Hi. It's been awhile. I periodically think I should write on this blog more often. Usually after a few beers. But this just happened to me, and I want to solicit some opinions.
I live in a small town. There is only one Walgreen's (a large chain of drug stores for any non-Americans) here, and that is my pharmacy. It has a drive up window. There are two lanes, but for the first several months that I lived here (since August of 2025), the second (or outermost) lane was never in service. Then, a couple of months ago, they put the second lane into service. The original lane has a window, and the clerk passes your medicine out via a sliding drawer. The second lane is served by a good old-fashioned pneumatic tube. I've loved those things since I was a kid. There was an old department store in my childhood hometown I sometimes went to with my mother. They had a whole network of clear tubes running along the ceiling between the office and various departments. I would stare at them the whole time, and sometimes be rewarded by the sight of a little canister whizzing along.
On the day I found out about the new second lane, there were several cars waiting in the original line. At first I was all "Ugh!", but then I noticed there was a new sandwich board type sign on the island between the two lanes announcing that the second lane was now open. I hesitated for a second, because I was nervous that if I just bellied up to the open lane, that the people who were already waiting in the original lane might get mad at me, as though I were cutting into the line. But then I figured that they all had the same chance I did to see the sign, so it's on them that they chose to get in a long line when it wasn't necessary. Admittedly, some of them may not have seen the sign, especially if they automatically pulled up at the back of the line because they had no prior knowledge of the new lane. So, I justified to myself, I'd be doing them a favor by demonstrating that there was indeed a second lane. Of course, some of the people who chose the original lane may have done so out of the same fear I had of public censure by the other people in line. Oh well.
This has happened on several occasions when I have made subsequent trips to the pharmacy: a line of cars (sometimes longish, sometimes shortish) at the original lane; no one in, or sometimes one car at the front of, the second lane. Every time, I have that niggling doubt at the back of my mind that I am somehow cheating, but I persevere. After all, when you are presented with multiple lines, whether it be at a store or bank or whatnot, don't you tend to get in the shortest line? It's just human nature, right?
I should note that despite the two lanes, there is usually only one employee serving both the window and the second lane. Inside the store, the opposite situation occurs: one line, but two windows, and frequently both windows are staffed.
Today when I went to the drive-thru, there was a car at the window, and three cars behind it and no one in the second lane. As per usual, I chose the shorter lane. I waited until the clerk was finished with the person (an old man in a big pickup or SUV) at the window. I was cognizant of the fact that this must present a quandary for the clerk: should they serve the customer at the second lane (me) or the person who was already in line behind the guy at the window? But by that logic, every car that was already in the original lane was there before me. It wouldn't make any sense to serve all of them before me. What would be the point of having a second lane in that case?
Just before the old man pulled away, I heard him say to the clerk, "The person behind me..." and I didn't catch the rest, but I had a feeling it had something to do with me. The clerk got on the speaker and told me that she needed to serve the car behind the old man because they were next. When that car pulled up to the window and the clerk greeted them, I heard the woman behind the wheel tell the clerk that she was sure "that person" (meaning me) was next. I didn't hear the clerk's explanation to her, but I did hear her say, "I don't want to get in trouble." So I waited while the clerk served the lady in the second car.
I didn't beef about it, but I was somewhat disgruntled. I couldn't be upset with the clerk, because as stated earlier, it must have put her in a difficult position. I don't know why the customers of my local Walgreen's seem to be so slow to adapt to the fact that there are now two lanes available. It sure seems like things would run a lot smoother at the drive-thru if they would. Perhaps the reason for the slow adoption of the new way is because this is predominantly a town of retirees, and old folks get set in their ways.
So, I guess my question isn't so much "Am I the asshole?", as "Do you think the clerk did the right thing by serving the car behind the old man before serving me (technically the next car)". Follow-up question, "Do you think the old man was an asshole for pointing out to the clerk that I shouldn't be the next person served?"
I eagerly await your thoughts.
