A Shopper Refused To Let A Mom With A Baby Cut In Line & The Debate Is All About Cart Size

You might be expected to move seats for an elderly person or a mother with a baby on transit, but a recent situation at a store has people debating the unwritten rules of who deserves special treatment in a lineup.

The debate came up in a recent Reddit post submitted on AmItheA**hole, where a shopper says they were confronted by an elderly woman and a mother with a baby who wanted to move up in a long line at a store.

The elderly woman suggested that the mother with the baby be allowed to skip ahead in the line, as she was with a child. However, the shopper disagreed, stating that there was no reason why the mother with the baby should be given priority.

The shopper says the line was huge since only one register was open, and there was no self-checkout option. The cherry on top was that the shopper only had one item to buy, while others had full carts.

“I turned to (the mother) and asked her to speak for herself and that I do not agree that mom skips in front of me,” read the post. “I said that this checkout does not give priority to pregnant people and parents, so she should wait in line like everybody else, and if she is unable because of a baby she shouldn’t bring the baby to the store with her.”

The disagreement quickly turned into an argument, with the shopper and the elderly woman exchanging harsh words.

"I told her to f*ck off because I was tired of her bullsh*t," the poster wrote. "The mom then complained how she feels uncomfortable existing in a public space because of people like me."

The Reddit user explained that the woman’s child wasn’t even acting up or throwing a tantrum but instead was “calmly sleeping in a stroller.”

“I just don’t see a reason why she should have the privilege to skip a line just because she popped the baby out of her vajayjay,” the Reddit user wrote. “Sure if a baby was screaming or she was carrying him in her hands or literally any reason, but ‘I’m a mom, so my time is more important than yours.'

"I’m just tired of parents feeling entitled just because without any adequate reason,” the post said before asking, “am I the a**hole?”

The comment section under the post erupted into a debate about the etiquette around shopping in general, and most people agree that those with fewer items should be allowed to pay first.

One person wrote: “I thought the unspoken rules involved giving priority to people with minimal items...maybe that's my European mentality.”

Another commenter chimed in and agreed . "The idea that someone with a full cart goes in front of someone with minimal items just because of kids would be met with confusion where I've lived.”

“NTA (not the a**hole), you have one item, and you don't try to skip. Why should a woman with a baby go forth? Having a baby is not a sickness nor it's a disability. She can stay in line like everyone else does,” wrote another user.

Some people defended the mother, arguing that she wasn’t the one to start the argument and that the older lady was the real problem. Others pointed out that although the mother didn’t start the fight, “she seemingly approved of the old lady's words/actions.”

“I have often let parents with screaming babies go in front of me in line because I think it’s in everybody’s best interests that the screaming child depart as soon as possible,” commented one user. "A sleeping child? No.”

Would you let a parent cut ahead of you in a long line?

This article's cover image was used for illustrative purposes only.