A frustrated woman blasts another shopper for standing too closely to her in the checkout line. She says it’s her biggest pet peeve.
In a viral TikTok clip, Camila (@camilaa_t) uploaded footage of herself decrying a fellow shopper for standing too close to her. So she calls him out as she films herself loudly commenting on on his behavior.
In the video, Camila records herself waiting online at the store’s checkout. “Did y’all know that standing hella close behind me in line at a store doesn’t make this line go faster,” she says. The TikToker then moves her camera lens around to show more of her surroundings.
In doing so, she reveals the shopper who was getting too close for comfort. A man’s face can be seen looking directly into the camera as she records her video. “So might as well back the freak up, we’re all gonna stand here. Yeah, you,” she says to the man, calling him out in the video as he looks away.
She adds in a caption for her video: “Him looking at the camera just proves my point.”
One shopper’s checkout pet peeve
The video has amassed more than 700,000 views in just four days. Numerous other users on the app shared in her disdain for this practice. In the comments section of her clip, one user wrote, “Girl THE RAGEEEEE I FEEL WHEN THEY DO THIS.”
Someone else said how they get back at individuals who stand too close to them when waiting on line. “This happened to me yesterday and I literally farted. The lady behind me was so mad, but like why are you so close to me?” they wrote.
This TikToker also shares their purse swing method of getting spatially deficient lurkers away from them. “I toss my purse behind me and if it hits them I turn around and look like obviously your too close,” they wrote.
And then there were those who said store employees stood up for them in moments like these. They said, “Once I had a cashier ask the person behind me if she was going to pay for stuff. The person was confused, cashier said, ‘Well, you’re next to her at the pin pad like you’re about to pay!’”
Of course, you could always try giving someone a good sneer to keep them at bay, like this TikTok does. “Girl, I always turn around and look people up and down with disgust. They usually back away,” wrote another user.
Some folks think that certain stores attract this particular demographic. “This always happens when I shop at Marshall’s, Burlington, Ross, or TJ Maxx. And last time the lady was so close she kept hitting me with her cart,” one wrote.
The psychology behind this behavior
Psychology Today pens in an article about “space invaders” who encroach upon others’ personal bubbles. The piece indicates that these individuals may not necessarily know they’re doing it. That’s because they’re not aware of how much space their bodies take up.
The article references a study on “peripersonal space (PPS).” And in this study, the idea that a person’s height and how it correlates to their regulation/perception of distance is explored. “In other words, PPS reflects your actual bodily perception and IPS the socially-determined rules that govern how close your body gets to other people.”
According to researchers, “Taller people feel more socially dominant, and so expect others to accommodate to them rather than vice versa.” As part of an experiment to test this theory, both PPS and IPS (interpersonal space) were measured among participants. “Regarding the two key variables of IPS and PPS, manipulated height did seem to make a difference. In the body-swap with the tall mannequin, participants reduced their IPS (sense of comfort in getting close to others) but enlarged their PPS (believed themselves to occupy more physical space).”
In short, the larger you perceive your body to be, the more space you’ll subconsciously take up, the study states.
Does this behavior just boil down to retail etiquette?
One would assume that in the wake of restrictions enforced during COVID, people would be accustomed to social distancing. It’s not like there’s any shortage of retail etiquette shopping do’s and don’ts, either. However, it seems like there’s no shortage of folks who’ve jumped into other online forums to decry this practice. One Reddit user penned a viral rant on this subject.
They detailed an unsavory encounter they had at a 7-11 while they were paying for their items. “Then we were in line to check out. I was standing behind him, but went to move to the other side so I could grab the bag from the cashier. I turned around and became face to face with man…standing directly behind me, literally 2 inches away.”
Another Reddit user in the comments section echoed a recommendation a person in Camila’s video had. “You know what would solve your problem and also be hilarious? Getting that spray that smells like farts and just gassing up whoever stands too close.”
And then there was this Quora forum poster who wondered the same thing. “Why do people stand close to me in stores all the time?” Tons of theories were offered up by commenters. Some remarked that the person must just have a lot of haters who want to crowd their space. While others chalked it up to people just being in their own worlds and not thinking of others.
@camilaa_t Him looking at the camera just proves my point😂😂😂 #fyp #fypage #relatable #shopping ♬ original sound – Mila
The Daily Dot has reached out to Camila via TikTok comment for further information.
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