15 Years In Prison After Cutting The Line At Walmart?
Here's a strange story from southeast Missouri. Three years ago a college student was waiting in line at Walmart. Her cousin was waiting in another line that was moving faster. The college student, now a teacher who lives in Louisiana, joined her cousin in the "faster" line. This apparently started a confrontation with other customers (and eventually the police) that may cause the woman to spend 15 years in prison.
The AP reports that the shopper facing trial alleges that the entire incident was racially charged. Police reports say that the woman refused to calm down and leave the property, and allegedly kicked one police officer in the shin and split another's lip while resisting arrest.
The woman claims that she never resisted arrest, but was jumped by angry cops who were "using racial slurs and telling her to go back to the ghetto."
From the AP:
Ellis' [The shopper's] written account to the NAACP describes she and her cousin getting into separate checkout lanes before Ellis switched into the faster-moving line. The woman behind them had placed items on the conveyor belt, and Ellis alleged the woman pushed her when she tried to put her own items down.
Witnesses instead told police that Ellis shoved the woman's merchandise back, according to court filings.
Ellis wrote that a security officer and manager were called over and that although Ellis said she wanted to pay, the manager yelled at her to leave the store. Police were called and arrived.
Officers eventually followed her to the parking lot, she said, using racial slurs and telling her to go back to the ghetto. As her aunt and uncle drove into the parking lot, Ellis said, the officers "jumped" on her even though she said she was not resisting.
She's apparently been offered plea deals but has refused them on principle, preferring instead to face trial and possible prison time.
Leaving alleged racism/police brutality/possible extended prison sentence out of it, what's the right way to handle line-cutters? Is it cool for someone to join their friend or relative in a faster moving line? If not, what should you do when it happens? If she was willing to pay, should she have been forced to leave the store?
Arrest at Walmart leads to charges of racism [AP]
(Photo:frankieleon)
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Protocol would be to glance at the person you'd be cutting in front of and motion that you'd like to join your companion in line. If it's just a few items, I wouldn't mind being allowing someone to cut in.
I'm young-looking and small, and in the South. My biggest problem with line cutters are when another lane opens and the last person in the next line jumps in, instead of allowing those who had been waiting longer. I also have experienced the elderly blanantly cutting in line, as if they have earned it.
I generally let it slide. I avoid Wal-Mart, and Target seems to always have another open lane.
No, it's not cool to switch lines unless everyone in the back of the line agrees. I normally say "the line ends over there" and appreciate the store's support if the person who cuts in line doesn't relent.
Being forced to leave and banned from the store, regardless of whether she wants to pay or not, is adequate.
"Is it cool for someone to join their friend or relative in a faster moving line?"
No. Unless you go to the end.
Doesn't sound like an issue with line cutting. It sounds like an issue with someone thinking they can do whatever they want in public and get away with it. The store has the right to refuse a sale to anyone. The store is also private property, they can ask anyone to leave at any time for any reason. No she shouldn't have been able to cut in line, no she shouldn't have argued with the manager when asked to leave, no she shouldn't have assaulted police officers while resisting arrest.
I think you mean on principle.
15 years in jail sounds about right for line jumping.
Its not ok to jump line but just hand your crap to your friend to pay for and then settle outside. That does not make everyone so angry.
So depending on what side is more true if she was resisting arrest I still think 15 years is too much considering the crime that she had committed to warrant an arrest.
I stand really uncomfortably close to line cutters in front of me... I'm 6'3" and 300lbs. I like it if I can see the hair on the back of their necks move when I breathe.
I figure the awkwardness of that situation is punishment enough for their crimes.
It depends on what she did, if her cousin was on the other line and was close to the checkout (while like 20 people were behind her cousin) and she happens to join the line right behind her cousin, this this shows her as being a jerk and from my experience from students who do this at school on the lunch line, they are generally the more aggressive students who do this.
As for the police problem, there should be some surveillance camera footage, if not then it is her word against the police officers and guess who the courts are going to believe.
I think it is fine to have two people from the same party hold different places in line so that they can check out the fastest. Let's face it, some cashiers are just plain slower than molasses and the time saved is huge especially when there are long lines. But if the lady, or whoever, is going to add another, separate party to the line by "joining her companion" then that isn't fair, no matter how many or few items she has.
You know, I might get annoyed if someone cuts in front of me in line, but honestly, I don't care. It's not a race. A fast cashier shouldn't even make it an issue. You just go through, and its over.
People are too uptight.
"Leaving alleged racism/police brutality/possible extended prison sentence out of it, what's the right way to handle line-cutters"
Jump them in the parking lot.
Cutting in line with a friend or family member in the checkout line? No big deal. Since being able to easily move to another line means they don't have that much stuff, it doesn't add much to my wait. Cutting in line to buy something that has a limited quantity, though, like concert tickets or a newly released video game or console, is asking for violence.
If the items go on the same receipt, then generally it should be okay. Usually a friend isn't willing to pay for 30 items, just one-two, and the time lost by others is minimal.
That being said, if someone cuts and you're not cool with it, a polite "I'm sorry, you must not have seen me here. There's actually a few other people already waiting in line for this register" will suffice.
It depends how much of a hurry I'm in. I usually will say something directly to the person, though. I always start out nice: "Oh, I'm sorry, there's a line. It starts over there" and then see what happens. No swears, threats, or physical contact though. I've never had a real confrontation - the closest I ever got was some teenager going "Whatever, let's go outside, I'll kick your ass." When I said sure, and took a step toward the door, she got scared and ran away. :)
I also enjoy loudly talking to my companions about how rude it is to cut, etc. It amuses me more than anything else, and watching the cutter get offended is far more satisfying a feeling than convincing them to go to the back of the line.
you do what they taught you in school (she's a schoolteacher..) - you have to go to the end of the line, because all those other people were there before you.
@WonderKatGoBoom: Really? Targets near me have literally 20+ lanes and only ever open 3 regardless how many are in line.
Missouri is having a great day on Consumerist. Must be all that meth.
Cutting in line is never ok unless all the others in line agree. It's still rude though.
@The_Red_Monkey: the 15 years isnt for the line cutting. Or even the (potential) assault on the other customer. Its for whatever happened outside with the cops.
It's only acceptable if you're both paying together and you can carry the additional items in your hands.
@htowninsomniac: The splitting of lines is completely fair game. You and a friend or relative wait in line and then go to the faster one. There is absolutely nothing wrong with it unless the person has an absurd shopping cart full of merchandise.
@Loias: I doubt it would suffice in Walmart. It's more likely to get you a punch in the face and loud, suggestive comments about your sexuality.
I do this, and I analyze people's behavior. In particular, I avoid the elderly, the hagglers and the indecisive buyers. With regards to what they're buying, I avoid lines in which people are carrying a lot of produce (this ensures a lot of book flipping and inputting of numbers) or very pricey electronics (sometimes this requires a cashier to override the system).
Usually when we split up and go to different lines, it's because one person gets into a line and the other person scouts ahead to see whether there are better lines. Usually I'm the scouter because I've gotten pretty fast about looking at who is in what line and what stuff they carry.
The ideal person to get behind is the younger lone male who has only one or two items. They don't tend to haggle on price as much, and they are usually very resolute on their purchase (it's not hinging on price). I don't like being behind friends in groups because they tend to talk to one another. Couples are okay.
@wgrune: As I said above, I completely disagree. The splitting of lines is completely fair game. You and a friend or relative wait in line and then go to the faster one. There is absolutely nothing wrong with it unless the person has an absurd shopping cart full of merchandise.
@Loias: The Target near my home always has at least six lines open. I've never spent more than a few minutes waiting in line.
@JPropaganda: I totally agree with this. In fact, the people who split lines are usually the people who don't have a ton of stuff. Who would split an entire cart of stuff just to get into two different lines?
I don't like Walmart and try to never shop there but this case has nothing to do with Walmart. It seems like some people got into an argument and Walmart did the ONLY sensible thing by calling the police and having the people removed. They chose to fight the cops and others and thereby got some charges. This should not even be on Consumerist. I know we all like to bash Walmart but where are they at fault in this at all?
If stores properly constructed their cashiering lines -- i.e. by having a single queue leading up to all the registers, with customers peeling off to go to different registers as they become available -- this wouldn't be as much of a problem as it is now. Having multiple lines moving at different speeds only encourages people to shift from one to another if they perceive another is moving faster. A single queue eliminates that incentive.
If they can do this in banks, in Wendy's, at the Yankee Candle flagship store, and in other places, then they can do it in Wal-Mart, Kmart, grocery stores, and everywhere else. It's really just a matter of whether the store wishes to do it or not. Many wish not to, because a single long queue is more apparently intimidating to shoppers. This is, of course, merely an appearance. In reality a single queue is much more inherently "fair" and therefore more respectful.
Granted, a single queue won't prevent outsiders from trying to jump in. But it's easier to prevent this when you have only one queue; you can put up barriers or have it watched, etc. Multiple queues are much harder to control and observe.
I'll second (or third) the comments about "if it's on the same receipt, all well & good."
Otherwise, it's the same problem as drivers who think nothing of racing ahead in the cash-only lane and then cutting into the E-Z pass lane. WTF, like I enjoy paying my tolls and waiting for my turn? You can wait 1/4 mile back like I was.
@JPropaganda: I disagree. If you and your friend/relative are checking out separately, you are adding a person to the line for everyone lined up behind you, and that is not fair.
Now, if you are not purchasing anything, and you get in one line while your friend is in the other, and she comes over when you get to the register first, that is fair game.
Consider these situations:
A: two strangers join at end of line.
B: two friends join at end of line.
C: first friend joins at end of line, and second later joins friend in middle.
D: two friends join at end of line, one friend leaves and later re-joins other friend in middle of line.
E: first stranger gets in line, and second later cuts in behind him.
E is the problem, and if socially accepted, it would become rampant. If are near the end of the line, why not just cut in earlier? Thus, anyone attempting E should be publicly shamed.
A and B are obviously acceptable, since they strictly follow the rule of only joining the line at the end. C and D are the main questions. Both are similar to B, and probably not that common, thus allowing them wouldn't significantly impact one's average time-to-wait in lines. One snag is that C and D can look like E if the friends don't interact in a way that makes their relation obvious; others might see it as a stranger cutting in. So anyone practicing C and D could be sure to make their relation obvious to others, by exchanging a few words when one joins the other already in line.
@WonderKatGoBoom: I agree with this, if you just cut in, it is natural for the person to feel slighted, but if you motion first they will almost always be nice and let you.
I have not only experience the elderly blatantly cutting in line, but also clipping my ankles with their cart while I was checking out and telling me to get out of their way. Maybe that was appropriate behavior in the 1940s, but it isn't now.
If it were a movie ticket line, or a soda line, or something similar that involves 1 item then I think buddy cuts is acceptable if both were there from the start. If the other party was running late and was having a place held for them in line then it is not acceptable.
If it's a line in a grocery store or someplace where each persons purchase can differ in amount then it is NOT acceptable. No, your 900lb friend in the crane can not join you in front of me in line to order 10 hamburgers, and not you can't have your friend cut in line with 20 grocery items just because you have 1 or 2. I hate you all. Please die.
That's mostly aside fom the allegations and facts we don't know about this particular case though.
I read the article earlier and don't remember seeing anything about store surveillance video, but I would think that might clear some of this up. Or maybe not.
As far as line-cutting, if someone handed their buddy some stuff to get for them, I might be a bit irritated but let it slide. If someone wants to cut in front of me and ring up two separate transactions, that would not be fine.
I don't know what I would say, if anything. Might just base it on the situation and the shopper and how mean they look.
I hope they can settle up something, because it sounds like both sides might have been at fault. No need for cops to get too aggressive, but she doesn't need to start kicking people.
I once had an elderly lady ask me if she could go in front of me, since she only had a few items. Thing was, the express lane was completely empty and my items were already all on the belt, rolled up to the cashier. I politely declined and pointed out the express lane to her. Nice that she asked; kinda odd that she didn't just go to the empty express lane to begin with.
I see the sort of situation described in this story sometimes - two people shopping together, then at check-out time they split up and whoever gets the fastest line lets the other person cut in. It's rude.
@wgrune: If I walk up and hand somebody a CD or a pack of gum to check out with, would you object? What about 2 CDs? So long as it's not a whole cart packed to the brim, you should probably just chill out.
@FatLynn: I'm okay when it all goes on the same receipt. If it's two separate transactions, it's not okay, because it's not just the items, it's the extra time to pay for them.
It just doesn't matter when rude people are involved.
Personally, when I am in those lines, I have already wasted time shopping for whatever is in my cart, another 5 minutes will not affect me either positively or negatively. Life takes a long time to live. There are other battles to fight.
@PsiCop: I don't understand how that would work when there are 20 cashiers or so and about 100 customers. It would take up much more space.
i only go to walmart at 5am. the wierdos are much cooler looking then.
Walmart has security cameras.
Cutting the line is neither against store policy nor the law, but if the lady was either 'actin' a fool' or the police were displaying racism, the tapes/witnesses should be able to verify/deny the statements of either party.
@Scuba Steve: Thank you, I was looking for someone else to say this so I didn't. I do like Jaynor's way of dealing with this though, if I had another 75 lb I could do it too! :-P
The only way I would agree with that is if they are paying together. If they are paying separately, no, its not right.@He:
I wouldn't mind letting someone cut in line in order to leave with their friend, except those people are the exact ones to fumble with coupons, require a price check, or pay by check. The act of kindness invariably backfires as the person you just let cut takes 2 or 3 times longer than anyone else to finish their transaction.
'Go back to the ghetto' What the 'ell ?!?!?1?
WALMART is a ghetto! I h8 that place. Chalk 1 up for racism! !:YAY:!
@JPropaganda: unless they aren't paying together. if they are paying together and it's only a couple items, sure go ahead.
@JPropaganda: It's not okay if you're going to make two separate transactions. If you join your friend in a line with people behind them and then pay all of it together that's fine with me.
I think in this situation it would be best just to leave to avoid what's going on right now.
If though she wanted to pay, the items she had were still WalMart property.
Do stores still reserve the right to refuse service? If so, being asked to leave is enough to get you to go.