Sunday, October 5, 2008

At all costs

Sandy here:

A couple weeks ago, Doug and I went to the grocery store. We got ready to check out and, as one does, we tried to pick the shortest line. Well we ended up behind a woman with many many groceries. We did not notice that we chose a line without a bagger. AND, to complete the trifecta, the checker was very slow (normally she works in produce, and was only checking because the store was so busy--not that I know her--she was telling everyone this information).

I settled myself in for a good dose of "let's see what this person is buying." She had a cart full of every type of organic and natural product possible--I didn't think that many products were stocked at our local City Market!

The woman buying the copious amounts of food had reusable bags with her. However, when the checker asked her how many bags she had, her response was "I don't know--can we count them at the end?" The woman refused to help the checker at all--she did not move from her post and would not help bag any of her groceries. In her defense, I do think she needed a rest for her left hand--outside of movie stars, I don't think I've seen a rock that big in person.

Her bill came to 401 and some change and she wrote a check. Now, apparently, if a check gets written for over $400 a manager has to come do an override (maybe to combat fraud?). So, we're waiting and waiting (and then still waiting). Finally we get the override, the receipts are issued, Doug and I get ready to spring into action (if Doug ever wants a career change, he makes a heck of a bagger), when the woman turns to the checker and says--"Did you put my bag credit on?" Turns out the checker had forgotten. In case you think the bonus for bringing bags is significantly larger here in Durango, let me disabuse you--it's 5 cents a bag. 5 cents! Of course the checker didn't know how to open the register to get 45 cents, so that was another ordeal. Finally the woman got her hard-earned money and left.

My theory is that she puts all that bag money into a special "ring" fund...

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Sandy, you should be a writer, I
laughed about your grocery story.
You should shop in Orangeburg where
the checkers are Afro-American and
move slow and stop to visit with
everyone that comes in to store.
I get impatient but Margot seems
to be okay. After 8 hears there,
she is used to it. Coming from
Chicago where everyone moves fast
she has done a good job. Margot buys Organic milk for Charlotte but
Jack still gets formula twice
a day. He loves that bottle and
says yum yum! Take care of each
other and have fun planning for
the girls. Aunt Carole