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Printed from https://writing.com/main/books/action/view/entry_id/859300
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Rated: 13+ · Book · Cultural · #1437803
I've maxed out. Closed this blog.
#859300 added September 6, 2015 at 9:46pm
Restrictions: None
Shopper With Head in the Clouds
         I witnessed an incident that I found hard to believe yesterday. A grown woman was buying birthday party goods for her one year old. She told the cashier, "My baby is going to be one year old. She's my last baby, so I'm going all out. I won't have another chance." The cart was overflowing.

         I waited while she placed popular child theme gift bags, gift wrap, plates, napkins, and tissue paper on the counter. One present rang up $50. There were more pretty pink and lilac gifts, stacks of clothes, which cost as much as adult clothes. Still she put things on the counter. The cashier finally said, "That will be $450 something or other." The woman couldn't believe it. "No, it can't be that much."

         "Great." I thought, "Now we'll all wait while they go over the receipt and start eliminating a couple of items."

         Sure enough, she eliminated the $50 item, then two more. At that point, she needed a manager override, because it looks suspicious when a cashier takes too many items off. The total was whittled down to under $300. The woman was in tears and wiping her eyes dramatically. Then she angrily said, "More items have to come off." All the expensive party items came off, The $10 tee shirts, size one, came off. The next subtotal was still too big. More items were removed. The woman was huffy and short with the cashier.

         Finally, at $180, she said okay, and paid. Over half the items she bought came off the counter top. Everyone waited. She never thanked the cashier or apologized to anyone for causing a delay or inconvenience, but left in an obvious bad mood.

         How does a responsible parent of several children go shopping with no idea of what she's spending? Does she have no idea how arithmetic works? Had she never been shopping before? Why was she so oblivious to what she was doing? Who's the child here? Worse, when she was disappointed or realized her mistakes, why did she take it out on someone else? Maybe people would have felt more sympathy for her if she had just expressed a little concern for other people, either the other customers or the clerks who had to re-shop all her merchandise. It's hard to feel sorry for someone who's rude.

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Printed from https://writing.com/main/books/action/view/entry_id/859300