Yesterday, I went to the grocery store to buy some things. As I was waiting in line, I got a call from a friend I hadn't seen in a while. We got to talking and it was my turn to check out my groceries. After scanning all my groceries, the cashier just stared at me for a minute or two. I ended my call and asked her what was wrong. She replied that she simply wanted to ask "cash or credit?" but didn't want to interrupt my phone call. I was shocked. No, not because I had encountered a polite cashier for the first time in my life. It was because I had suddenly realized that my whole life, though I had considered myself a strong proponent of equal treatment no matter what race, ethnicity, gender, or social class (as most people consider themselves), I had been dehumanizing cashiers. And don't lie, I'm sure you've done it as well. Ever walked through a check-out line without ever looking the cashier in the eye? Would you do this to any of your friends or elders? Surely not. It seems to me that there are several potential reasons why people are so impolite to cashiers:

1) People have had bad experiences with cashiers and the common stereotype is that cashiers are rude. You are much more likely to remember a discourteous cashier than a courteous one. Thus, people associate cashiers with impoliteness and are therefore impolite to them as soon as they walk up to the register.

2) People view cashiers as lower than themselves since they are working a service or retail job. Therefore, they look and talk down on them.

3) People are having a bad day and know that they won't encounter the cashier for long so they take it out on the cashier.

Whatever the reason, it is imperative that people recognize that they are being inconsiderate to cashiers. I, myself, did not even notice until just recently. What I have decided, though, is that I will now be more proactive and conscious-minded about being nice to cashiers. I request you to do the same.

Thanks to that grocery store cashier, who in two minutes, has made me a better person (It took my mom something along the line of 10 years to teach me to be polite so extra kudos).

Feel free to post any cashier stories or reasons people are impolite to cashiers you have.