I can’t think of a reason for it, but I don’t think I’ve ever seen an express lane (in a supermarket) that was on the right side. It seems like it’s always the leftmost register.
I don’t get the humor, really. I mean, I understand the concept, but you don’t queue for a specific urinal, so what’s the point?
“I can’t think of a reason for it”
My experience is the opposite; All the places I can think of have the express line on the right (as you face them).
I assume that the express lane is the one closest to the store’s main office/strongroom, so that it can be staffed quickly and because it processes more transactions, can have a fresh till delivered fastest.
Ewww’d think that the Express expressing ewwwrinal should be nearest the door for the benefit of speedy chaps.
And possibly the express line is not just for the fast-peeing, but simply those peeple who from the get-go can hose the porcelain like a horse, suffering no urination shyness aka paruresis https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paruresis
The direction “as you face them” is inconclusive, they can be faced from any direction. When I said “on the left”, I meant as viewed in the direction that the line moves (meaning facing the front of the store, where the exit is located).
And really annoy the other guys there by saying, “Yeah, I’m a man. I pee fast.”
Sadly, I do not qualify for the express lane. I’m more like the man with three kids in tow doing a month’s worth of grocery shopping. Sigh.
“The direction “as you face them” is inconclusive, they can be faced from any direction.”
True enough, although the underground AND overhead vantages tend to be under utilized. Like you, I meant while waiting; after checking out there’s no longer any reason to face the checkout counters.
Just went to a library book sale this morning which had three check-out desks; the “express” one (ten books or fewer, cash only) was indeed on the left, though it was in right in front of (!) one of the two “regular” ones.
In the three grocery stores I visit most often, the express lane is indeed on the left (though most people in a hurry seem to use the self-checkout lanes — with which I refuse to have anything to do, lest I encourage the store to push them even harder — which are always in the middle.
One of the grocery stores I go to has the checkout stand closet to the exit as the express (8 items or less), and yes, it is to the left. It is specifically set up as an express checkout with no conveyer, just an area large enough to put your eight items. The curious thing is that it is not always open, but they will turn on a sign at ( any) one of the other checkout lanes as the designated ‘8 items or less’, so you have to look around to find it on any given visit.
Arthur: I’m happy for him he was awarded a prize, but since seeing this, I started timing my own micturation. And 20 seconds isn’t close to average OR mean, so either I’m not a mammal or I’m an outlier. Or his research is BS.
Kilby: All the grocery stores I can think of in my area have the checkout lines on the right (using your facing convention).
Greybeard: TMI.
@ Winter Wallaby – All the stores I can think of (both in Germany and the DC area) have (all) the lines on the right half of the store, with the express line on the leftmost side (in other words, toward the center of the store). This makes eminent sense: it’s obvious that the express line should not be hidden in the corner. I was just wondering whether there are stores that have most of the registers on the left (with the express on the right).
In the grocery stores I’m familiar with, the express lanes could be anywhere, and, generally, are just sort of somewhere in the middle — they can turn on a light which makes a particular lane express, and it’s hard to figure out where they are. I suspect many of them make it tricky to find in order to encourage self-checkout.
The local grocery stores actually have express lanes at both ends.
During the Christmas rush Lee Valley has an express lane set up basically in front of the other lanes (i.e. on the floor). If you’re only buying things that you can pick up in the store (including gift cards) you can queue (in person – i.e. no number) and buy them there. (It being on the floor, the person staffing it has no practical access to the stock). In practice, I suspect I’m not the only person who buys something (either normally or through web order), and then uses that lane for a second purchase when they see something really good.
This discussion about where express lanes are located in a store has been riveting, but if I can go in a different direction, why is this an Ewww? I’ll buy the LOL tag, but it’s not like the guy in the express urinal is splashing all over the place in order to finish in the allotted time. That would warrant an Ewww but this is just a bunch of guys standing at urinals, something that happens every second of the day.
Kilby: I was referring to the express lanes – i.e. in my area, all the express lanes are in the right of the checkout area. (It’s perhaps worth noting that, like JP, I live in the Pacific Northwest.)
Express lanes in the left seems OK, but in the middle just seems wrong somehow.
With all the back and forth, can we safely conclude there is no standard for placement of express lanes in supermarkets?
(My neighbourhood supermarket’s express lane is on the left, just in case anyone could still possibly give a rat’s a$$.)
” (It’s perhaps worth noting that, like JP, I live in the Pacific Northwest.)”
I’ve been TRYING to stay out of this (of late). This matters not because there’s something about the region, but because the businesses that operate grocery stores are different. Food Lion and Safeway made different choices, apparently, about how their stores should be laid out.
Surely a discussion of where the express checkout is placed should also take account of where the actual supermarket exit is?
Having worked as a cashier in a supermarket – it is on the side closest to where one is suppose to exit so one does not have to get past people with large orders that have to be packed, etc. By putting it closest to the door one can leave the easiest and fastest.
Of course a lot of supermarkets are now giving that location to their self service registers which are mostly replacing the express registers. I know this as Robert loves to do self service checkout.
On the other hand having worked a regular and an express register, unless there is a really long line at the regular registers they are faster than the express – especially today with computer registers and scanners (we had neither when I worked in the supermarket). Why? When the cashier rings up an order there are certain things that take the same time no matter the size of the order – scanning your card, taking the money or charge card,giving change,etc. – to some extent also bagging. So a large order requires as much time to do these chores as a small one. If there are 5 people ahead of one at the express register these chores must be done 5 times, plus the scanning of each item. On the other hand, the regular register with 2 people ahead of one only involves doing these chores 2 times and depending on how many items each has, this may take less time than the 5 shorter express orders. It is something I noticed when working at the supermarket – obviously an extremely large order or two will change this, but it is how I choose which line when shopping.
Comics I Don't Understand 
I can’t think of a reason for it, but I don’t think I’ve ever seen an express lane (in a supermarket) that was on the right side. It seems like it’s always the leftmost register.
But we know that pretty much all mammals take about 20 seconds:
http://www.news.gatech.edu/2015/10/15/david-hu-takes-home-ig-nobel-prize-improbable-research
LOL?
I don’t get the humor, really. I mean, I understand the concept, but you don’t queue for a specific urinal, so what’s the point?
“I can’t think of a reason for it”
My experience is the opposite; All the places I can think of have the express line on the right (as you face them).
I assume that the express lane is the one closest to the store’s main office/strongroom, so that it can be staffed quickly and because it processes more transactions, can have a fresh till delivered fastest.
Ewww’d think that the Express expressing ewwwrinal should be nearest the door for the benefit of speedy chaps.
And possibly the express line is not just for the fast-peeing, but simply those peeple who from the get-go can hose the porcelain like a horse, suffering no urination shyness aka paruresis https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paruresis
The direction “as you face them” is inconclusive, they can be faced from any direction. When I said “on the left”, I meant as viewed in the direction that the line moves (meaning facing the front of the store, where the exit is located).
And really annoy the other guys there by saying, “Yeah, I’m a man. I pee fast.”
Sadly, I do not qualify for the express lane. I’m more like the man with three kids in tow doing a month’s worth of grocery shopping. Sigh.
“The direction “as you face them” is inconclusive, they can be faced from any direction.”
True enough, although the underground AND overhead vantages tend to be under utilized. Like you, I meant while waiting; after checking out there’s no longer any reason to face the checkout counters.
Just went to a library book sale this morning which had three check-out desks; the “express” one (ten books or fewer, cash only) was indeed on the left, though it was in right in front of (!) one of the two “regular” ones.
In the three grocery stores I visit most often, the express lane is indeed on the left (though most people in a hurry seem to use the self-checkout lanes — with which I refuse to have anything to do, lest I encourage the store to push them even harder — which are always in the middle.
One of the grocery stores I go to has the checkout stand closet to the exit as the express (8 items or less), and yes, it is to the left. It is specifically set up as an express checkout with no conveyer, just an area large enough to put your eight items. The curious thing is that it is not always open, but they will turn on a sign at ( any) one of the other checkout lanes as the designated ‘8 items or less’, so you have to look around to find it on any given visit.
Arthur: I’m happy for him he was awarded a prize, but since seeing this, I started timing my own micturation. And 20 seconds isn’t close to average OR mean, so either I’m not a mammal or I’m an outlier. Or his research is BS.
Kilby: All the grocery stores I can think of in my area have the checkout lines on the right (using your facing convention).
Greybeard: TMI.
@ Winter Wallaby – All the stores I can think of (both in Germany and the DC area) have (all) the lines on the right half of the store, with the express line on the leftmost side (in other words, toward the center of the store). This makes eminent sense: it’s obvious that the express line should not be hidden in the corner. I was just wondering whether there are stores that have most of the registers on the left (with the express on the right).
In the grocery stores I’m familiar with, the express lanes could be anywhere, and, generally, are just sort of somewhere in the middle — they can turn on a light which makes a particular lane express, and it’s hard to figure out where they are. I suspect many of them make it tricky to find in order to encourage self-checkout.
The local grocery stores actually have express lanes at both ends.
During the Christmas rush Lee Valley has an express lane set up basically in front of the other lanes (i.e. on the floor). If you’re only buying things that you can pick up in the store (including gift cards) you can queue (in person – i.e. no number) and buy them there. (It being on the floor, the person staffing it has no practical access to the stock). In practice, I suspect I’m not the only person who buys something (either normally or through web order), and then uses that lane for a second purchase when they see something really good.
This discussion about where express lanes are located in a store has been riveting, but if I can go in a different direction, why is this an Ewww? I’ll buy the LOL tag, but it’s not like the guy in the express urinal is splashing all over the place in order to finish in the allotted time. That would warrant an Ewww but this is just a bunch of guys standing at urinals, something that happens every second of the day.
Kilby: I was referring to the express lanes – i.e. in my area, all the express lanes are in the right of the checkout area. (It’s perhaps worth noting that, like JP, I live in the Pacific Northwest.)
Express lanes in the left seems OK, but in the middle just seems wrong somehow.
With all the back and forth, can we safely conclude there is no standard for placement of express lanes in supermarkets?
(My neighbourhood supermarket’s express lane is on the left, just in case anyone could still possibly give a rat’s a$$.)
” (It’s perhaps worth noting that, like JP, I live in the Pacific Northwest.)”
I’ve been TRYING to stay out of this (of late). This matters not because there’s something about the region, but because the businesses that operate grocery stores are different. Food Lion and Safeway made different choices, apparently, about how their stores should be laid out.
Surely a discussion of where the express checkout is placed should also take account of where the actual supermarket exit is?
Having worked as a cashier in a supermarket – it is on the side closest to where one is suppose to exit so one does not have to get past people with large orders that have to be packed, etc. By putting it closest to the door one can leave the easiest and fastest.
Of course a lot of supermarkets are now giving that location to their self service registers which are mostly replacing the express registers. I know this as Robert loves to do self service checkout.
On the other hand having worked a regular and an express register, unless there is a really long line at the regular registers they are faster than the express – especially today with computer registers and scanners (we had neither when I worked in the supermarket). Why? When the cashier rings up an order there are certain things that take the same time no matter the size of the order – scanning your card, taking the money or charge card,giving change,etc. – to some extent also bagging. So a large order requires as much time to do these chores as a small one. If there are 5 people ahead of one at the express register these chores must be done 5 times, plus the scanning of each item. On the other hand, the regular register with 2 people ahead of one only involves doing these chores 2 times and depending on how many items each has, this may take less time than the 5 shorter express orders. It is something I noticed when working at the supermarket – obviously an extremely large order or two will change this, but it is how I choose which line when shopping.