the worst offenses I've ever seen with the shopping carts happens at the Wegman's in hunt valley. It seems like every time i'm in there, someone is blocking every lane I need to get to. Not to mention those that let their children grab their own carts to push around so they'll be entertained playing bumper carts.

I watched a woman in Giant yesterday husk a dozen ears and left the husks/silk in the bin with the unhusked corn. I guess I was staring at her, cuz she said "don't like having all this mess in my kitchen." Good thing she doesn't bring her veggie peeler with her. Place would be a real mess.

Now if she wants to rip the tops off beets and leave them behind I would scarff them right up. Ummmmmm.

I'm with you on the corn. It doesn't really bother me either, unless they keep rejecting what looks like perfectly good ears of corn.

I'll admit, I pull it fowm a bit from time to time to ensure there are no worms or rotted out kernals. I once had a very bad experience and since I'm paying for it, I want to see at least what's under there. But if it looks fine after peeling it down an inch or so, I take it.

Also, there should be a special place in hell for "sample hogs". If you're that hard up for a free meal, go to a Costco or Sam's Club where there about 20 differrent stations and sample ONE from each. That ought to fill you up.

Finally, as for people who go back an item when they're in line ahead of me and don't come back immediately, I simply move their stuff behind me and jump ahead of them. Most of the time by the time they come back, the cashier is scanning my stuff and there's not much that the "violator " can say or do about it.

While people blocking super market aisles with there carts is near the top of my list they aren't completely at fault as many super markets place addition obstacles on the aisles making it harder for even conscientious patrons to not block an aisle when they stop their car to look at the 1000 choices of breakfast cereals.

I'm' annoyed when people can't decide at the deli counter.... or maybe when they get a 1/2 pound of 10 different meats and cheeses.

I wasn't annoyed as much as amused when I watched a senior gentleman select a large oatmeal cookie from the bakery case, and proceed to eat it while walking through the store. This was a week or two ago, at my neighborhood Giant. Middle of the day. People everywhere. Perhaps he belonged to the some sort of Senior Cookie Club. At least he wasn't picking olives off the salad bar.

Having worked in a supermarket in my younger days, the very worst was when a customer decided they didn't want that steak or roast after all. They would just it behind something on the shelf, sometimes the only way you discovered it was by following that god awful smell

duffster, those people at the deli counter don't bother me. What does bother me is when the person at the slicing machine cuts too much turkey or cheese, and when it weighs in at more than the specified weight, automatically starts to throw the extra into the garbage without even asking if I want it. I always jump in and say I'll take it--I can't stand the waste.

I know a lot stores now provide a bin for the husks & silk, but I was taught a long time ago how to feel for a good ear through the husk. The flavor & nutrition (what there is of it) is already deteriorating since it was picked. Husking them any longer before just when you're ready to drop it in the pot, makes it worse.

I am so put out when I see people snacking from the salad and olive bars as though they are there for that purpose.

EL, after your reading your pet peeves I have one question: did you follow my wife around the grocery store and write down everything she did?

Oh man, it is posts like these that I wish I could hide behind the anonymity of being simply Robert.

People who yammer on their cell phones in the checkout line, especially once they're at the front of the line. Nevermind the annoyance caused to your fellow patrons, that's just plain rude to the cashier. One particularly egregious offender who looked like he'd stepped off of the floor of the NYSE was bragging at the top of his lungs about how much money he pulled in last year, and the poor cashier practically had to beat him over the head to get his attention while asking him to show her his ID. I suppose either his credit card wasn't signed, or she was just giving him a hard time - and if the latter was the case, well, he deserved it. If she had ended up actually beating him, I wouldn't have seen a thing.

I know a lot stores now provide a bin for the husks & silk, but I was taught a long time ago how to feel for a good ear through the husk.

Yes, I was trying to say that earlier. One can tell a lot by feeling the ear through the husk.

The flavor & nutrition (what there is of it) is already deteriorating since it was picked.

That was very true with the traditional varieties of corn that I grew up with. For better or worse, it's not so true with modern varieties, at least as far as flavor. The corn landscape has completely changed since I was growing up.

Since my wife does most of the grocery shopping, I only hit the Giant or SuperFresh when we run out of a staple -- a quart of milk or a loaf of bread, for example. That's when I head for the Express Lane, only to find myself behind someone with a casual interpertation of "ten items or less." Fifteen cans of soup are one "item" (hey, it's all soup.) A half-dozen frozen dinners are another "item." And so on. By the time they're finished unloading their cart -- and writing out a check -- I've had time to read the startling headlines on the front pages of the National Enquirer and News of the World several
times. (Was a lost Tibetian boy raised by a family of yaks?) And I'm deep into Soap Opera Digest, standing there patiently with my lonely little milk carton.

How could I have forgotten this one? EL

I'll third the folks in the express line with too many items and the corn shuckers (feel that corn up, people), as well as folks blocking aisles, but my biggest pet peeve is adults not watching their kids. 3 year olds standing in the middle of the aisle, blocking people, 5 year olds driving the cart right into my shins, screaming kids of all ages, 8 year olds hitting each other...all of these drive me nuts.

My g/f worked as a cashier throughout high school at a grocery store. She told me of a lady who placed all of her items to be scanned. One of her items were empty banana peels. Mind you bananas are by the pound. So my girlfriend was not pleased. What would you do? How do you charge for it? So as she placed the banana peels on the scale, she "gently" pressed the scale with her thumb. Meanwhile the lady bought a little more than she bargained for (and never noticed). That type of thing happened many times (grapes as well as peanuts-you could see the empty shells in the bag), and was by far her greatest pet pieve

Amie eats a sample grape before deciding whether or not she wants to buy the whole cluster.

As a former farmer, I can tell you, you really should wash or at least wipe off the grape before eating it in the store. I mean, there are far more dangerous things in life. But do you really want to ingest fertilizers and pesticides and wax?

Num nums!

LOL - "sample hogs" reminds me of the Simpsons ep where the family goes to post-church brunch at the grocery store.

Folks, if someone is blocking an aisle a simple "Excuse me" will do for clearance. And if the Express Lane is being mucked up by someone who is illiterate, whether in the lane or at the register, speak up. It's no different than pointing out mistakes to a restaurant manager. Of course, there is always the risk of parking lot retribution given this city's penchant for gunfire.

Yes, one can tell a lot by feeling through the husk, but there is no way to tell if the kernels have started to dimple and shrink without pulling the husk back a little and taking a peek. I feel no guilt whatsoever for that. Worse than underdeveloped corn is the corn that is so far past its prime that it is only good for throwing to the pigs.

I always wondered about the people hogging all the samples at the wholesale clubs. The samples are usually some over-prepared, over salted frozen entree that you wouldn't want to buy anyway. Or, perhaps, now they're providing samples of Bagelfuls. Yum!

They can eat everything in the store and fumble for coupons in line and do every other annoying behavior, as far as I'm concerned but don't push your kids in that giant monstrosity of a "kiddie" cart with plastic car front! Those things drive me berserk! My most fervent wish is for store owners to get rid of the !@$#%$# things!

Kitkat, it's almost worth buying a cheap peeler, just so you can have it on-hand to simply pass over to her next time around.

Aisle blockers are my personal bête noire, but I'm talking about the ones who are moving at glacial speed, while at the same time drifting from one side of the aisle to the other so that there's just no getting by them. And they're so oblivious that "excuse me" MIGHT work on the second or third try.

I've also seen this transaction a lot lately: Person #1: "Excuse me." Person #2: (not moving) "Mm-hmm." Thus forcing Person #1 to basically squeeze through.

Claude... isn't that the point at which you nudge them gently with your cart?

Duffster on the Deli Counter... I am usually the one getting a large selection of meats and cheeses at the deli counter and usually only getting a 1/2lb. Last time I checked it was a free country and these folks are in it for the revenue. There's plenty of times all I want is a pound of cheese and I've had to wait behind the person getting multitudes of meat and cheese. The next go round I'm the one with the big list. Maybe you should check out the pre-packaged meats and cheeses? No?

Dahlink! I'm with you on the over cuts. I've love to be asked. However often what ends up being my case is that I ask for a 1/4lb and end up with 1/2lb. I've got to pay for food I can't consume and will go bad. I hate to complain when there's no way for the deli counter to "uncut" the meat.

Misha tVL, I've taken to asking for less than I really want, because at my usual store they will predictably over slice. If not, I can always ask them to add a bit.

Elizabeth, as you say, we need some terminology for all these situations. How about calling those who eat their way through the grocery store "shoplickers"?

Excellent. EL

The Kleins in Aberdeen has a kiosk in the produce section where you can order the deli meats/cheese. Then when you're at the deli counter, they have it ready for you. I thought that was a pretty slick idea that I hadn't seen anywhere else.

I like "shoplicker". It works on several levels, including the most important, amusement.

Back when Shoppers was Metro, they had a computer on the outer edge of the deli area where you could place yout order and then pick it up when you were done shopping. Since it changed to Shoppers, I haven't been in there much. The produce went way down with the change over.

I love the Klein's kiosk....when it works!! Saves me a lot of time on a busy Saturday much to the annoyance of those who forgot to hit the kiosk and give me dirty looks as I walk up to the counter and take my order in seconds while they wait behind the person with 20 half pounds and all they want is one pund of cheese!! :)