What The $#@%

  I am standing in line at the grocery store (self checkout).  The lines are long and crowded, I have been waiting for at least 10 minutes.  I made some small talk to pass time with the gal in front of me.  The gal in front of me finally got to the checkout and proceeded to tear the upc off of the chicken she had in her hand.  She is trying to scan a torn upc tag and it isn't working.  She had looked up at me several times, for what I do not know, at this point it is too late for my help.  I elected not to speak, but communicate non verbally.  I tried my hardest to not have a look of total rage.  I was extremely impatient at this point, and she just tore the damn upc off of the chicken.  I wanted to say what the hell are you thinking, or you have got to be kidding me, or laugh and say you think that is gonna work now.  She had spent several minutes before a checker finally came over.  The checker looked up at me and I passed a look and a head wave to her and she didn't get it.  I choose not to speak throughout this catastrophe because I know that I would have not been nice, and it is easier to have a look that doesn't say mad, than to not say what I am feeling.  First I want to know what was her reasoning for tearing off the label.  I also want to know why the checker ignored my attempts to receive help.  What ever the reason behind this haphazard encounter growing angry would have definitely not help matters.  I used breathing to alleviate tension and tried joking with a person behind me to use laughter to mask anger.  By diverting my attention elsewhere I was able to to thwart away my uneasiness.