A supermarket has addressed the wild theory that customers have been using the checkout divider wrong all this time.
The internet went into a frenzy after US meteorologist Ryan Vaughan claimed the checkout divider should be placed vertically across the conveyor belt instead of horizontally.
He wrote in a Facebook post: “I’m at the store tonight and noticed some of you don’t know how to use the divider.
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"You need to put it long ways to trip the sensor AND keep a distance.
"Some of y’all use it as a privacy fence.”
Vaughan also included a photo allegedly showing the ‘right’ and ‘wrong' way to use the divider while purchasing items through the checkout.
However, the internet dragged this man to utter filth.
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One user wrote: “So would it be better to put it diagonally? Still trips the sensor yet creates more room.”
Another said: “I've worked at grocery stores for many years. You're wrong. Lol. And as a cashier, I don't want my belt stopping before the stuff gets to me. I can see the divider. I don't need the belt to stop before bringing the next order to within my reach. Lol.”
A third commented: “Or that would just make the line longer because you can’t even start putting your groceries up there ahead of time and you gonna be putting groceries up there still and the cashier gonna be ready for you to put the bagged ones in your cart that’s not ready yet. You can tell you’re a single person and don’t shop for a full household.”
While another shared: “FYI, the groceries trip the sensor. The divider is there to tell the cashier where your groceries stop. If you were supposed to leave 2 feet in between orders you wouldn't need a divider.”
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The controversial post, which resulted in 13,000 comments, led Vaughan to respond, explaining that he was merely having a little fun with his suggestion.
“It doesn’t take much to fire up the world,” he wrote.
Following his remarks, supermarket giant Coles confirmed that shoppers could use the divider either way.
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Did you hear that, Ryan?
Sorry, triggered.
“Coles checkout dividers are a handy way for customers to separate their groceries when completing their shop,” a spokesperson told news.com.au.
“Team Members at the checkout will always provide friendly customer service regardless of a customer’s preferred method of placing their divider.”
Charisa Bossinakis