Courtesy and kindness at the supermarket
 

I have always found people shopping at the supermarket to be helpful and
cooperative. If the aisle is jammed up, a smile, a polite request, I always get
quick cooperation, and I try to give it in return. I noted that the majority,
if not all, of the complaints came from men. Assuming that most of these were
single men, I suggest that they understand that the women shopping in the
aisles have a lot to think of: Is that price too much for my family budget?
Where is the best brand? The other ingredients in my recipe are? Will my
family like this? While you only want to pick up an item and go.
While you may be just picking up one or two items, they are providing for a
weeks worth of family meals, and have a lot of people to please. And remember,
they are Tired. They have to load these into a cart, then onto the counter,
then into the car, then out of the car and into the house, then the real work
begins. Unpacking the groceries, freezer items into freezer, vegetables washed
and put away, various items wrapped or stored. And then the work is just
started. She STILL has to prepare dinner, the children are home from school
and full of questions, the babies need attention, the table needs to be set,
the dishes washed, and the children tucked in. Her workday is far from over at
the supermarket.
As for '"sniveling" children, I'm sure you sniveled yourself at one
time--didn't we all? I can't imagine why this even has to be explained to you.

I wish you more generosity of heart, and less anger.

On Tue 18 Jan 2005 08:51:32p, Nancree tittered and giggled, and giggled
and tittered, and finally blurted out...

> I have always found people shopping at the supermarket to be helpful and
> cooperative. If the aisle is jammed up, a smile, a polite request, I
> always get quick cooperation, and I try to give it in return. I noted
> that the majority, if not all, of the complaints came from men.
> Assuming that most of these were single men, I suggest that they
> understand that the women shopping in the aisles have a lot to think of:
> Is that price too much for my family budget? Where is the best brand?
> The other ingredients in my recipe are? Will my family like this? While
> you only want to pick up an item and go.
> While you may be just picking up one or two items, they are
> providing for a
> weeks worth of family meals, and have a lot of people to please. And
> remember, they are Tired. They have to load these into a cart, then onto
> the counter, then into the car, then out of the car and into the house,
> then the real work begins. Unpacking the groceries, freezer items into
> freezer, vegetables washed and put away, various items wrapped or
> stored. And then the work is just started. She STILL has to prepare
> dinner, the children are home from school and full of questions, the
> babies need attention, the table needs to be set, the dishes washed, and
> the children tucked in. Her workday is far from over at the
> supermarket.
> As for '"sniveling" children, I'm sure you sniveled yourself at one
> time--didn't we all? I can't imagine why this even has to be explained
> to you.
>
> I wish you more generosity of heart, and less anger.
>

I haven't posted in the thread you referenced because I would have been
echoing almost every complaint that other posters have voiced.

If I had to shop during prime hours amidst the working mothers, sniveling
children, and those old enough to need a keeper, I would surely run out of
the store screaming. I don't "blame" these people, but I refuse to endure
it.

I shop for two adults on a weekly basis, not just an item here and there.
I like to enjoy shopping, and I clearly could not do so under these
conditions.

My solution? I shop at the most uncommon times imaginable; at 5 or 6
o'clock in the morning or 11 or 12 o'clock in the evening. The stores are
sparsely populated and I can enjoy the process.

Creative avoidance is sometimes the best solution!

Wayne

"My solution? I shop at the most uncommon times imaginable; at 5 or 6
o'clock in the morning or 11 or 12 o'clock in the evening. The stores
are
sparsely populated and I can enjoy the process.


Creative avoidance is sometimes the best solution!


Wayne"

Good idea, Wayne. I try to pick my hours, too. When I was raising a
family I didn't have a lot of choice as to hours, but now I do. I
always enjoy your food comments. Your menus make my mouth water.
Nancree

On Tue 18 Jan 2005 09:51:38p, nancree tittered and giggled, and giggled and
tittered, and finally blurted out...

> "My solution? I shop at the most uncommon times imaginable; at 5 or 6
> o'clock in the morning or 11 or 12 o'clock in the evening. The stores
> are
> sparsely populated and I can enjoy the process.
>
>
> Creative avoidance is sometimes the best solution!
>
>
> Wayne"
>
> Good idea, Wayne. I try to pick my hours, too. When I was raising a
> family I didn't have a lot of choice as to hours, but now I do. I
> always enjoy your food comments. Your menus make my mouth water.
> Nancree

Thank you, Nancree. That's very kind. <blush>

Wayne

Nancree wrote:
> I have always found people shopping at the supermarket to be helpful
and
> cooperative. If the aisle is jammed up, a smile, a polite request, I
always get
> quick cooperation, and I try to give it in return. I noted that the
majority,
> if not all, of the complaints came from men. Assuming that most of
these were
> single men, I suggest that they understand that the women shopping in
the
> aisles have a lot to think of: Is that price too much for my family
budget?
> Where is the best brand? The other ingredients in my recipe are?
Will my
> family like this? While you only want to pick up an item and go.
> While you may be just picking up one or two items, they are
providing for a
> weeks worth of family meals, and have a lot of people to please. And
remember,
> they are Tired. They have to load these into a cart, then onto the
counter,
> then into the car, then out of the car and into the house, then the
real work
> begins. Unpacking the groceries, freezer items into freezer,
vegetables washed
> and put away, various items wrapped or stored. And then the work is
just
> started. She STILL has to prepare dinner, the children are home from
school
> and full of questions, the babies need attention, the table needs to
be set,
> the dishes washed, and the children tucked in. Her workday is far
from over at
> the supermarket.
> As for '"sniveling" children, I'm sure you sniveled yourself at
one
> time--didn't we all? I can't imagine why this even has to be
explained to you.
>
> I wish you more generosity of heart, and less anger.


That's all great and well and true, but I still expect people to be
aware of their surroundings and to keep their children from interfering
with my shopping. I have a 1 year old who always shops with me, often
with a cart piled high with a few week's worth of groceries. I keep
his hands in the cart, keep him out of the way of others and keep him
quiet. He's quiet because I make sure he is fed and napped before I
take him in the store. A little planning ahead makes all the
difference in the world. Nothing irritates me more than kids running
around the store, unattended, screaming, spitting and/or wailing like
monkeys on crack. There's absolutely no excuse for it.

-L.

> That's all great and well and true, but I still expect people to be
> aware of their surroundings and to keep their children from interfering
> with my shopping. I have a 1 year old who always shops with me, often
> with a cart piled high with a few week's worth of groceries. I keep
> his hands in the cart, keep him out of the way of others and keep him
> quiet. He's quiet because I make sure he is fed and napped before I
> take him in the store. A little planning ahead makes all the
> difference in the world. Nothing irritates me more than kids running
> around the store, unattended, screaming, spitting and/or wailing like
> monkeys on crack. There's absolutely no excuse for it.
>
> -L.
>

LOL.

I'm very happy that my "monkey" is typically entertainment for everbody
during my shopping experiences with him. Just today I got a compliment
from an older lady about how cute he was & how much she was enjoying
him. Whats even funnier, is he gets more silly & giddy when he hasn't
had a nap & he didn't today until the drive home at 4:30pm.
I would go nuts if I had children like the ones I have seen in other
families at stores & bless my lucky stars that as of yet, at 2.5 years
of age he hasn't had a tantrum in a public place. (knock on wood)

On Wed 19 Jan 2005 02:11:07a, Denise~* tittered and giggled, and giggled
and tittered, and finally blurted out...

>
>> That's all great and well and true, but I still expect people to be
>> aware of their surroundings and to keep their children from interfering
>> with my shopping. I have a 1 year old who always shops with me, often
>> with a cart piled high with a few week's worth of groceries. I keep
>> his hands in the cart, keep him out of the way of others and keep him
>> quiet. He's quiet because I make sure he is fed and napped before I
>> take him in the store. A little planning ahead makes all the
>> difference in the world. Nothing irritates me more than kids running
>> around the store, unattended, screaming, spitting and/or wailing like
>> monkeys on crack. There's absolutely no excuse for it.
>>
>> -L.
>>
>
> LOL.
>
> I'm very happy that my "monkey" is typically entertainment for everbody
> during my shopping experiences with him. Just today I got a compliment
> from an older lady about how cute he was & how much she was enjoying
> him. Whats even funnier, is he gets more silly & giddy when he hasn't
> had a nap & he didn't today until the drive home at 4:30pm.
> I would go nuts if I had children like the ones I have seen in other
> families at stores & bless my lucky stars that as of yet, at 2.5 years
> of age he hasn't had a tantrum in a public place. (knock on wood)
>

I feel the same way about may cats, but I wouldn't inflict them on the
general public in a store.

Wayne

"-L." > wrote in message
oups.com...
>
> That's all great and well and true, but I still expect people to be
> aware of their surroundings and to keep their children from interfering
> with my shopping. I have a 1 year old who always shops with me, often
> with a cart piled high with a few week's worth of groceries. I keep
> his hands in the cart, keep him out of the way of others and keep him
> quiet. He's quiet because I make sure he is fed and napped before I
> take him in the store. A little planning ahead makes all the
> difference in the world. Nothing irritates me more than kids running
> around the store, unattended, screaming, spitting and/or wailing like
> monkeys on crack. There's absolutely no excuse for it.
>

Whether or not you get irritated is up to you. You cannot control what
others do in the store, but you can control your response to it. Yes, people
do rude and inexcusable things in public, there's no denying that. But when
they do, you have a choice. You can get ****ed off and angry, raise your
blood pressure, and ruin your shopping trip. Or you can ignore it and remain
calm and relaxed. No, it's not "okay" that people act like manic baboons,
but the way I look at it is to do what's best for me. It's not always easy
to take this approach, but believe me it is the best way.


--
Peter Aitken

Remove the crap from my email address before using.

Denise~* wrote:
> I'm very happy that my "monkey" is typically entertainment for
everbody
> during my shopping experiences with him. Just today I got a
compliment
> from an older lady about how cute he was & how much she was enjoying
> him. Whats even funnier, is he gets more silly & giddy when he
hasn't
> had a nap & he didn't today until the drive home at 4:30pm.
> I would go nuts if I had children like the ones I have seen in other
> families at stores & bless my lucky stars that as of yet, at 2.5
years
> of age he hasn't had a tantrum in a public place. (knock on wood)

I'm even sympathetic to the occasional 2-year-old tantrum. What I
object to are kids running wild, unattended (not a parent in sight),
playing with things, throwing things, getting in the way of adults,
blocking traffic, etc. - basically the parents treating the store as a
free-for-all. What I also don't understand are the people who think
they have to take their entire extended family on their weekly shopping
trip - you have Mom, Pop, three or four kids, Grandma, Sister Louise,
her darling three-yr-old Luchetta, cousin Chuck and a couple
neighborhood kids. Everyone except the family Pit Bull. Inevitably
they block every single aisle they go down. Why the H*LL can't one of
these people stay home with the kids? I just don't get it.

-L.

L - you only have a one-year-old? If so, check back in two
years.

Not saying you're wrong; Just that one-year-olds are easy.
Greg Zywicki

L - you only have a one-year-old? If so, check back in two
years.

Not saying you're wrong; Just that one-year-olds are easy.
Greg Zywicki

"Wayne Boatwright" > wrote in message
...
> On Tue 18 Jan 2005 08:51:32p, Nancree tittered and giggled, and giggled
> and tittered, and finally blurted out...
> >
>
> I haven't posted in the thread you referenced because I would have been
> echoing almost every complaint that other posters have voiced.
>
> If I had to shop during prime hours amidst the working mothers, sniveling
> children, and those old enough to need a keeper, I would surely run out of
> the store screaming. I don't "blame" these people, but I refuse to endure
> it.
>
> I shop for two adults on a weekly basis, not just an item here and there.
> I like to enjoy shopping, and I clearly could not do so under these
> conditions.
>
> My solution? I shop at the most uncommon times imaginable; at 5 or 6
> o'clock in the morning or 11 or 12 o'clock in the evening. The stores are
> sparsely populated and I can enjoy the process.
>
> Creative avoidance is sometimes the best solution!


My thoughts exactly. I would add that it isn't only children who pose a
problem I find as many issues with older people who seem to exist in blind
spot. They come in twos and threes, block the isles, read all the fine
print on the packaging, sift through mountains of coupons while standing
against the shelving, use the supermarket to socialize with other groups of
seniors, and examine every green bean or head of lettuce like they were
about to bid on a package of diamonds at a DeBeers auction. Then there are
the retired men who are dragged to the supermarket by their wives. The men
are in charge of the coupons and wonder aimlessly behind their wives only to
stop exactly in front of the item you need. Periodically a disagreement
erupts over which brand of cereal is cheaper or if they really need to buy a
particular item. There must be some age-dependant gene that activates,
inducing older people to stop short just inside, or outside, of doors and
other narrow passages. I have learned to stay back 50 feet while following
older folks because they always seem to need to search their purse after
passing through a threshold or turning a corner.

"Nancree" > wrote in message
...
>I have always found people shopping at the supermarket to be helpful and
> cooperative. If the aisle is jammed up, a smile, a polite request, I
> always get
> quick cooperation, and I try to give it in return. I noted that the
> majority,
> if not all, of the complaints came from men. Assuming that most of these
> were
> single men, I suggest that they understand that the women shopping in the
> aisles have a lot to think of: Is that price too much for my family
> budget?
> Where is the best brand? The other ingredients in my recipe are? Will my
> family like this? While you only want to pick up an item and go.
> While you may be just picking up one or two items, they are providing
> for a
> weeks worth of family meals, and have a lot of people to please. And
> remember,
> they are Tired. They have to load these into a cart, then onto the
> counter,
> then into the car, then out of the car and into the house, then the real
> work
> begins. Unpacking the groceries, freezer items into freezer, vegetables
> washed
> and put away, various items wrapped or stored. And then the work is just
> started. She STILL has to prepare dinner, the children are home from
> school
> and full of questions, the babies need attention, the table needs to be
> set,
> the dishes washed, and the children tucked in. Her workday is far from
> over at
> the supermarket.
> As for '"sniveling" children, I'm sure you sniveled yourself at one
> time--didn't we all? I can't imagine why this even has to be explained to
> you.
>
> I wish you more generosity of heart, and less anger.

I wish I'd said that! I think you generally find what you expect to find, at
a supermarket or anyplace else. And how quickly some have tried to turn this
thread into another "Why are people so rude..." session!

"-L." > wrote in message
oups.com...
>
)
>
> I'm even sympathetic to the occasional 2-year-old tantrum. What I
> object to are kids running wild, unattended (not a parent in sight),
> playing with things, throwing things, getting in the way of adults,
> blocking traffic, etc. - basically the parents treating the store as a
> free-for-all. What I also don't understand are the people who think
> they have to take their entire extended family on their weekly shopping
> trip - you have Mom, Pop, three or four kids, Grandma, Sister Louise,
> her darling three-yr-old Luchetta, cousin Chuck and a couple
> neighborhood kids. Everyone except the family Pit Bull. Inevitably
> they block every single aisle they go down. Why the H*LL can't one of
> these people stay home with the kids? I just don't get it.

Exactly! It would come down to either you go or I go, but we don't both go
and take the kids. What could be a 30 minutes, stress-free experience turns
into a prolonged 90 minutes of chaos. However, some people are so accustomed
to insanity that they don't seem to realized that life can be calm and
quiet. Maybe they subconsciously want to inflict their misery on others.
At one time I thought that this might be a phenomena linked to culture or
class. I have come to realize that people from all socioeconomic groups,
all ethnic groups, all cultures, all religions, all genders --- everyone
seems to subscribe to the idea that once inside a store, they have no
obligation to mind their kids.

"Nancree" > wrote in message
...
> I have always found people shopping at the supermarket to be helpful and
> cooperative. If the aisle is jammed up, a smile, a polite request, I
always get
> quick cooperation, and I try to give it in return. I noted that the
majority,
> if not all, of the complaints came from men. Assuming that most of these
were
> single men, I suggest that they understand that the women shopping in the
> aisles have a lot to think of: Is that price too much for my family
budget?
> Where is the best brand? The other ingredients in my recipe are? Will my
> family like this? While you only want to pick up an item and go.
> While you may be just picking up one or two items, they are providing
for a
> weeks worth of family meals, and have a lot of people to please. And
remember,
> they are Tired. They have to load these into a cart, then onto the
counter,
> then into the car, then out of the car and into the house, then the real
work
> begins. Unpacking the groceries, freezer items into freezer, vegetables
washed
> and put away, various items wrapped or stored. And then the work is just
> started. She STILL has to prepare dinner, the children are home from
school
> and full of questions, the babies need attention, the table needs to be
set,
> the dishes washed, and the children tucked in. Her workday is far from
over at
> the supermarket.
> As for '"sniveling" children, I'm sure you sniveled yourself at one
> time--didn't we all? I can't imagine why this even has to be explained to
you.
>
> I wish you more generosity of heart, and less anger.

You make a good argument for leaving the kids at home. If you are already
overwhelmed, why add to the stress knowing that you will also have to deal
with the aftermath of your kids annoying others? I don't think people
object to the existence of kids in the grocery store. They object to kids
obstructing their own mission to shop. People, singe or not, male or
female, old or young all have issues. Single men also have budgets and also
worry about buying quality products. Single people also have jobs, homes to
clean, laundry to wash, bills to pay, health problem, and a host of other
issues that married people don't face. That's why single people have
shorter life spans according to some studies. I think it is precisely this
"entitlement" mentality that people with kids exude that causes the
problems. Some people seem to think that having a kid or two in tow
entitles them to special treatment. They think that common courtesy is
suspended. I believe that supermarkets reinforce this belief when they
provide those %^&^&$### carts for kid to push while mom or dad shops.

Vox Humana wrote:
> "Nancree" > wrote in message
> ...
>> I have always found people shopping at the supermarket to be helpful
>> and cooperative.
>> As for '"sniveling" children, I'm sure you sniveled
>> yourself at one time--didn't we all? I can't imagine why this even
>> has to be explained to you.
>>
Actually, the times I was allowed to shop with my mother were few and far
between. And when I was allowed to go with her it was a treat. Not allowed
in todays climate was the fact that if I'd whined for candy at the checkout
stand I'd have been quickly taken outside and spanked. She didn't have to
do that because back in the day we simply didn't whine and throw tantrums at
the store.

> You make a good argument for leaving the kids at home. If you are
> already overwhelmed, why add to the stress knowing that you will also
> have to deal with the aftermath of your kids annoying others? I
> don't think people object to the existence of kids in the grocery
> store. They object to kids obstructing their own mission to shop.
> People, singe or not, male or female, old or young all have issues.

Yep, thanks for saying so, Vox.
(snippage)
>I think it is precisely this
> "entitlement" mentality that people with kids exude that causes the
> problems. Some people seem to think that having a kid or two in tow
> entitles them to special treatment. They think that common courtesy
> is suspended. I believe that supermarkets reinforce this belief when
> they provide those %^&^&$### carts for kid to push while mom or dad
> shops.

Or those silly carts that look like toy cars for them to ride around in and
push their younger siblings in... leads to the "zoom zoom" racetrack
mentality and what good are they as actual shopping carts?

But to add something nice to this thread, I DO believe in courtesy at the
grocery store. I've gone out of my way to help shoppers find things if I
knew where they were and they didn't and am always rewarded with a smile and
a "thank you".

And I'll never forget the woman working at the seafood counter chasing me
down when I'd bought some catfish and she overcharged me; she caught up with
me at the checkout and and slapped the correct (less expensive) sticker on
my package of fish.

Jill

"jmcquown" > wrote in message
. ..
> But to add something nice to this thread, I DO believe in courtesy at the
> grocery store. I've gone out of my way to help shoppers find things if I
> knew where they were and they didn't and am always rewarded with a smile
and
> a "thank you".

Yep. Last night at the store I saw an elderly woman eyeing a large box on a
high self. I went over and asks her I could get the item for her. It was
almost too high for me to reach. She said that she wanted the box, but
after I handed it to her, she gave me a suspicious look like I was going to
snatch her purse. She kept eyeing me even after I left the area. Maybe she
was caught off guard but I think we were both left a little uneasy. I often
find myself retrieving items for people, but this was a new outcome.

One time on Usenet, "Felice Friese" > said:
> "Nancree" > wrote in message
> ...

> >I have always found people shopping at the supermarket to be helpful and
> > cooperative. If the aisle is jammed up, a smile, a polite request, I
> > always get
> > quick cooperation, and I try to give it in return. I noted that the
> > majority,
> > if not all, of the complaints came from men. Assuming that most of these
> > were
> > single men, I suggest that they understand that the women shopping in the
> > aisles have a lot to think of: Is that price too much for my family
> > budget?
> > Where is the best brand? The other ingredients in my recipe are? Will my
> > family like this? While you only want to pick up an item and go.
> > While you may be just picking up one or two items, they are providing
> > for a
> > weeks worth of family meals, and have a lot of people to please. And
> > remember,
> > they are Tired. They have to load these into a cart, then onto the
> > counter,
> > then into the car, then out of the car and into the house, then the real
> > work
> > begins. Unpacking the groceries, freezer items into freezer, vegetables
> > washed
> > and put away, various items wrapped or stored. And then the work is just
> > started. She STILL has to prepare dinner, the children are home from
> > school
> > and full of questions, the babies need attention, the table needs to be
> > set,
> > the dishes washed, and the children tucked in. Her workday is far from
> > over at
> > the supermarket.
> > As for '"sniveling" children, I'm sure you sniveled yourself at one
> > time--didn't we all? I can't imagine why this even has to be explained to
> > you.
> >
> > I wish you more generosity of heart, and less anger.
>
> I wish I'd said that! I think you generally find what you expect to find, at
> a supermarket or anyplace else. And how quickly some have tried to turn this
> thread into another "Why are people so rude..." session!

Until very recently (trying to economize), I was at the local
stupidmarkets 3-5 times per week. Although there are always the
occasional irritants, for the most part, I found it a reasonably
pleasant experience. Only rarely did/do I see kids running about
unwatched. Maybe I live in a quieter area, but I think your point
about finding "what you expect to find" is well made, Felice...


--
J.J. in WA ~ mom, vid gamer, novice cook ~
"I rule you!" - Travis of the Cosmos, ATHF

"Vox Humana" > wrote in message
...

> My thoughts exactly. I would add that it isn't only children who pose a
> problem I find as many issues with older people who seem to exist in
> blind
> spot.

(laugh) They probably are, but geez, they often drive me up a wall. Before
anyone yells a me, I know! they are going blind, I feel for them. It's the
oblivious to their surroundings that can be maddening. I know of this
because behind my supermarket is senior citizen housing. I help them all
the time, that is not the issue. I understand. But ... park your cart in
front
of the tomatoes (I need a tomato) I will wait ... and wait ... and wait ...
while they examine EVERY SINGLE TOMATO IN THE STORE.

So, when they block the aisle with the cart and the rest of the aisle with
themselves ... you wait, finally say, excuse me. Nice voice. Louder,
Excuse me! You know, they can't hear you, either. Getting old is a
bitch. Still they should know, keep you and your cart to one side.

nancy

Vox Humana wrote:
> "Nancree" > wrote in message
> ...
>
> You make a good argument for leaving the kids at home. If you are
already
> overwhelmed, why add to the stress knowing that you will also have to
deal
> with the aftermath of your kids annoying others? I don't think
people
> object to the existence of kids in the grocery store. They object to
kids
> obstructing their own mission to shop. People, singe or not, male or
> female, old or young all have issues. Single men also have budgets
and also
> worry about buying quality products. Single people also have jobs,
homes to
> clean, laundry to wash, bills to pay, health problem, and a host of
other
> issues that married people don't face. That's why single people have
> shorter life spans according to some studies. I think it is
precisely this
> "entitlement" mentality that people with kids exude that causes the
> problems. Some people seem to think that having a kid or two in tow
> entitles them to special treatment.

Amen. But please know there are those of us with kids who are
sympathetic to those without. Some of us hate the "entitlement"
mentality as much, if not more, than you do.

-L.

Peter Aitken wrote:
> Whether or not you get irritated is up to you. You cannot control
what
> others do in the store, but you can control your response to it. Yes,
people
> do rude and inexcusable things in public, there's no denying that.
But when
> they do, you have a choice. You can get ****ed off and angry, raise
your
> blood pressure, and ruin your shopping trip. Or you can ignore it and
remain
> calm and relaxed. No, it's not "okay" that people act like manic
baboons,
> but the way I look at it is to do what's best for me. It's not always
easy
> to take this approach, but believe me it is the best way.
>
>
> --
> Peter Aitken

Oh, I agree. I just don't understand the "I'm the only one who
matters" mentality.

-L.

Zywicki wrote:
> L - you only have a one-year-old? If so, check back in two
> years.
>
> Not saying you're wrong; Just that one-year-olds are easy.
> Greg Zywicki

LOL...well if he ends up behaving like many 2 or 3 year-olds in the
store (God forbid), he'll be staying home with Dad while I do the
shopping. ;)

-L.

Gal Called J.J. wrote:
> One time on Usenet, "Felice Friese" > said:
>
> Until very recently (trying to economize), I was at the local
> stupidmarkets 3-5 times per week. Although there are always the
> occasional irritants, for the most part, I found it a reasonably
> pleasant experience. Only rarely did/do I see kids running about
> unwatched. Maybe I live in a quieter area, but I think your point
> about finding "what you expect to find" is well made, Felice...
>
>
> --
> J.J. in WA ~ mom, vid gamer, novice cook ~
> "I rule you!" - Travis of the Cosmos, ATHF

Where in Washington? Honestly, I doubt you can walk into a grocery
store in the SF Bay area and NOT find one or two unattended "crack
monkeys". That's one reason we got the hell out of there - too many
people simply don't parent their children.

-L.

Vox Humana wrote:
> My thoughts exactly. I would add that it isn't only children who
pose a
> problem I find as many issues with older people who seem to exist in
blind
> spot. They come in twos and threes, block the isles, read all the
fine
> print on the packaging, sift through mountains of coupons while
standing
> against the shelving, use the supermarket to socialize with other
groups of
> seniors, and examine every green bean or head of lettuce like they
were
> about to bid on a package of diamonds at a DeBeers auction. Then
there are
> the retired men who are dragged to the supermarket by their wives.
The men
> are in charge of the coupons and wonder aimlessly behind their wives
only to
> stop exactly in front of the item you need. Periodically a
disagreement
> erupts over which brand of cereal is cheaper or if they really need
to buy a
> particular item. There must be some age-dependant gene that
activates,
> inducing older people to stop short just inside, or outside, of doors
and
> other narrow passages.

It's the same gene that smokers have that make them stop short just
outide of doors and light up...and then stand there a minute or two
while they get their fix.

-L.

"-L." > wrote in message
ups.com...
>
> Vox Humana wrote:
There must be some age-dependant gene that
> activates,
> > inducing older people to stop short just inside, or outside, of doors
> and
> > other narrow passages.
>
> It's the same gene that smokers have that make them stop short just
> outide of doors and light up...and then stand there a minute or two
> while they get their fix.
>

I hear you! What I don't understand is that if cigarettes are so wonderful,
why do people insist on holding them out the window while they drive? Why
not light several, put them in the ash try, roll up the windows, and relish
a total immersion in cigarette smoke? It never fails that when I am in a
drive-thru line, some asshole in front of me lights up and then hold the
cigarette out the window as if I would like to have my car fumigated by the
very smoke that they don't want in their car!

On 19 Jan 2005 13:53:45 -0800, "-L." > wrote:

>
>Zywicki wrote:
>> L - you only have a one-year-old? If so, check back in two
>> years.
>>
>> Not saying you're wrong; Just that one-year-olds are easy.
>> Greg Zywicki
>
>LOL...well if he ends up behaving like many 2 or 3 year-olds in the
>store (God forbid), he'll be staying home with Dad while I do the
>shopping. ;)

Exactly. My mother left us home, or shopped on her way home from work while
we were still with the babysitter, or went with Dad on Saturdays and left
us with the neighbors. We very seldom went to the store with her, and if we
did, god help us if we acted up. She didn't beat us, we did get spankings
occasionally until we were around 7 or so, but for the most part, her being
angry with us if we misbehaved was enough to make us not want her to be
angry. My mother in a full blow rage was a scary sight. Mostly we just
were taught what was the right way to behave in public. We hardly ever
acted up, and people were always complimenting our parents on how well
behaved we were.

They were taking us to fancy restaurants when we were 5 and 9 years old.
And we sat quietly, ordered good meals, and behaved ourselves. :) Mom would
let me order lobster tails if I wanted, and that always surprised the
waitress. :) My love for lobster is as old as I can remember. :) Mmmmmmmm.
Is it time for a fix yet? *Drooooool*

Basically, if we'd acted the way I see kids acting in public, my parents
just would have refused to take us anywhere. That was the deal. We could
go, but we had to be good. Period. There was no negotiation on that.

--
Siobhan Perricone
Humans wrote the bible,
God wrote the rocks
-- Word of God by Kathy Mar

One time on Usenet, "-L." > said:
> Gal Called J.J. wrote:

> > Until very recently (trying to economize), I was at the local
> > stupidmarkets 3-5 times per week. Although there are always the
> > occasional irritants, for the most part, I found it a reasonably
> > pleasant experience. Only rarely did/do I see kids running about
> > unwatched. Maybe I live in a quieter area, but I think your point
> > about finding "what you expect to find" is well made, Felice...

> Where in Washington?

Western WA, in the Puget Sound area.

> Honestly, I doubt you can walk into a grocery
> store in the SF Bay area and NOT find one or two unattended "crack
> monkeys". That's one reason we got the hell out of there - too many
> people simply don't parent their children.

Then you have my sympathies, seriously. Sounds hideous...


--
J.J. in WA ~ mom, vid gamer, novice cook ~
"I rule you!" - Travis of the Cosmos, ATHF

"-L." > wrote in message
ups.com...
>
> Amen. But please know there are those of us with kids who are
> sympathetic to those without. Some of us hate the "entitlement"
> mentality as much, if not more, than you do.

I appreciate people with kids who conduct themselves in a civilized manner.
It's not really a matter of having or not having kids, it's a basic respect
for others. I suspect that the people with the wild kids didn't have any
manners before the kids appeared in their lives.

On Wed 19 Jan 2005 07:11:39p, Vox Humana tittered and giggled, and giggled
and tittered, and finally blurted out...

>
> "-L." > wrote in message
> ups.com...
>>
>> Amen. But please know there are those of us with kids who are
>> sympathetic to those without. Some of us hate the "entitlement"
>> mentality as much, if not more, than you do.
>
> I appreciate people with kids who conduct themselves in a civilized manner.
> It's not really a matter of having or not having kids, it's a basic respect
> for others. I suspect that the people with the wild kids didn't have any
> manners before the kids appeared in their lives.

I suspect you are right!

On Wed, 19 Jan 2005 12:48:25 -0600, "jmcquown"
> wrote:

>Actually, the times I was allowed to shop with my mother were few and far
>between. And when I was allowed to go with her it was a treat. Not allowed
>in todays climate was the fact that if I'd whined for candy at the checkout
>stand I'd have been quickly taken outside and spanked. She didn't have to
>do that because back in the day we simply didn't whine and throw tantrums at
>the store.

I wouldn't have *dared* thrown a tantrum in public. Mother used to say
that if I embarrassed her in public, she'd embarrass *me* worse.

Terry "Squeaks" Pulliam Burd
AAC(F)BV66.0748.CA


"If the soup had been as hot as the claret, if the claret had been as
old as the bird, and if the bird's breasts had been as full as the
waitress's, it would have been a very good dinner."

-- Duncan Hines

To reply, replace "spaminator" with "cox"

Terry Pulliam Burd wrote:
>"jmcquown" wrote:
>
>> Actually, the times I was allowed to shop with my mother
>> were few and far between. And when I was allowed to go
>> with her it was a treat. Not allowed in todays climate
>> was the fact that if I'd whined for candy at the
>> checkout stand I'd have been quickly taken outside and
>> spanked. She didn't have to do that because back in the
>> day we simply didn't whine and throw tantrums at the
>> store.
>
> I wouldn't have *dared* thrown a tantrum in public.
> Mother used to say that if I embarrassed her in public,
> she'd embarrass *me* worse.
>

Just like my Mom. I believed her, too.

BOB

"Terry Pulliam Burd" > wrote in message
...
> On Wed, 19 Jan 2005 12:48:25 -0600, "jmcquown"
> > wrote:
>
> >Actually, the times I was allowed to shop with my mother were few and far
> >between. And when I was allowed to go with her it was a treat. Not
allowed
> >in todays climate was the fact that if I'd whined for candy at the
checkout
> >stand I'd have been quickly taken outside and spanked. She didn't have
to
> >do that because back in the day we simply didn't whine and throw tantrums
at
> >the store.
>
> I wouldn't have *dared* thrown a tantrum in public. Mother used to say
> that if I embarrassed her in public, she'd embarrass *me* worse.

Same here. Also, going to the grocery store when I was a child was a
special occasion. At that time most families didn't have two cars. You
couldn't pack up the kids and drag them aimlessly from store to store at all
hours of the day or night. We had to drive to the next town to shop and
that happened on Saturday morning. Supermarkets weren't open after 9 pm and
most weren't open on Sunday. I can remember what an adventure it was to go
to the A&P. My favorite part was the smell of the freshly ground coffee and
being fascinated at the speed which the cashier could ring up all the
individual prices - with that huge mechanical cash register clicking away.
Those were the days when you got S&H Green Stamps with your purchases and
people dreamed of the day when they could redeem the stamps for a cake saver
or radio. You would buy a package of ice cream and hope that it would fit
into the tiny freezer compartment in your refrigerator. Milk came in glass
jugs and shortening cans had keys attached to the bottom that you used to
unroll the seal and open the can. Soda was only purchased for special
occasions and no one would have considered buying bottles of water to drink
when you could get all you wanted for almost free at the kitchen sink. TV
only had programs on a few hours a day and kids played outside. Going to
the grocery store was entertainment, not an interruption to non-stop
computer games.

In article >,
Wayne Boatwright > wrote:

snip
> My solution? I shop at the most uncommon times imaginable; at 5 or 6
> o'clock in the morning or 11 or 12 o'clock in the evening. The stores are
> sparsely populated and I can enjoy the process.
>
> Creative avoidance is sometimes the best solution!
>
> Wayne

I used to do that when I lived in Dallas 20 years ago. It was more
crowd avoidance than whiner avoidance. One morning a cop car pulled
into the Tom Thumb parking lot right behind me at 6:15 am. I wasn't
speeding; rather, the store's surveillance camera caught a guy filling
his sweats with packages of ribeye steaks. He wound up eating SOS at
the Dallas jail that day, no doubt.

Cindy

--
C.J. Fuller

Delete the obvious to email me

In article >,
Wayne Boatwright > wrote:

snip
> My solution? I shop at the most uncommon times imaginable; at 5 or 6
> o'clock in the morning or 11 or 12 o'clock in the evening. The stores are
> sparsely populated and I can enjoy the process.
>
> Creative avoidance is sometimes the best solution!
>
> Wayne

I used to do that when I lived in Dallas 20 years ago. It was more
crowd avoidance than whiner avoidance. One morning a cop car pulled
into the Tom Thumb parking lot right behind me at 6:15 am. I wasn't
speeding; rather, the store's surveillance camera caught a guy filling
his sweats with packages of ribeye steaks. He wound up eating SOS at
the Dallas jail that day, no doubt.

Cindy

--
C.J. Fuller

Delete the obvious to email me

On Wed 19 Jan 2005 08:06:11p, Vox Humana tittered and giggled, and giggled
and tittered, and finally blurted out...

>
> "Terry Pulliam Burd" > wrote in message
> ...
>> On Wed, 19 Jan 2005 12:48:25 -0600, "jmcquown"
>> > wrote:
>>
>> >Actually, the times I was allowed to shop with my mother were few and
>> >far between. And when I was allowed to go with her it was a treat.
>> >Not allowed in todays climate was the fact that if I'd whined for
>> >candy at the checkout stand I'd have been quickly taken outside and
>> >spanked. She didn't have to do that because back in the day we simply
>> >didn't whine and throw tantrums at the store.
>>
>> I wouldn't have *dared* thrown a tantrum in public. Mother used to say
>> that if I embarrassed her in public, she'd embarrass *me* worse.
>
> Same here. Also, going to the grocery store when I was a child was a
> special occasion. At that time most families didn't have two cars. You
> couldn't pack up the kids and drag them aimlessly from store to store at
> all hours of the day or night. We had to drive to the next town to shop
> and that happened on Saturday morning. Supermarkets weren't open after
> 9 pm and most weren't open on Sunday. I can remember what an adventure
> it was to go to the A&P. My favorite part was the smell of the freshly
> ground coffee and being fascinated at the speed which the cashier could
> ring up all the individual prices - with that huge mechanical cash
> register clicking away. Those were the days when you got S&H Green
> Stamps with your purchases and people dreamed of the day when they could
> redeem the stamps for a cake saver or radio. You would buy a package of
> ice cream and hope that it would fit into the tiny freezer compartment
> in your refrigerator. Milk came in glass jugs and shortening cans had
> keys attached to the bottom that you used to unroll the seal and open
> the can. Soda was only purchased for special occasions and no one would
> have considered buying bottles of water to drink when you could get all
> you wanted for almost free at the kitchen sink. TV only had programs on
> a few hours a day and kids played outside. Going to the grocery store
> was entertainment, not an interruption to non-stop computer games.

All of those are fond memories for me, too. We lived in the suburbs of St.
Louis MO back then, and there were several very nice suburban grocery
stores, albeit with limited hours. Apart from the things you mentioned, a
couple of images flood back. In the produce section of one of the larger
markets there was a mechanical orange squeezing machine which held my
fascination. There was a large hopper at the top filled with oranges and
the oranges followed a path, one by one, being sliced in half and each half
squeezed at the same time. Glass quart and half-gallon bottles were filled
at the tap. The other memory is of a rather unique store where my parents
bought poultry. It was called "Pic-A-Chic", where live chickens were on
display. Customers chose the chicken they wanted. The clerk would take
the chicken to the back room for killing, then return with it to the front
to use the plucking machine for all to see. The freshly killed and cleaned
chicken was then packaged for the customer.

Wayne

Vox Humana wrote:

Also, going to the grocery store when I was a child was a
> special occasion. At that time most families didn't have two cars. You
> couldn't pack up the kids and drag them aimlessly from store to store at all
> hours of the day or night. We had to drive to the next town to shop and
> that happened on Saturday morning. Supermarkets weren't open after 9 pm and
> most weren't open on Sunday. I can remember what an adventure it was to go
> to the A&P. My favorite part was the smell of the freshly ground coffee and
> being fascinated at the speed which the cashier could ring up all the
> individual prices - with that huge mechanical cash register clicking away.
> Those were the days when you got S&H Green Stamps with your purchases and
> people dreamed of the day when they could redeem the stamps for a cake saver
> or radio.
>

Sounds as though we're the same generation, but if you shopped A&P you
didn't get S&H Green stamps, you got Plaid Stamps, IIRC, A&P's own
brand. They weren't around for long because Green Stamps were much
more commonly used by more merchants.

gloria p

Vox Humana wrote:

Also, going to the grocery store when I was a child was a
> special occasion. At that time most families didn't have two cars. You
> couldn't pack up the kids and drag them aimlessly from store to store at all
> hours of the day or night. We had to drive to the next town to shop and
> that happened on Saturday morning. Supermarkets weren't open after 9 pm and
> most weren't open on Sunday. I can remember what an adventure it was to go
> to the A&P. My favorite part was the smell of the freshly ground coffee and
> being fascinated at the speed which the cashier could ring up all the
> individual prices - with that huge mechanical cash register clicking away.
> Those were the days when you got S&H Green Stamps with your purchases and
> people dreamed of the day when they could redeem the stamps for a cake saver
> or radio.
>

Sounds as though we're the same generation, but if you shopped A&P you
didn't get S&H Green stamps, you got Plaid Stamps, IIRC, A&P's own
brand. They weren't around for long because Green Stamps were much
more commonly used by more merchants.

gloria p

Wayne Boatwright wrote:
>
>
> All of those are fond memories for me, too.

> The other memory is of a rather unique store where my parents
> bought poultry. It was called "Pic-A-Chic", where live chickens were on
> display. Customers chose the chicken they wanted. The clerk would take
> the chicken to the back room for killing, then return with it to the front
> to use the plucking machine for all to see. The freshly killed and cleaned
> chicken was then packaged for the customer.
>
> Wayne

I remember seeing that only at the kosher chicken store.

I remember a store downtown that sold only butter and eggs
(and maybe other dairy products, but I don't remember those.)
And the store next to it sold only coffee beans. It was not
uncommon to make four or more stops for groceries--butcher,
greengrocer, coffee, the delicatessen, and Kennedy's butter-and-egg store.

The only take-out I remnember was a series of hole-in-the-wall
fish and chip shops that were open only Fridays in our heavily
Catholic city.

My parents owned a neighborhood market, so I wasn't
exposed to a lot of other food stores, growing up.

gloria p

On Wed 19 Jan 2005 09:06:48p, Puester tittered and giggled, and giggled
and tittered, and finally blurted out...

> Vox Humana wrote:
>
> Also, going to the grocery store when I was a child was a
>> special occasion. At that time most families didn't have two cars.
>> You couldn't pack up the kids and drag them aimlessly from store to
>> store at all hours of the day or night. We had to drive to the next
>> town to shop and that happened on Saturday morning. Supermarkets
>> weren't open after 9 pm and most weren't open on Sunday. I can
>> remember what an adventure it was to go to the A&P. My favorite part
>> was the smell of the freshly ground coffee and being fascinated at the
>> speed which the cashier could ring up all the individual prices - with
>> that huge mechanical cash register clicking away. Those were the days
>> when you got S&H Green Stamps with your purchases and people dreamed of
>> the day when they could redeem the stamps for a cake saver or radio.
>>
>
> Sounds as though we're the same generation, but if you shopped A&P you
> didn't get S&H Green stamps, you got Plaid Stamps, IIRC, A&P's own
> brand. They weren't around for long because Green Stamps were much
> more commonly used by more merchants.

Some store gave Top Value Stamps, maybe Kroger's? They were yellow.

Wayne

On Wed 19 Jan 2005 09:17:40p, Puester tittered and giggled, and giggled
and tittered, and finally blurted out...

> Wayne Boatwright wrote:
>>
>>
>> All of those are fond memories for me, too.
>
>> The other memory is of a rather unique store where my parents
>> bought poultry. It was called "Pic-A-Chic", where live chickens were
>> on display. Customers chose the chicken they wanted. The clerk would
>> take the chicken to the back room for killing, then return with it to
>> the front to use the plucking machine for all to see. The freshly
>> killed and cleaned chicken was then packaged for the customer.
>>
>> Wayne
>
> I remember seeing that only at the kosher chicken store.
>
> I remember a store downtown that sold only butter and eggs
> (and maybe other dairy products, but I don't remember those.)
> And the store next to it sold only coffee beans. It was not
> uncommon to make four or more stops for groceries--butcher,
> greengrocer, coffee, the delicatessen, and Kennedy's butter-and-egg
> store.
>
> The only take-out I remnember was a series of hole-in-the-wall
> fish and chip shops that were open only Fridays in our heavily
> Catholic city.
>
> My parents owned a neighborhood market, so I wasn't
> exposed to a lot of other food stores, growing up.
>
> gloria p

My parents went to a separate butcher, too, but most everything else was
from the supermarket. My parents always put in a large vegetable garden in
the summer and grew most of our vegetables. They also canned, froze, and
pickeled vegetables and fruits.

I don't remember fish and chips shops, as our family ate very little fish,
and usually only fish that my dad caught when he went on fishing trips. I
do remember a tiny burger place in St. Louis called White Tower. They were
similar to Royal Castle, White Castle, and other later chains.

Wayne