It occurs to me that the grocery stores could easily program their cash registers to add a surcharge when someone goes through the "15 items or less fewer" lane with more than 15 items. This would take the pressure off the operator who clearly doesn't like to confront people who violate the policy. (Would you?)

Maybe some people would want to pay the surcharge rather than stand in a longer line. That would be OK, too. That would bring in more revenue for the supermarket and help them keep prices low for the rest of us.

How does 15 cents per item sound?