If an express lane requires 12 items or fewer, why not make a CMA lane for ~50+ purchases, or check paying OAPers, or exception/unpriced/unknowable items? Further, give the cashiers or whoever the authority to impose attendance of this line on any shoppers who seem to exceed the minimum. The idea would still be to service these customers as quickly as possible, with perhaps a cashier/bagger that specialize in dealing with large lots. This way, the people who can't get into the express line can still get served efficiently by relegating all the customers that demand extra attention into a line(s?) of their own.
-- absterge, Jan 12 2001

(?) Roget's Thesaurus http://www.thesauru...rus/roget/I/37.html
You'll find the broad meaning of "cum multis aliis" here. [DrBob, Jan 12 2001, last modified Oct 05 2004]

With a name like that, adolescents would be queuing for porn....
-- Skybird, Jan 12 2001


Put the words together into one word: Cummultisaliis... Phonetically, this says "cum al tis alis", which thus becomes "Come, all, tease Alisia". This entire idea it actually a cruel practical joke to be played on one of [absterge]'s friends. This poor Alisia probably is a cashier at a supermarket, and this [absterge] would have us all gang up on her and overwhelm her with a plethora of groceries. Well it won't work.. I'm on to you, And soon the world will know!
-- LittleBitONothing, Mar 29 2001


(no offense, LittleBit, but this idea should never have ended up back out of hiding, and waug's brilliant annotation really deserves Last Word status on this one. It's a funny scenario that you propose, and even possible, but I'll soon remove it all the same. it's nothing against you; please don't be offended! <=) )
-- absterge, Mar 29 2001


Other than some sort of draconian mandate, what would compel customers with many items to stand in these lines? From their perspective, it is much better to stand in one of the other lines: those in front of them would be processed much faster, thus *they* would be reached all the sooner; whereas in the "bulk-buying nightmare line," they would have to wait behind a bunch of inconsiderate assholes like themselves.

You mentioned having cashiers/baggers that specialize in dealing with large lots to combat the problem, but... how would they specialize? Be continuously hooked up to caffiene, perhaps?
-- jester, Jan 27 2002


What is inconsiderate about wanting to not have to go to the store every day?
-- StarChaser, Jan 27 2002


What 'Chaser said + The proposition as laid out in the idea itself is for people who a_r_e considerate ie ~50+ purchases, or check paying OAPers, or exception/unpriced/unknowable items.
Perhaps 'skilled' would be the laymans term for 'specialize' in this case
-- thumbwax, Jan 27 2002


Name all the regular lanes '1-50', like the '1-8' and '1-16' lanes now. This special lane does not have a '1-50' indicator.
-- andrewm, Jul 24 2002


How about a special lane for obese people loading up on junkfood? I wish I could help them somehow, but I can't---so should I have to watch? (In the US, I'm talking about every 2nd or 3rd customer.)
-- Ander, May 08 2003



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