Night and Day

So, it looks like Monday’s (based on a sample size of 2) are my day to go shopping at Trader Joe’s. That combined with a shopping experience later in the day led to this post title of “Night and Day”.

For those of you that don’t know, Trader Joe’s is a “neighborhood grocery store” is a small, national chain that has an eclectic selection of fresh produce and self-branded prepared meals, frozen foods, organic foods, etc. It’s also know for two buck chuck, a wine label that gained notoriety in 2002 for a very “good” wine available for $1.99 a bottle (in California).

Anyway, back to the story. So Boston isn’t necessarily known for having polite people. Folks are always in a hurry, rushing about. Yet at the Cambridge Trader Joe’s, I found folks pausing to let others pass. Folks being considerate of other shoppers. And not just one person, but lots of them.

Cut to my local supermarket–there was a line, maybe 4-7 people long waiting to pay at the self-checkout machines. A father and his son were scanning their groceries. The father was encouraging his son to help scan the items and pack them in shopping bags. Ok, no problem. But…he did see the line, right? The one getting longer and longer. Hrm. Ok all of the items are scanned and he’s ready to pay. But his son is playing with the items, confusing the machine as to what’s in the bagging area and what’s not in the bagging area. He pulls his sons hands away from the bagging area and loudly tells him to not do that. Then he has the gall to tell *loudly* his son, that he’s causing a hold up in the line (he finally, maybe, noticed all the people waiting in line).

Wait a second, first, don’t blame your son for doing what a young boy is want to do, namely play. Especially after you encouraged him to help out. And certainly don’t blame your son for holding up the line, when you the parent aren’t connecting the dots between all the people you see *and* make eye contact with and causing lots of folks to wait. Sheesh.

(I did finally manage to check out. After another experience at this supermarket yesterday I think I’ve come to the conclusion that not everyone that works *or* shops there are the sharpest tools in the shed. /sigh)

Update: After having shopped at my local store a couple more times, I’m starting to get convinced that the folks that shop and work there *are indeed* “special”.