"Everything that is really great and inspiring is created by the individual who can labor in freedom" Albert Einstein

"A dame who knows the ropes isn't likely to get tied up." Mae West

Thursday, February 21, 2008

Outta my way!

Ambling is a disease that seems rampant around here. In the ordinary course of the day, I am NOT an ambler. I walk fast and determined. I am generally on a mission. Problem is, the world around me never seems to be doing the same.

This weekend I was in the big town grocery store. I have my list and coupons (yes, I do clip & use) and know where things that I want are located. I should be able to get in and out of the giant store within 30 minutes (including checkout). Unfortunately, these days people seem to go to the grocery store for recreation.

I'll excuse some of the elderly patrons who can barely walk and who use their shopping carts as walkers, but what is the problem with everyone else? Young couples stroll hand in hand. Strangers and friends chat around the stroller (I mean shopping cart) admiring the beautiful baby. Customers huddle around the grilled food samples eating with plastic utensils from paper containers You'd think we were in a city park on a warm Sunday afternoon. This is a retail store for god's sake!

It appears that for most everyone else, a trip to the grocery store is their only form of recreation. Of course, this is just what the grocery marketing people want. They even advertise that the average customer spends over an hour there. I'm sorry, but I'm not buying into the "grocery shopping is fun" marketing ploy. Let me get my stuff and get out of there.

If leisurely shopping is what I want, I'll take the local open air farmer's market atmosphere anytime over the Muszak and free sample ladies at the big box store. But it's February and I have no other choice. So if any of you guilty ones are reading this, please get out of the center of the aisle, pull over to the side, and let the rest of us pass and get on with our business. We have more interesting and better things to do than spend the afternoon in a big box.

And while I'm at it, it would be nice to allow customers like me to self-serve check-out more than 12 items. The cashiers move slower than the ambling customers.

3 comments:

Crockhead said...

I'm probably one of the slow ones holding you up. It takes me about an hour to do the grocery shopping. I like to look at what's there, read the labels, check my coupons. I'll try to stay on the side of the aisle to let you through next time.

Going Like Sixty said...

I think someone needs to have a little quiet time with an adult beverage.

Catch Her in the Wry said...

Perhaps if I had the adult beverage before grocery shopping, things would be more tolerable.