Check-out belt divider

[Bamboo Grove]

I'm putting this in foo as I find no other place suitable for it. However, it is not foo in this case.

I'm doing intermediate studies in English philology and for some reason we are doing a lot of discourse analysis and mediated discourse analysis. We have to write a group essay and before my group knew what we are supposed to do, we chose our topic to be check-out belt dividers. The course is called "Learning in everyday situations."

So I'd like to hear from people coming from different countries how they feel about this practice. If I remember correctly they are used in Thailand in all bigger supermarkets but not in mom's and pop's shops. How do you feel about them? Are they common in your home countries? Should they be used at all?

[PeteC]

Yes, they're used here in Thailand and everywhere in the US when I was living there.

- There are a lot of inconsiderate and hurried shoppers everywhere and not unusual for them to throw their items directly behind yours and they often get mixed in. Without a divider I would think the check-out clerk would just keep going, ringing things up on your tab and pack them into your bags! , while the shopper behind is busy not paying attention.

- They are also an advertising item as many have an ad from some company on them.

- They are an exemplification of how all things in life need to be compartmentalized. Pete

EDIT: They're not just in supermarkets but all manner of general variety stores...hardware, pharmacy, clothing etc.

[Bamboo Grove]

Thanks, Pete.

[migrant]

As Pete says the US uses them in most markets of any size. I notice here in Thailand Tesco has them.

They tend to be mainly in grocery stores, or the large department stores.

It seems the trend in the bigger markets is to have more check outs with smaller belts (or no belts) so the dividers aren't as useful.

They are useful, again like Pete said, for keeping your items separate.

[Big Boy]

We have them in Tesco, Market Village - I refuse to use them. The problem being, they don't have the belt element.

I watch people whilst queuing to pay. They put the divider into position and dutifully put their shopping behind it. The person in pole position pays for their goods. Second on the grid moves all of their items forward, followed by number 3. Number 2 pays for their shopping, and the cycle is repeated. This goes on day after day.

Personally, I keep the items in my trolley, and present them to the cashier when she is ready to scan them, saving myself the job of moving everything several times. Checkout operators are slow enough to allow this last minute task. 50% of the time the person in front will stand staring at their change for several minutes anyway, so you can't move forward immediately to reclaim your shopping anyway.

BTW..... have I mentioned on here that I hate shopping?

It always brings a little light relief, when I see the person behind getting agitated, wanting to play this slide and shift game, but are afraid in case they encroach into my space.

[Terry]

.........BTW..... have I mentioned on here that I hate shopping?

It always brings a little light relief, when I see the person behind getting agitated, wanting to play this slide and shift game, but are afraid in case they encroach into my space.

BB - you really are a nasty bit of work on the quiet - aren't you......

and BG

I thought that your REAL interest was Chang, Smoking Boxes, Potatoes and Onions.....

[Bamboo Grove]

Thanks for you replies all.

Terry: no Chang in Finland or there may be but I'm not too keen to look for it, I've found better tasting beverages (check out the beer thread), smoking boxes - not in the snow, so only in the summer, potatos and onions - hmm, just had my worse Indian buffet yesterday in this northern city of Oulu and yes it had both of them, next time I'll opt for Chinese. Time to head for a nice hotel breakfast buffet now.

It's amazing what kind of feelings the divider causes, though

http://abbyhasissues.com/2012/01/04/the-great-divide/
http://www.etiquettehell.com/smf/index. ... 846.0;wap2
http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topi ... 6&t=755108
http://forum.dvdtalk.com/other-talk/496 ... eries.html
http://thedictionaryofoscarmacsweeny.wo ... ntillating
http://mrstaraplumbing.com/2009/02/22/s ... eyor-belt/
http://aaronbramson.blogspot.com/2006/0 ... diocy.html
http://www.torontomike.com/2013/11/why_ ... e_div.html
http://forums.digitalspy.co.uk/showthre ... 209&page=2
and most of all
http://duhprogressive.com/index.php/148 ... e-dividers

[PeteC]

In the name of all that's good and holy, don't these freaking people have anything better and more constructive to do? I only read that last link and seeing it's dated 2011, I assume the measure failed, and has been filed in the dust bin of mindless nonsense. Pete

[Bamboo Grove]

Exactly my thoughts, Pete, but these forums have been a big help on doing the research task. However, that's why I wanted to get some answers from people I know (sort of) to see if this is a real issue.

[PeteC]

As mentioned above, some have/had ads on them. For example "Forgot Butter?" - Land-o'-Lakes, "Forgot Peanut Butter?" - Jiff, "Cigarettes" - Marlboro. They've been helpful to me in the distant past as reminders, besides its primary function of keeping me divided from the rest of society. Pete

EDIT: Further, I don't think I've ever in my life though about them for a nano-second until your post this morning.

[dalmatiandave]

Hadn't logged on much lately but as I was in the UK I thought I would check what was happening in Hua Hin.

Don't know whether Tapatalk selected this as my first topic but even with my laid back life not really including women and booze when in Thailand I found myself wondering what the hell this thread was doing on the forum.

Don't wish to be disrespectful to the OP but is this a wind up.

Logging out after a fleeting yet disappointing visit to this forum.

[Bamboo Grove]

Oh dear, sorry I have upset you. Anyway, you can always switch to the Trump thread.

[J.J.B.]

I think these little things are genius, quite essential to the harmonious running of a busy supermarket. I also think they serve to keep the check-out assistants sane because their primary purpose is to stop the belt moving...or at least that's my theory. There is a small optical sensor at the end of the belt and when it's blocked by something, the belt stops. This is usually an item of shopping but once it's all been scanned, there has to be something to stop it again and this is the little divider.

The divider signals the individuality of each shopper's personal attention that they receive from the check-out clerk. Once the goods have been paid for and the divider removed, placed along its own little chute alongisde the belt, it's time for the next transaction.

Harmony.

[hhfarang]

They use them extensively here and they even serve a dual purpose at Costco. There (a membership store) you have to present your member card to the cashier but I noticed people turning the divider upside down (square plastic divider, open hollow side up) and standing their member card in the divider so that it is presented to the cashier on the belt immediately preceding one's items. Nearly everyone does it and I suspect it caught on gradually with one person "inventing" the practice.

On another note, two large supermarket chains here have taken a completely different tac that Big Boy would love at Tesco. There is no belt before the cashier, but one after. You wheel your full trolley directly to the cashier who unloads and scans it one item at a time. Then it goes on the belt that takes it out of the way and to the bagging area. I really like this as it keeps me from having to unload the cart and keeps a good separation with not only the other person's goods but your own between charged for and not charged yet. Why doesn't every store do this?

[Bamboo Grove]

Thanks for the latest replies.