|
Post by Willow on May 22, 2004 9:20:49 GMT -5
Thursday was the "last straw"..... My sister's, another friend and I went to the "big city" to do some shopping, and one of my sister's and I went in to one of the huge grocery stores, while our other sister and friend waited in the truck. My sis and I didn't have much to get for ourselves, but my friend who has terminal cancer asked if I would pick up some salt free items for her, since they don't have a lot of them up here. We were trying to hurry because of the other's waiting outside and it was hot/humid. When we got up to the check outs, there was only 2 open and long lines of people with their carts full, so my sister suggested we try the "express" lane. The sign said, "20 items or less". Great! My sis only had a few, I had 8, and we had 21 for our friend, but I said I would take one item and add to mine so none of us went over 20 items, and I planned to pay seperate for mine and our friends so she would have a slip etc. We were the only ones in line, but the checker seemed to have an "attitude" right up front. After my sister paid for her items, the checker turned to me and said, "You have more than 20 items in there." I said, "Yes, I know, but they are for myself and a friend I'm shopping for." She said, "YOU CAN'T DO THAT". I asked "Why not?" and she said, "Because it's still just one person." By then an elderly lady had come up behind me, so I said, o.k. and that I didn't realize that, so the checker said to go ahead and put the groceries through, but continued to give me a lecture about people waiting behind etc., so my sister apologized to the elderly lady behind us and explained that we weren't aware we couldn't do that and that we were shopping for a friend with terminal cancer. The elderly lady went balistic and started yelling at us and saying it was because of "people like us" that she has to wait in line and that she has a sick husband she should be with etc." I didn't say anything to her, but said to the checker, "I'll tell you what...let's just forget the whole thing." Real nasty she said..."well! I've already started checking them through." I probably should have said, "That's your problem", and walked out, but I finished running my friends items through and then said, "I won't put mine through...I don't want them now." The checker said, (still nasty). "You don't want your things?" I said, "No''. She said to go ahead and run them through, but by then there was no way I would, so I said, "No" again, paid for my friends stuff and we left!!! I did call the manager when I got home and told him how rude the checker was to us, and explained what happened, but that was a big waste of time, of course. He said their "policy" is 20 items "per cart". I suggested they post that on the express sign and he said it is, but it isn't! All it says is like any express lane..."Express lane. 20 items or less." I guess I should have had seperate carts for the order's? I think I'll try THAT next time and see what happens and tell the checker the manager told me it's "20 items per cart" if she gives me flak! I don't see any difference if I pay for 2 order's, or if my friend would have been behind me with her items. It would still take the same amount of time, but then I'm just a hick from the country and in the stores up here I have never had a problem going through the express lane with 2 order's in one cart!!!
|
|
|
Post by sibemom on May 22, 2004 11:52:40 GMT -5
|
|
|
Post by Willow on May 22, 2004 18:26:14 GMT -5
Hey....I'll tell the world it was Woodman's!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I agree with you about some (alot) of elderly people too!! Don't get me started and I hope I never get like that when I am "elderly".
|
|
|
Post by Laura on May 22, 2004 23:53:19 GMT -5
The elderly who are rude and demanding were, in all likelyhood, the same when they were twenty years younger . Loey, how much you wanna bet that your checkout girl will be that way too when she's old enough for Medicare ;D ? We have plenty of them here in Jersey, particularly in the shore areas, none of them have patience, and most of them shouldn't drive . Reminds me of an incident that happened to me many years ago, which I probably shouldn't tell, it kind of reflects badly on me , but here goes... We have a house down the shore, and the traffic is insane in the summer, what with all the vacationers and the retirement "villages". I was taking the boys out for back to school shopping, it was hot, muggy, I have two squirmy, tired children, and I was running out of patience. We were in the car stopped behind a school bus in a shopping mall lot, when the person behind me starts to lean on his horn. When I turned around to see who was honking at me, it's this tiny, little old man, 5 years younger than God, driving the biggest Cadillac that Chrysler makes . , I'm talking he needed a phone directory to see over the steering wheel! He starts yelling at me "Hey girly girl, move your car!" Girly girl? That was it, I snapped, I leaned out of my window, and told him at the top of my lungs, in my finest Joisey accent, "WHAT IS YOUR HURRY OLD MAN? AT YOUR AGE, YOU GOT NOTHIN' TO DO BUT DIE !" As soon as the words came out of my mouth, I was embarassed , more for the fact that I lost my cool in front of my kids, but also that I might be him someday, heaven forbid ;D.
|
|
|
Post by Richard on May 23, 2004 10:18:50 GMT -5
Interesting story indeed.....it is indictative more of how we treat each other now and how companies treat us as customers.
I listen to these calls every day and except for a short break, I've listened to them for over 10 years...to be honest, its just gotten worse and worse. I know this doesn't paint a bright picture of us as a society but I think that more people these days are wound so tight that any little thing springs them loose ...i.e 21 items in the 20 express lane...like, really, this chick was counting??
IMHO, there could be a couple of reasons why we act the way we do these days whether it be in the theatre, on the road driving, in the supermarket or at a restaruant and that is we're losing the simple gesture of respect for each other and secondly, there are many many miserable people in this world, more now than ever....it is so hard to not get sucked in by the negative headlines prevailing our brains everyday that you really have to work hard not to succumb and be negative yourself since it all washes over in other parts of your life.
People drive more aggressively today, 1/2 of them are on the cphones and not even paying attention...people talk through movies that you pay $18.00 to see....they yap yap yap and then they take a cphone call in the middle of it!!!!
We were out at a restaurant last weekend for mothers day...it was more of a bistro out in the country near the hiking trail we frequent. A family of 4 was in front, Dad, Mom, daughter and (as we learned quite quickly, Mama). It was very busy that day but they were able to be seated...the owner said, don't sit by the door, I do have to open it occasionally for some fresh air....well, they insisted and put Mama, you guessed it, right by the door. We said we'd be ok up at the bar and we could have our lunch there...sadly, the bar was right beside these people's seat.
Well, to make a long story short, nothing was good enough for these people!! The Dad was saying the service was too slow, food was cold, too long in coming and guess what, at one point the owner had to open the door and boy did dear old Dad go bonkers...it was actually getting quite entertaining but at one point, dough-head crossed the line and became beligerant to the owner....then it got really embarassing and very annoying to have to sit beside. Dad started to make a big fuss saying the old quotables like: "I shall never darken your doorstep again!" or the ever popular, "you call yourself a owner, the service her was deplorable, we had to wait 2 hours for our food - dear God man, my Mama is 92 years old, she could of died of starvation....!!"(he was a lier, it was only 50 minutes - remember, we came in right behind them!!). This guy musta been an actor or something, I've never heard such passion of complaining...I think I even heard a whine the one time he said, "it's for my Mama, she needs to be treated better than this...my Mama is special!!".....gee I didn't think it was oscar material but he basically ended up sounding like a goof!!
Well, we had a great time, our food was served hot, as we ordered and they made a fuss over my daughter and made her feel welcomed...we had to wait a bit longer but it was busy, we were enjoying the atmosphere (other than the whackjob family beside us) and I think the owner just said, thank you, don't worry about the bill just to get them the he!! out of there! We said thank you to the owner for an excellent lunch and I told him Dad was a lier cuz it wasn't 2 hours they waited and that perhaps they should go eat lunch someplace else next time....like the zoo where their manners will fit in with the rest of the animals there!
Anyway, the behaviour of Dad there is typical of how many people behave and react in public now...sorry I cannot end this post on a positive note. I do my best to understand the situations I encounter and react accordingly...even with my stupid jacka$$ neighbours next door, I've maintained my composure but even then, I can be a real b@st@rd when I have to for people like that...but fortunately, I don't act like that often since its not who I am.
All I can do is hope that civility, manners, politeness and respect make some sort of comeback in our society....sadly though, it may not be soon enough for some people!
-Richard
|
|
|
Post by Nicole on May 24, 2004 8:26:20 GMT -5
Loey, I know you weren't trying to be funny but your post made me laugh!! ;D Sorry! I would rather have root canal then go to the express lane with 21 items. In my town, you would do better to light a cigarette on line. People look at you like you just murdered 12 people. ;D
|
|
|
Post by packerdogs on May 24, 2004 14:30:47 GMT -5
Reminds me of an incident that happened to me many years ago, which I probably shouldn't tell, it kind of reflects badly on me , but here goes.... I have an incident too that reflects poorly on me (probably several, but just one comes to mind because it happened in a checkout line). I HATE shopping with a passion, especially Christmas shopping, but of course, it must be done. I had my 7 year old neice with me, and we were at Best Buy picking up a couple of CD’s for presents. The lines were so long and the store was at least 150 degrees. I couldn’t wait to get through and get the hell out of there. Well, in front of me was an Eastern Indian lady who, I’m sorry, but she really stunk. I had a friend in grade school from India and I couldn’t spend the night at her house because of the smell. Not a gross smell, just that overwhelming spicy food smell. Anyway, we almost get to the front after standing in line for at least 45 minutes, and all of a sudden 7-8 of her relatives all get in line behind her. I asked if they were all checking out together, and they said no, separately. Well, I went balistic and said the f*ck you are and walked in front of them. The Indian lady started yelling at me, I told her to f*ck off and go back to her own frickin country so we wouldn’t have to smell her anymore. The clerk was stunned, trying to say something like let’s all get along, it’s Christmas, and blah, blah blah, and I told him to either check my stuff out now or I’m leaving because there is no way in hell I’m standing in line behind 8 paki’s. He checked me out. Well, my neice didn’t even know what to do, she kept asking me what a paki is and why did those people smell. I tried to explain to her that I shouldn’t have blown up and called them names, but I don’t think it worked! BTW – I would have been just as mad if 8 other people of any race, religion or color hopped in front of me to check out after I’d been waiting so long! I think mine is just as bad as yours Laura! Cathy
|
|
|
Post by amyjo on May 24, 2004 14:56:00 GMT -5
So that my good SB friends don't feel like the ONLY poorly behaved people... here goes my check out line story.
Saturday am heading out of town for vacation. Picking up some last minute items at the grocery. we had like three things - the store was crowded and they opened an express lane...this older woman with a full cart was heading towards the newly opened lane and my hubby being younger and faster aced her out and stepped in front of her. She decided she sould get him back and proceded to puch her cart into his back - not too hard but hard encough to be uncomfortable. I was behind her with no items but everytime I tried to step up to where my hubby was she body blocked me. So there I am I can see the back of his neck getting redder and redder and he is actually putting up with this crap. I finally got in front of her when he wasy paying and she did it to me just once. I turned around and told her if she did it one more time I was shoving the cart up her ass I didn't care how old she was... then she started cursing and abandoned her cart and went and stood by the door and waited for me - kept stepping in front of me and wouldn't let me out. She wanted to fight me because I called her OLD...The manager of the store and several people got in my face telling me to calm down because there are children present and I had begun to drop the f'bomb as in "get the f out of my way!" I was soooo mad and the whole time my husband is just standing by red-faced. I wish I had his restraint. I am polite but will not be pushed.
|
|
|
Post by Brooke on May 24, 2004 16:24:07 GMT -5
|
|
|
Post by Dobemom on Jun 1, 2004 10:14:19 GMT -5
|
|
|
Post by Willow on Jun 1, 2004 11:06:22 GMT -5
He deserved it. Which reminds me of another "pet peeve" of mine. People who fill up and leave their car at the pump while they go in to pay! Every station I've been at there are places in front where you can pull up to go inside and pay, but do people do it? Noooooooooooooooooo. They go in to pay, go to the bathroom, buy snacks, while you are "patiently" waiting behind them in line at the pump to get gas!!!!
|
|