Almost all of us have used the self-checkout lane at a supermarket at least once in our lives. If you’re like every other college student who goes out for the late night Ben & Jerry’s to munch on while binge watching Netflix, you understand the frustration of going through the self-checkout lane. Especially to find the only available stand being occupied by an inept person with 40 items attempting to checkout.

Why do people (usually older adults) assume that it is perfectly acceptable to bring over 15 items into the self-checkout lane, including fruit that has to be typed in? There is no point for them to go through the self checkout if they need assistance from an employee for the entire transaction.

According to the Food Marketing Institute, 6 percent of U.S. supermarkets offered self-checkout lanes in 1999, and by 2007, that number rose to 95 percent.

Obviously its popularity has continued to rise, but if self checkouts are so popular, why haven’t people learned to use them properly?

The population seems divided. Some of us love them, some of us hate them, and some of us only use them if we have to.

But this doesn’t answer the question of why people think it is acceptable to bring an excessive amount of items to the self-checkout lane.

It’s rude and inconvenient to have more than 15 items in a self checkout. By doing that, people are completely inconveniencing those behind them that have one to 15 items that do not require assistance from an employee.

That is the whole point of these contraptions: to make life easier for everyone.

If you look around and see all of the annoyed faces behind you, that means “Yes, you are definitely ticking everyone off.”

As college students, we tend to be selfish and self-absorbed, since college is all about “Me, Me, Me!” And it should be. These are the best years of our lives, and they are all about self-discovery.

However, do not be that person in the grocery store. Be self-aware. Be a respectful citizen of your community. You can still focus on you while being a responsible, considerate adult. And who knows, you might set an example for some of those older adults who are stuck in their own little worlds.

The bottom line is, if you decide to use the self checkout, have under 15 items and encourage those around you to do the same.