This is something that is exuberantly frustrating to me because it's very similar to our store. The ETLs wil sit there and freak out about backup, but most of them won't jump on, even though they're standing right there at the check lanes. They're always on the cashiers about getting RedCards, but you rarely see them jump on and will, instead, bug Softlines/Hardlines for help. It's annoying. The GSTLs/GSAs do the same thing most of the time as well. One of them will occasionally jump on, one of them will always jump on and another one will instead call for backup and not jump on (I swear she called for backup every ten minutes Saturday).
There was the this one instance where I'm back in seasonal -- the complete opposite end of the store -- and HR calls be by name to come up for backup (even though there were people closer). I told her I was far away but she wanted me to come up there anyway. I go up there and she's standing directly beside the lanes and guests are looking at her with this puzzled look. How does it make our guests feel when they see a manager or TL standing right beside the lanes when there's a massive line of backup? She could have easily jumped on but elected to call me instead, which was frustrating (I've seen her on the lanes no more than 3 times in my almost 2 years there). She doesn't do shit basically, but will constantly bug us. With all the other stuff she's done (calling TMs derogatory names, spouting TMs personal business to other TMs, being investigated by Target for some stuff, etc), I have no idea how she still has a job there. I guess she has scandalous pictures of higher-ups.
