u235

I resent having to deal with the 'Great Unwashed Masses' for almost anything. Supermarkets, theaters, malls. I just am not keen to deal with humans when they are not bent on a specific errand. Train stations, bus terminals, airports, not a problem. People rush hither and yon, with the occasional bump and "Oops, Pardon me." The difference is in the dawdling. I can't stand people who stand, oblivious to all the traffic they're causing about them, as they ponder this item or that thought.

I was at Costco which is, to me, a mix of train station and shopping. Most people are there for a specific reason and there isn't a lot of choices to be made. Do you want 50 rolls of Bounty or the generic brand? The price difference is a buck. Really not many people need to think about this. The only clots of humanity are clustered around the sample vendors who are giving away tidbits to taste. Usually those people are located in an area with ample room to support the ravenous hordes.

The exit, however, is a nightmarish hell. People with their carts loaded to the gunnels will actually stand stock still and read their receipt while people pile up behind them. With little or no concern they now need to check the price of this or that item, rather than having paid attention while being checked out.

I see the same idiotic behavior in malls - someone will suddenly stop at random, causing a multi-person pileup behind them. And unlike hubs of transportation, if you bump someone the "Oops, Pardon me" generates virulent hostility rather than a humorous look of understanding.

And people wonder why brick and mortar establishments are going the way of the dinosaur...