The Original Post
The grocery store was packed today and only two registers were open. I had a full cart and had been waiting in line for about 15 minutes.
Just as I reached the conveyor belt, a woman approached me holding only a carton of eggs and milk. She asked if she could jump ahead of me because she was “in a huge rush” and only had two items.
I was exhausted and my back was hurting, so I said, “Sorry, but I’ve been waiting here for 15 minutes and I just want to get home.”
She got offended and started complaining loudly to the people behind me about how “some people are just miserable” and that it would have only taken her 30 seconds. To my surprise, the guy behind me actually agreed with her and called me a jerk for not being “neighborly.”
I feel like the point of a line is to wait your turn, regardless of how many items you have. But since multiple people made me feel like a villain, I’m wondering if I was being unnecessarily petty.
AITA for making her wait her turn?
What Reddit Said
Reddit overwhelmingly defended OP’s decision to hold his place in line. Most commenters emphasized that lines exist for a reason – first come, first served. However, many were particularly outraged that other shoppers ignored OP’s physical discomfort.
The top comment highlighted how people overlooked OP’s back pain and exhaustion. Meanwhile, other users pointed out the woman’s entitlement and poor behavior. In fact, many Redditors shared similar experiences of being pressured to accommodate line cutters.
The Verdict
The overwhelming consensus: OP is Not the Asshole (NTA). This grocery store line cutting situation perfectly illustrates how some people feel entitled to special treatment. Moreover, OP had every right to maintain his spot after waiting 15 minutes while dealing with physical pain. This is a clear case of public confrontation where basic social etiquette was ignored by the demanding customer.
Original post from r/AmItheAsshole (1,773 upvotes, 1,155 comments)