The sign says “15 items or fewer,” but is that a hard limit or a general guideline?

The cashier is unlikely to say anything, both because they probably aren’t counting and because doing so is usually more trouble than it’s worth for them, leaving fellow shoppers to either point it out themselves or angrily wait in line. For while it might not be a huge deal in and of itself, small transgressions like this can feel emblematic of a withering social fabric. But everyone we run into has had a day of their own, and what initially seems like rudeness could just be the result of someone feeling frazzled and not realizing they’re over the limit.