lapislzi (1000+ posts) Sun Mar-06-11 09:42 AM
Original message
Lost in the supermarket
...or, "Heartbreak in Hannaford's."
This thread's going to ramble a bit. I apologize in advance.
I had a bunch of errands to run yesterday, including a supermarket run. I usually avoid the local Hannaford's (a New England based chain) because they're non-union. BUT. I had other stops to make in the same shopping center. BUT. They have the best produce, good prices, and the best local/organic food section around. The choices we make. I'm not proud that I compromised a principle to convenience, or in the interest of saving a few dollars. But there you are.
I'm at the checkout with my fairly sizable order--and of course, I eschew the self-checkouts for the human ones. I have my reusable bags. Now, this is New York. Everyone expects to bag their own groceries. It's not even up for discussion. An older lady (60s?) with an apron and a name badge takes my bags and starts bagging my groceries--very efficiently, I might add. She had a sunny and pleasant demeanor, despite that fact that it was a chilly, rainy morning and the store was busy. We made a little chitchat as the kid scanned my groceries.
Then, another kid (20s?), presumably the head cashier or store manager (I'd seen him at another register keying in an override, or some such), steps over. "What time did you clock in, today, Pat?" he asked the bagging lady. "Ten," she replied. He wagged a finger at her. "It was 10:17, Pat." She began apologizing profusely. "What are we going to do about this, Pat?" he asked. "I'll make it up," she said, "you know, I've been staying later some nights." "That's part of the job," he said.
I had to blink back tears. Hard. As I made a note of the name on his badge. Hannaford's will be getting a letter.
But that doesn't make me feel any better, because this is symptomatic of so much more.
How our older people have to take menial jobs to make ends meet.
How callous our disregard for our fellow workers. It was "young store manager who will move on in a year or so" against "lady who needs a job." No sense of solidarity. No sense of "we're all in this together."
How somehow it's OK to humiliate a fellow worker in front of the public.
How easy it was to put aside a principle because I was in a hurry.
And those strawberries? By the time I got them home, those foreign strawberries tasted like straw. I lost my appetite.
Angry Dragon (1000+ posts) Sun Mar-06-11 09:53 AM
Response to Original message
3. You should have reamed him a new one right there
He had no business attacking an employee in front of customers
DCKit (1000+ posts) Sun Mar-06-11 10:09 AM
Response to Reply #3
13. +1 The only thing they understand is public shaming.
I'd have gone off, starting with "WTF is wrong with you? Who taught you that it's OK to talk to people like that?"
pipi_k (1000+ posts) Sun Mar-06-11 11:08 AMDUmmies dream about calling their betters "scumbag".
Response to Reply #31
104. Well, it needn't have been obvious, really...
a very polite, "Excuse me, sir, may I speak to you for a moment?", take him aside and a quiet, "I think you are a rude little scumbag on a power trip and I should do the same thing to you that you just did to Pat but I have too much class, and I'm going to report your inexcusable rudeness to Corporate office" would have sufficed, I think...
blueamy66 (1000+ posts) Sun Mar-06-11 10:56 AM
Response to Reply #3
80. Yep
I would have let the asshole have it....and good
ScreamingMeemie (1000+ posts) Sun Mar-06-11 10:14 AM
Response to Reply #11
18. It actually sounded like the manager was speaking to a three year old.
While I agree with you that, if the woman is late, she shouldn't get a pass, good management leaves employee business behind the scenes. Sorry, as a customer, I would have said something. I have before. This manager needs a training class on how to effectively manage.
Bunny (1000+ posts) Sun Mar-06-11 10:29 AM
Response to Reply #29
44. Look, I AM management and I would never reprimand
an employee, no matter how gently, in front of anyone else. It's simply not done, and if I was the one being reprimanded, I would much rather be called into the office than treated like a three year old in front of customers. That manager needs more seasoning and I hope the OP's letter allows his boss to arrange that.
Vinca (1000+ posts) Sun Mar-06-11 02:20 PM
Response to Original message
163. I always shop at Hannafords because it's only 3 miles from where I live,
has what I want and actually sells produce from local farmers in the summer. While there are some older people working there, I've never seen any of them disrespected in any way. In fact, from what a couple of the clerks told me one day, their problems are with the customers. There is one older man who is a cashier and is a very nice person. He's been there forever. He told me that one day a woman came through with her young son, pointed at him and said to the kid, "See. If you don't do your homework you'll end up with a stupid job like that." That nearly made me cry.
Then, another kid (20s?), presumably the head cashier or store manager (I'd seen him at another register keying in an override, or some such), steps over. "What time did you clock in, today, Pat?" he asked the bagging lady. "Ten," she replied. He wagged a finger at her. "It was 10:17, Pat." She began apologizing profusely. "What are we going to do about this, Pat?" he asked. "I'll make it up," she said, "you know, I've been staying later some nights." "That's part of the job," he said.
JanMichael (1000+ posts) Click to send private message to this author Click to view this author's profile Click to add this author to your buddy list Click to add this author to your Ignore list Sun Mar-06-11 10:26 AM
Response to Reply #23
38. A younger man "wagging his finger" at an older lady
is non-offensive in your book? Who the hell wrote your book, Ayn Rand?
Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh, that's what a BOUNCY is!!! I've seen it repeatedly, but didn't know what it meant. It's a DUmmy fake story!
Sorry, I'm a little slow, but I get there.........
Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh, that's what a BOUNCY is!!! I've seen it repeatedly, but didn't know what it meant. It's a DUmmy fake story!
Sorry, I'm a little slow, but I get there.........
Here's a Link (http://www.conservativecave.com/index.php/topic,7190.0.html) to the best bouncy ever. Sadly, very few bouncies ever make it to that amusement level.
Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh, that's what a BOUNCY is!!! I've seen it repeatedly, but didn't know what it meant. It's a DUmmy fake story!
Sorry, I'm a little slow, but I get there.........
I had a bunch of errands to run yesterday, including a supermarket run. I usually avoid the local Hannaford's (a New England based chain) because they're non-union. BUT. I had other stops to make in the same shopping center. BUT. They have the best produce, good prices, and the best local/organic food section around.
Do the DUmmies ever hide in the fruits and vegetable section? They would be invisible ...perfect camouflage.
Here's a Link (http://www.conservativecave.com/index.php/topic,7190.0.html) to the best bouncy ever. Sadly, very few bouncies ever make it to that amusement level.I like trolls AND, I like turtles:
Thanks for that link. It's all starting to fall into place for me. I haven't been here long enough to know all the various ropes, et. al.Protect your brain dude - exposure to the DUmmy insanity can result in devastating health defects...
Um, how do you know that if you usually avoid them???Shhhh...this is an active bouncy...please do not upset the cosmic karma of the DUmmys...
DUmmies are always posturing about being "big and bad" to "the man". I find the simple, low-key approach works the best.
For instance:
I drove a delivery truck for almost 20 years before I landed a job with the USPS. I had a delivery of Amway to a trucking terminal about 10 miles from my usual route that I simply took because they only got a delivery every month or so.
This particular day, I came in thru the front door, like I had on no less than 4 or 5 previous occasions, past the boss, and into the breakroom, where I would stack the product in a closet. This morning, there were 2 drivers in the breakroom playing cards, and when I turned around, the boss was there in my face. He told me to NEVER come in that door again, to use the side door (at the opposite end of the building) from now on. I said fine by me, but how come it was alright for me to use the front door on all the previous occasions, when the only thing different was he had an audience.
I went back out to the truck (thru the side door) to get the rest of their delivery, and the more I worked, the madder I got. So I left the rest of their order IN THE PARKING LOT, stuck my head in the door, and told the boss, (in front of his drivers) that the next time he wanted to act like an asshole and get in the delivery driver's face, be sure to do it AFTER he gets the total order in the building. The rest of his shit is in the parking lot, have a nice day. The drivers snickered, boss got red in the face and stormed off to his office, and I never had another order for them again.
This really happened, and it's 100 times better than any lame-ass bouncy any DUmmie can conjure.
Do the DUmmies ever hide in the fruits and vegetable section? They would be invisible ...perfect camouflage.You will NEVER find a DUmmy in the proDOUCH section - they're skeerd of the cabbages...
You will NEVER find a DUmmy in the proDOUCH section - they're skeerd of the cabbages...
lapislzi (1000+ posts) Sun Mar-06-11 09:42 AM
Original message
Lost in the supermarket
...or, "Heartbreak in Hannaford's."
This thread's going to ramble a bit. I apologize in advance.
I had a bunch of errands to run yesterday, including a supermarket run. I usually avoid the local Hannaford's (a New England based chain) because they're non-union. BUT. I had other stops to make in the same shopping center. BUT. They have the best produce, good prices, and the best local/organic food section around. The choices we make. I'm not proud that I compromised a principle to convenience, or in the interest of saving a few dollars. But there you are.
Hmm, something sticks out to me. Hmm, wonder what it is. Can anyone else help me out here?
Hmm, something sticks out to me. Hmm, wonder what it is. Can anyone else help me out here?
BULLSHIT!!!111ELEVENAND3/16thsOF1%
Only because you forgot this:
:bouncy: :bouncy: :bouncy: :bouncy: :bouncy: :bouncy: :bouncy: :bouncy:
Otherwise, carry on! :tongue: :tongue: :tongue:
:lmao:
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-bloggers/2685288/posts
lapislzi (1000+ posts) Sun Mar-06-11 09:42 AM
Original message
Lost in the supermarket
...or, "Heartbreak in Hannaford's."
This thread's going to ramble a bit. I apologize in advance.
I had a bunch of errands to run yesterday, including a supermarket run. I usually avoid the local Hannaford's (a New England based chain) because they're non-union. BUT. I had other stops to make in the same shopping center. BUT. They have the best produce, good prices, and the best local/organic food section around. The choices we make. I'm not proud that I compromised a principle to convenience, or in the interest of saving a few dollars. But there you are.
I'm at the checkout with my fairly sizable order--and of course, I eschew the self-checkouts for the human ones. I have my reusable bags. Now, this is New York. Everyone expects to bag their own groceries. It's not even up for discussion. An older lady (60s?) with an apron and a name badge takes my bags and starts bagging my groceries--very efficiently, I might add. She had a sunny and pleasant demeanor, despite that fact that it was a chilly, rainy morning and the store was busy. We made a little chitchat as the kid scanned my groceries.
Then, another kid (20s?), presumably the head cashier or store manager (I'd seen him at another register keying in an override, or some such), steps over. "What time did you clock in, today, Pat?" he asked the bagging lady. "Ten," she replied. He wagged a finger at her. "It was 10:17, Pat." She began apologizing profusely. "What are we going to do about this, Pat?" he asked. "I'll make it up," she said, "you know, I've been staying later some nights." "That's part of the job," he said.
I had to blink back tears. Hard. As I made a note of the name on his badge. Hannaford's will be getting a letter.
But that doesn't make me feel any better, because this is symptomatic of so much more.
How our older people have to take menial jobs to make ends meet.
How callous our disregard for our fellow workers. It was "young store manager who will move on in a year or so" against "lady who needs a job." No sense of solidarity. No sense of "we're all in this together."
How somehow it's OK to humiliate a fellow worker in front of the public.
How easy it was to put aside a principle because I was in a hurry.
And those strawberries? By the time I got them home, those foreign strawberries tasted like straw. I lost my appetite.
:lmao:
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-bloggers/2685288/posts
LOL@Charles. I will go read that DUFU now. And what's with the grocery bouncies? Three in the past week.
Traitor Joes :rotf:
Let's see...excuse for shopping at nonunion store...check
prostration to fellow DUmmies for it's sin...check
redemption through organic vegetables and reusable shopping bags...check
acceptable victim group (unless the old bag lady was wearing a cross or said "God Bless You" to someone who sneezed)...check
UH OH...points off for the villain...male is acceptable BUT he should have been much older. This young man might be part of the Obama youth corps (or corpse, if you prefer)
tears and outrage...check
relate all problems back to being nonunion...check
knighthood through activism...lapislzi is going to...wait for it...wait for it...WRITE A LETTER!!!!! DUAC, DUAC!!!!
Not to blow the DUmmie's preconceived prejudices but did it never occur to it that the elderly lady might be working just to get out of the house for a few hours a day and might even be a Republican teabagger, or an Evangelical anti-abortion zealot clinging to her guns & God who thinks unions suck! The "younger" male manager might have 3 kids at home, one autistic (which wouldn't have been detected by ultrasound so they could do the appropriate thing and abort it), and an African American wife who volunteers at the kids' school because public school teachers are the greatest humans on the planet and need all the help they can get. Or maybe he's trying to put himself through college so he can become an environmental scientist who works with underprivileged minority children. Or maybe he's working to help pay for his mother's pancreatic cancer operation (we all know hospitals won't perform life-saving surgery unless they have the money up front and she doesn't have insurance)...the woman is a saint, she left an abusive husband and raised him on her own by washing socks and cleaning toilets of the filthy rich for less than minimum wage, who until she got sick volunteered for PETA, Save the Whales and Planned Parenthood.
Of course, the overheard conversation probably went more like this:
"Good morning Marge! How are you doing? I know you're new so is everything going okay?"
"Yes, thank you."
"Here, let me show you a more efficient way to load this kind of bag, it will make things easier for you and the customer."
And she was probably too stupid to know how to pick out good strawberries!
Cindie