Supermarket peeves

Supermarket peeves: I have lots.
But today I'll leave you with just the one.

Everyone must be familiar with those plastic dividers people put on the conveyor belt to keep their shopping apart?

Ok. About a decade ago those things weren't in existence here. Which was awkward. 'That bread isn't mine, it must have slided over' and stuff.

But now they are everywhere. Joy.

BUT: People now expect you to put one of those things immediately after you've put the shopping on the conveyor belt. No delay permitted. It has to be done in the same flow of the cart-emptying business.
Usually the belt is so long and the dividers scarce you can't reach one from where you're standing in the queue.

So the person behind you is getting all stressed out because he/she doesn't want to have the shopping mixed up with yours and is holding off putting stuff on the belt al long as you haven't put down the divider.
And so this huge gap empty space emerges behind your shopping, like it has lepra or something. You are considered an asocial person if you do not put down the divider. You, being in front of the other person, have to fulfill your altruistic duty.

ALSO (ok, this is the second peeve): supermarket etiquette requires you say thank you and nod politely to the person in front of you putting down the divider. As if your shopping has been gracefully saved the embarrassment of being added to someone else's bill.

Gah. I need to go down the shops again today. Do not want.