Grocery Store Venting!

I just have to vent a bit about our local grocery store! I won't put the name here, but I'm sure most of you know exactly where I mean. I have a couple of "pet peeves" when it comes to grocery shopping anyway. First I despise it when the person in line behind me pushes my groceries to fit their's on the belt. I ALWAYS put the divider thing about 3 to 4 inches behind my groceries - a message saying "keep your distance!" About 80% of the time, someone behind me will grab it, shove it forward, mashing my groceries (thanks for the crushed chips and mashed bread) and start loading their stuff. It bugs me because first of all, I'm not messing with their groceries, and second there is no possible way doing that will get them out any sooner. They still have to wait for me to get checked out!

So, when our local store installed "self check" lanes, I started using those and it was great for the first month or so ... until other people started using them. First, I bring my own (cloth) bags and when you bring your bags to other lanes, you get a 5c credit, but not at self check. Second, people continually start scanning their stuff while I'm bagging and have so much stuff - and theirs starts moving down the belt into mine. I mean too much stuff to put the divider up yet. Next, the people who don't have much stuff (like eggs, bread, 2 cans, and a cake) and refuse to put the divider up so I can't check out!! Then there's just what I call "brain dead" people who stand and stare at the scanner like it's going to start chatting with them. I got behind a woman last week that couldn't figure out that the PICTURE of bananas meant bananas!

The last straw was this week. I was behind a woman that finished scanning - a store person had already bagged almost all her stuff - there was about 1 bag of stuff left to bag. She pushed her cart forward and then just stood at the end, not bagging. So, I scanned my frequent shopper card to get the belt moving, hoping she'd finish bagging. She turned around and yelled at me "Don't do that!" Then she went into this weird discussion of how she didn't get a receipt from the machine and she had to check every item when she got home so she'd know the store wasn't "stealing" from her. She got a clerk who told me to not check out - I had to wait. Well. I waited while in the lines on either side of me 2 people (per line) with FULL carts completely checked out, bagged, and left. I waited more than 2o minutes listening to this woman freaking out about a stupid food receipt. I finally asked why she doesn't just watch the prices as she scans. Then she huffed and turned around. Long story short, the store decided there was no way they could print out a receipt for her and finally said I could scan. I asked for the store manager and explained what happened and stated I felt it was wrong, inconsiderate and just terrible that I was made to stand there all that time. I was not asked to move into another lane ahead of a later arrival, or asked to check out by the manager or supervisor at a closed lane. Do you know what the response was? "Well .... I'm sorry. Hope it doesn't happen again." I lost it. I then explained how to make it not happen again - as in proper employee training, appropriate monitoring and use of self-check lanes. Then this person said to me "I guess I could talk to the store director." Great. A bunch of numbskulls.

Anyone ever see the movie "idiocracy?" It's based on the idea (actually this is a real scientific theory) that people are getting dumber. The movie is set in the future and demonstrates just what things will be like as everyone "dumbs down."

HUGE SIGH! Well, at least I've vented here. I am so tired of poor service, dull people, and especially people who aren't stupid but like to act as if they were!!!!!!!!! While I love progress and moving forward, I do wish we could return to the kind of customer service, basic kindness and courtesy, as well as morality of 30 or 40 years ago. I think we were all happier, kinder, more patient people then (I know I was!).