a queue over here!
I left my things and went out! Sad

At kosher food stores it actually annoys me when someone does what I was going to do. If I was the next in line, and no one was behind me I'd go to the new till first as I was waiting. So I kind of get this man, but I wasn't in the queue in the first place. I was hanging around, risking a place in the long queue, if a new one was going to open up. That's when no one is behind me, not one long queue.

amother

Peru

Wed, Oct 11 2023, 7:39 am

I think if a new till opens its first come first serve just like any other till that already has a queue.
So whoever gets there first is first whether they were already in another queue or just came to the till area.
It's annoying but that's life no?

amother

Wed, Oct 11 2023, 7:42 am

amother Peru wrote:

Yes I do agree, I didn't even know what number till was going to open up. He could've also gone out, left his place in large queue and waited for the person who was called to arrive to open up.
He got angry, I'm extra touchy now, I'm not messing with anyone, or causing a chillul Hashem.

cbsp

Wed, Oct 11 2023, 7:43 am

I don't know the UK, but in the US it depends... If there's a single line (queue?) feeding the different lanes, then the same customers will keep the order, hopefully getting their turn a bit faster.

Otherwise, unless the new cashier says "next in line" to those already waiting then it's a free for all (and some will elect to stay in the original, now emptying, line). Some will get upset (as in your scenario) but there's nothing to stop other customers who just finished shopping getting in the new line first, why should those already waiting not have a similar opportunity?

Amelia Bedelia

Wed, Oct 11 2023, 7:47 am

amother Peru wrote:

This

amother

Peru

Wed, Oct 11 2023, 7:50 am

cbsp wrote:

I think OP means a situation where each till has a separate queue, obviously if there was only one queue and multiple tills like there are in lots of clothing shops then whoever's first on line goes to the next available till.

amother

Wed, Oct 11 2023, 7:50 am

cbsp wrote:

Yeah so it wasn't the type of line that has the person say 'next' or a number being called out.

amother

Wed, Oct 11 2023, 7:52 am

amother Peru wrote:

Yes, each till has its own line and own number.
Happens to be only 1 till was open. I heard the ping of the woman calling for another one to open so I didn't bother to even join her queue.

This guy was almost at the front of the line so I don't think he would've risked going into a new one that hadn't opened up yet.

amother

RosePink

Wed, Oct 11 2023, 7:55 am

This is why many stores are forming 1 line and you go to the next available cashier when you get to the front
It’s annoying to go into a store that has 15 possible registers and they only open 2 and the line is very long.
Some stores by me will only take the next customer that was waiting and then others can come in
If it annoyed you you shouldn’t have done it to others. Especially in such turbulent times when the world at large is waiting to point fingers

amother

Junglegreen

Wed, Oct 11 2023, 7:57 am

I think the next person in line from the original line would go to the new register opening up. And anyone else from the front of the original line who wants to go. Then anyone else can join from wherever.

Usually the cashier opening the new lane makes an announcement that the next in line can go to them.

amother

Emerald

Wed, Oct 11 2023, 8:00 am

amother Dustypink wrote:

This is the most British thing I have ever read lol

It’s just the words queue and till but otherwise the same situation can happen anywhere

amother

Wed, Oct 11 2023, 8:17 am

amother RosePink wrote:

You're right,that's why I left.
I'm not trying to rile anyone up. Although I was 'waiting' a couple mins, just not in the queue, in this case. So a little different. Obviously wasn't waiting as long as this fellow, or the others behind him.

amother

Ruby

Wed, Oct 11 2023, 8:22 am

amother OP wrote:

You're right,that's why I left.
I'm not trying to rile anyone up. Although I was 'waiting' a couple mins, just not in the queue, in this case. So a little different.

From perspective of people in the queue, you should have been 'waiting' in the queue to pay, just like everyone else 'waiting' to pay.

amother

Wed, Oct 11 2023, 8:29 am

amother Ruby wrote:

From perspective of people in the queue, you should have been 'waiting' in the queue to pay, just like everyone else 'waiting' to pay.

OK. But even if I risked my place and more people went into the long queue just before the ping? Truth is if I wouldn't have said anything to the cashier I prob would've been fine to be first, or one of at the new cashier. I don't know what would've happened because I left my stuff and quickly, and quietly slipped out the store.

Now I feel a bit bad that I left the things (about 5 items) for a worker to have to put back! Bit silly but I hate confrontation, especially now. So easiest was to just leave.

amother

Peru

Wed, Oct 11 2023, 8:33 am

amother Ruby wrote:

From perspective of people in the queue, you should have been 'waiting' in the queue to pay, just like everyone else 'waiting' to pay.

Not really, she hadn't yet joined a queue to pay so it's just like anyone else who just finished shopping and finds a new till has opened, it's their luck, the people in the other queue could've joined also but she got there first it's really just her luck.
If I was in the original queue I might be annoyed at the situation but wouldn't be annoyed at the person who got to the new queue first.

Hashem_Yaazor

Wed, Oct 11 2023, 8:36 am

amother Emerald wrote:

It’s just the words queue and till but otherwise the same situation can happen anywhere

And trolley 😃

amother

Ruby

Wed, Oct 11 2023, 8:46 am

amother Peru wrote:

I think it matters how long you've been standing around scoping out the situation.

There's the 'luck' of finishing your shopping and a new till opens up just then, just as you are passing by.... and there's the game "do I get in the end of a queue and get stuck, or do I hover and pounce'

I don't think there is a right answer really - etiquette varies.

amother

Wed, Oct 11 2023, 8:50 am

amother Ruby wrote:

I had just finished my shopping when I heard the ping calling for a new till to open. Then no one came, but it wasn't very long, that's when I asked the cashier if a new one was indeed opening up. She replied 'yes I've called someone' I said do you know what number it'll be? She said no' so I just stood at one, and hoped for the best, that's when the man said something from the queue. I was only waiting for a couple of minutes.