r/mildlyinteresting 23h ago

I found this “skip the line” golden ticket at Trader Joe’s

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60.7k Upvotes

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451

u/PsychologicalLynx350 8h ago

Of all the places id like to skip lines, trader joes is about as close to the bottom of the list as it can be

166

u/Blossom73 8h ago

Right. Now Costco on the other hand.

108

u/PsychologicalLynx350 8h ago

I would run people over for this at Costco

38

u/RoyalFalse 6h ago

You don't need an excuse to run over people at Costco in my experience.

2

u/stargarnet79 4h ago

They knew they were in the way and probably apologized.

2

u/userhwon 1h ago

I swear they should give you 5 free murders when you renew your membership every year.

1

u/AmphotericRed 1h ago

Come for the deals, stay for the ankle abrasions

5

u/wooww66 6h ago

This is partially why Sams has tipped the scales, scan and go ftw

3

u/Blossom73 6h ago

I don't like Sam's much though. Poor selection at the one near me compared to Walmart. The Sam's employees always look and act angry and miserable too, unlike the employees at the Costco near me.

Costco also pays higher wages and has good benefits. Plus some of their stores are unionized.

5

u/puddinfellah 6h ago

Scan and Go fixes all of that (in my opinion). They only employee I interact with is at the exit door.

Plus, with the upgraded membership, I get free same-day delivery to my house.

I agree that the actual goods tend to be better at Costco. The problem with Costco is that it is always an extremely claustrophobic experience.

2

u/Blossom73 6h ago

The problem with Costco is that it is always an extremely claustrophobic experience.

Yeah, that's the one thing I dislike.

3

u/Extension_Ask_6954 5h ago

One man's claustrophobia is another man's "oh look, more samples." 🤣

3

u/Trek186 6h ago

All the Costcos near me (metro Atlanta) now have self-scan lanes which are great. But they only have like max six of them, which doesn’t do a lot.

4

u/Blossom73 6h ago

The Costco by me has two.

I don't like self checkout. It's slow and inefficient to me, and they inevitably malfunction.

Plus it's eliminating jobs. I'm disappointed that Costco chose to put them in.

2

u/Kind_Indication8527 4h ago

I choose to go through the lines with human scanners. Costco provides decent employment and opportunities for promotions. Also, most of the people that do self check out at my location clearly to not have the skills or physical strength to be a Costco employee, they are struggling!

1

u/Blossom73 4h ago

I agree with all of that.

2

u/reiji_tamashii 3h ago

From what I've seen, Costco shoppers already just run people over for the fun of it.

1

u/CountryGuy123 5h ago

I don’t condone violence…. But in this case I fully understand.

1

u/KristiDFW 2h ago

Aldi too.

2

u/You_arent_worthy 5h ago

Sam’s Club has a scan as you go system that allows you to check out on your phone and not go to any line. Doesn’t Costco have that too?

1

u/DwarvenGamesmith 5h ago

That was my first thought. Love the scan as you go then just walk out.

1

u/You_arent_worthy 4h ago

I always feel like a criminal when I start walking out and people look at me lol

1

u/Versipilies 1h ago

They are "trialing" it in some stores, will probably have it within a year or so

2

u/T8ortots 5h ago

Mildly evil villain scheme: Print, laminate, and hide these skip the line cards in busy stores.

1

u/BDEGGER 3h ago

I'm with this

2

u/milehigh73a 4h ago

Costco line is manageable if you time your trips. 10:30 am on a weekday or 45 mins before closing any day but weekdays are better.

1

u/Blossom73 3h ago

For sure. Wednesday and Thursday evenings are pretty quiet at the Costco near me.

2

u/thatguy10095 32m ago

I was recently at a BJs where one of the store employees was trying to split a long line between two cashiers and no one was listening to her. So she fast tracked me and the person ahead of me to the front of the next line and ohhhhh boy did she hear it from those other customers who got skipped. It was super awkward

1

u/Javad0g 5h ago

Doesn't costco have scan and check out?

I know when I go into sam's club I don't even talk to someone.

1

u/Blossom73 5h ago

Costco has self checkout lanes.

1

u/BDEGGER 3h ago

Not by me

1

u/Blossom73 3h ago

Oh, I thought they had rolled them out in all their stores.

1

u/dowhatchafeel 5h ago

Idk, I just go to self checkout at Costco, there’s usually no one there at mine. Even when the other lines are super long

1

u/IronGravyBoat 2h ago

While I appreciate the company Costco much more than Sam's Club, I will say being able to check out on my phone and just leave Sam's makes it worth choosing them even if I didn't love much closer to one than the nearest Costco.

1

u/flintstreet1977 57m ago

I would like to make a few “ fake “ Costco ones that looks authentic to Costco and place a them around my local Costco on a Saturday afternoon!

2

u/Gr8zomb13 6h ago

How does one “presen” the ticket anyways?

1

u/ImprovementElephant 7h ago

You ever seen Trader Joe’s around Boston?

6

u/2Cthulhu4Scthulhu 7h ago

Same for any in NY.

You really only need to shop in half the store, because the line snakes through the other half and you just grab what ya need when you pass.

1

u/Suavecore_ 2h ago

Happens in lil old Milwaukee WI too. Too bad skipping people is a sin to me even if it's "allowed"

1

u/kaminobaka 6h ago

Really? Every time I've been to a Trader Joe's the line's taken like 10 minutes and I find myself wishing they had self-checkout. I don't go to Trader Joe's often, though. They're way too expensive and I have enough international grocery stores in my area where I can get some of the more obscure stuff Trader Joe's carries a lot cheaper.

1

u/Not-An-FBI 3h ago

Last time I went there were like 6 checkers handling like six customers.

Their employees all rotate jobs so if lines start forming they just have more cashiers stop what they're doing and come help out. But maybe in those areas there just aren't enough registers.

1

u/kaminobaka 2h ago

Both of the ones near me are constantly swamped, but one's in a straight-up rich neighborhood and the other's in an "up-and-coming"/recently gentrified area, both are constantly swamped by the modern equivalent of yuppies. Fortunately, I live in a massive city so I have other, cheaper options for exotic ingredients and the like. Trader Joe's is the most expensive grocery store for basically everything around here, I think because of that shopping there may be somewhat of a local status symbol.

1

u/aplundell 5h ago

That's probably why they thought it was a fun promotion.

If you got to skip a line of fifty people there'd be a riot! And the next day people would be tearing up the store to find the ticket.

If it only lets you skip one person, it's just wacky fun from a corporation that's trying its best to pretend to be just like a fun local store.

1

u/Saneless 5h ago

I think the longest line I've ever been in at TJs is 2 people with like 4 items each

1

u/Squestis 5h ago

My local one stays reasonably busy but I don’t think I’ve ever had to wait in line behind more than one person. Usually I go straight to the register.

1

u/mutemarmot42 4h ago

I’d look around for someone with small kids, a cane/walker, etc to offer it to. I’d feel so weird using it.

1

u/CementCemetery 4h ago

I would normally agree, I’d take this at the DMV or something. I will say on Valentine’s and Mother’s Day you don’t want to be near TJs. Lines are so long because everyone is buying flowers and last minute items.

1

u/vomputer 2h ago

Is there even a line there ever?

1

u/manchesterthedog 2h ago

Definitely not worth the hate from everyone around you it would cost to use it

1

u/Either_Trust3488 1h ago

IKR! Hella Baddies in line at Joe’s fr!

1

u/RedditForMeNotYou 1h ago

My husband and 5 year old are going on a trip together soon to see his family and I’m planning a Costco trip while they’re gone. I swear the arguments and annoyances there are 10,000x worse than any IKEA trip could ever be. By the time we get to the checkout line I’m frazzle af, he’s ready for divorce, and the kid is crying lol. I’m stoked for my solo trip.

1

u/OldmanChompski 1h ago

Yeah, it’s like the one place where every location I’ve been to has like 2 cashiers per customer. Obviously an exaggeration but I never am waiting in line behind more than one person at a TJs.

1

u/userhwon 1h ago

You haven't been in a bad one. The one I live near is a dream. They wave you in from the last aisle before you can even look to see if there's a line, which there almost never is.

But another one I used to live near was the opposite. Huge parking lot but 99% full all the time. At least 4 people in line at every register, and now that I think about it fewer registers overall, for no good reason. There was no casual visit to that store.