10 Of The Rudest Things You Can Do At The Grocery Store

Grocery shopping is a rather mundane errand for most of us, but that’s no excuse for behaving rudely and ignoring others as you browse the aisles.

“Shopping in the grocery store can be a full-contact sport if you happen to be running errands at a busy time,” said Jodi R.R. Smith, president of Mannersmith Etiquette Consulting. “It is important that shoppers remember there is basic etiquette, even when grocery shopping.”

Of course, we don’t have to don our pearls and curtsy upon arrival at the grocery store, but etiquette advice can offer a good reminder and guidelines for how to respect others as we move about the world.

To help make grocery store visits more pleasant, HuffPost asked Smith and other etiquette experts to share some common rude behaviors they’ve observed at supermarkets ― and advice for avoiding them.

Using The Express Line With Too Many Items

“Respect the limit of items in the express line and don’t go through if you have more than allowed,” advised Diane Gottsman, an etiquette expert, author of “Modern Etiquette for a Better Life” and founder of The Protocol School of Texas.

Few people enjoy waiting in a long line to pay at the grocery store, but no matter how busy you are, that’s no excuse for taking shortcuts.

“Don’t be that person who thinks ‘10 items or fewer’ doesn’t apply to you,” added Nick Leighton, an etiquette expert and co-host of the “Were You Raised by Wolves?” podcast. “It does!”

Ignoring Aisle Traffic Rules

“If you wouldn’t do it on the sidewalk or on the highway, you probably shouldn’t do it with your shopping cart in a supermarket,” Leighton explained. “Don’t block other people, stop or change directions suddenly, or cross multiple lanes of traffic without checking for oncoming