Sep 16, 2008

Embarrassed By My Species

I was at the grocery store last night picking up some stuff for dinner (chicken enchiladas verde, yum!).

Things were going just fine. I got everything I needed and then found a line that wasn't too long at the checkout.
It turned out that the cashier was new and therefore was still in training. "No big deal, " I thought, "I'm not in a hurry".

So I put my basket in the conveyor and waited my turn.
As I stood there, I started listening to what was taking place at the register in front of me.
A woman and her two kids were shuffling around stuff they had picked up to buy only to find out they didn't have enough money to pay for it.
That in and of itself isn't a big deal. I've done that myself on occasion.

But the problem was this:
She was a large woman (and I know I'm not a skinny fella, but bear with me for a bit) and quite loud.
They had purchased various food-related items (among them; chips, donuts and cookies) and were trying to pay for them with a government-issued debit card.
There wasn't enough money on the card so they were having to put stuff back. But rather than take it back to where they got it or give it to the cashier, they were stuffing it into the magazines and various other shelving located at the register line. At one point she reached across the counter and placed a handful of bagged food at the register drawer... where the money is.

Then the cashier needed a price check and tried to get the cashier next to us to help.
The women in front of me just pushed her face in the other cashier's area and said, "We need some help here!"
When she got her attention, the woman (customer) asked if the cashier wanted her (the customer) to just ring up the groceries.
"No, that'll be okay. We can take care of it," the woman was told.

So now, back to the gov't debit card they were using.
You get one of these when you need assistance from the government to cover basic needs.
I noticed that this woman was wearing as close to fashionable clothing as she could get.
Faux designer sunglasses on her head. Designer capri pants. And she had a tan (fake? real? I don't care to find out)
But here she is buying junk food with government assistance for her and her kids and stuffing what she couldn't afford into the surrounding shelves and encouraging her kids to do so as well.
They had the poor cashier all confused.

Finally, they were finished and on their way.

Sometimes I'm just ashamed to be seen with other members of the human race.

1 things people had to say:

Thomas Fummo said...

I get that feeling sometimes at the shopping centre too.

and at school.

and at birthday parties.

and at weddings...

and at...

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