3 “Polite” Things You Do at the Grocery Store That Are Actually Rude

Though making your grocery list and checking out the sales can be a time-consuming errand, there's something nice about going to the supermarket for a big restock. Every piece of produce you pick up has an unknowable future in front of it—after all, who knows what will become of the perfectly ripe fruits and veggies in your cart?

Unfortunately, you're likely to hit some snags even on your best trips to the grocery store. They're out of stock on the one staple you really needed, or maybe you need ripe avocados for tonight and there are only bright green ones in sight.

Or maybe you'll get tripped up by the rudeness of a fellow shopper or a grouchy employee. There's no real way to ensure that you have a perfect grocery shopping experience, but you could always make everyone else's day better by being kind and considerate at the store. Check out these tips for ways you can make your grocery trip better for everyone.

1. You add your cart to the train.

You're about to push your cart into one of the parking lot corrals when you notice an employee pushing a long line of them back into the store. It seems like perfect timing, so you catch up with them and add another cart to the train. Unless the person waved you over or stopped to wait for you to finish unloading your cart, you should assume they have all the carts they can handle right now. It can be tough to manage pushing all those carts across the parking lot, so you don't want to throw off the balance.

2. You put things back where they belong.

You're about to wrap up your grocery excursion when you notice a jug of milk or a pack of popsicles on a room-temperature shelf. Your instinct may be to swoop in and put the product back where it goes—maybe you're about to pass the frozen section anyway—but that's not a great idea. You don't know how long the items have been sitting out, and they could be past the point of no return. You don't want to end up causing someone to buy funky milk. Instead, return them to an employee and let them know exactly where you found the item so they can dispose of it properly or return it to the right location.

3. You try to clean up.

Something in your cart or someone else's has leaked all over the checkout lane or aisle, so you do your best to help with the spill. You definitely mean well, but you probably don't have the supplies to actually get the job done. Instead, notify an employee about the spill so they can handle it. Getting rid of it yourself could even mean trouble for the employee whose job you're doing.