Slug Express

I was in a queue of three people at the local store, waiting to buy a pack of cigarettes. A member of staff came over to me and asked if I'd mind using the express self service till to shorten their queues. I agreed and asked him to get the cigarettes from behind the counter, so I could scan them through.

 

After waiting for almost five minutes for him to slip behind the cashier and find the brand of cigarettes that I wanted, I finally scanned it through the express till and shoved the coins into the slot. The machine clunked and grinded a few times, before throwing my coins back out. I scoffed slightly and shoved them back in. Again, they came out. A member of staff looked at me and laughed before walking off.

 

I threw the coins in several more times, before trying to rub them, swap them and shove them in at different angles, at different speeds... No luck. 15 minutes passed. The queue was filled with rows of new customers... I realised I could have been gone by now if I stayed in the queue. I called a member of staff over who explained that the machine wasn't working too well, and that I should just join the queue. I told her that I came FROM the queue in the first place, 15 minutes ago, to use the 'recommended express service'. She apologised and walked away, leaving me to rejoin the back of the queue.

 

Surely it's possible for them to slip an 'out of order' note over the 'express' service, if they know it's not working. Well, surely they shouldn't tell customers to use it if they know it's not working. Maybe it was something I was doing wrong. Who knows for sure?