A story about being told 'Well, you can go first' when giving up a spot in the checkout line
It is December, and everyone seems busy and lacking in composure somewhere or other. Especially today, being Christmas Eve, the local supermarket is crowded. Self-checkout registers have been introduced even in this town, which has many elderly residents. Several months have passed, and I think they have become quite well-established now. Everyone is actively using them. However, before I knew it, the counter for bagging purchased items after finishing payment had disappeared. In other words, once you pass through the self-checkout, you have to pack your items into bags in a way that makes them easy to carry.
When self-checkout was first introduced, there was a counter for organizing items, so you could at least finish the payment, take your roughly packed eco-bag, move to the counter, and repack it. Now, you cannot do that. You need to be clever about bagging, such as putting meat and fish into the provided plastic bags, placing heavy items at the bottom, and fragile potato chips on top. But when you see the line waiting for the register, you cannot afford to take your time.
For that reason, I also use the staffed registers without hesitation depending on how crowded they are. That is because I can pack my items while being careful at the counter after payment.
This time, the staffed register was very empty, so when I tried to line up, I ended up joining the line at almost the same time as a certain lady. I was just a little bit faster, but that lady slipped in front of me and beckoned to her husband in the distance. I let out an involuntary 'Oh!' The lady then said, 'Well, you can go first.' I replied, 'Oh, are you sure?' and did not hold back, letting her process me through the register first. This was because I was aware that I had been faster. However, I felt that 'Well, you can go first' was somehow rude. Is that appropriate language to use toward a stranger? Perhaps because she was aware that she had cut in line, she said that without looking at me and gave up the register. Did she give it up? I left the supermarket feeling somewhat unsettled. I am small-minded for worrying about how there are better ways to say things.
Seeing others' behavior, I should correct my own; I vowed to myself that I would absolutely never say 'Well, you can go first!' and promised myself that next time, if it looks like we might arrive at the same time, I will smile and say 'Please, go ahead' to yield. It is a Christmas Eve where I thought I want to become a cute old lady who can naturally act with composure.🎄