Have you ever experienced queuing in line behind shoppers with carts that are so full they overflow and  yet the line is barely moving? I just did, earlier today, and it annoyed me no end. At the counter, the cashier was slowly punching the items one by one while the customers - including myself with a heavy basket in one arm - stood and waited for like forever. I couldn't understand why the cashier didn't use the barcode scanner, when it fact, I saw other cashiers in other counters using it just fine. It would have made it everything faster and easier, sparing us all of unnecessary stress. I don't get it, forgive me, but barcode scanners were introduced to local stores here since 2000 and yet there are some stores, and cashiers for that matter, who still use the old-fashioned way, that is, punching the numbers on the cash register one by one. Perhaps the scanner was broken, or the batteries have run out, I don't know. I'm just glad that I had a mailbox full of postcards and it made me forget about the hassle and frustration at the grocery store.