Pardon My Space

As you know I hate shopping and that includes, in particular, grocery shopping. I try to time it so I can grab a cart and run through with a well-planned list as if I were a contestant on a game show. It works out very well, usually no casualties. One Sunday morning I was awake at 6:00am so I thought it was a fine opportunity to venture out to the supermarket.
I arrived at 7:30am and with luck there were few cars in the parking lot; newspapers were just being stacked and produce clerks were the only ones making their way around the store with bleary eyes. Even so, I hastily made my way through the store with my short list. In record time I found a checkout clerk standing idly by waiting for my purchases and me; I started unloading the cart. I was surprised when an elderly man came up behind me and started doing the same; where on earth did he come from?
I moved ahead to do some packing; anything to help speed up the process. I stood at the credit card machine and planted myself there until the transaction was complete. Well, it seems my line mate had moved up too, right to the front of his items where I was standing. He cozied up right next to me while I was trying to enter my credit card information.
I could not help but say something and all he did was excuse himself, not moving an inch. What was this all about? I am sure he was not trying to steal information. Did he think I was going to bag something from his line? Is that the reason for the sentinel behavior? Proper line etiquette is to stand at the end of your grocery line until the person in front of you is done. Was it my place to teach him? I thought I could avoid this situation by shopping early on a Sunday, but the one rude guy had to find me. Don’t get me going on the one lazy person I met out in the parking lot, inches from the cart return, who was too lazy to return it. I’ll save that for another rant.
Uffa!