Wednesday, December 15, 2004

Boycott Safeway

I pay my mortgage the day it is due at a branch bank located in a Safeway store. I have always hated shopping at Safeway, back from the days of the Chavez iceberg lettuce boycotts, but, periodically, I give in. They have some great sales; they get new products sooner than some of the other stores (though most of the store is now store-brand, which I find limiting); the prices often ring up wrong and they are the closest store to my house. Reality is I normally drive an extra 3 miles to NOT shop at Safeway.
Today, I wanted some sale items and tried again. As soon as the shopping experience disintegrates into the normal Safeway bs, I become a crazy person, and my most annoying self. The checker was complaining that he just started and had a long day; it is usually that or the fact that they have 30 mins. before getting to go home before returning for a long shift tomorrow. I am sorry they have such long hours; complain to someone when the customers are not standing there. The bagger forgot I wanted paper halfway through and changed to plastic. Prices rang up wrong. Coupons were forgotten. And it ends when the checker tries to thank you by name. Just say thank you without mispronouncing my name, always a fitting ending to a shopping experience that leaves me angry, cursing to whomever is with me and swearing NEVER to return. The only thing positive I can say is that the manager let me take another box of blackberries after I reviewed the receipt and realized it was "buy one, get one free." That is what lures me in the door in the first place, always promising to myself that I will not go back until the next month's mortgage is due.