My coworkers are a motley bunch. The majority (be it a slim one) of them are pleasant enough and somewhat intelligent. However, there are a few that really stand out in one way or another, mostly in their ignorance. Here is an encounter I witnessed on my first day on the job, and still remember as if it were yesterday.

A woman came in, did her bit of shopping, and visited the front end to pay. She was well-dressed, and her style was casual but sophisticated. She also happened to be carrying that season’s “IT” handbag. The cashier whom I was observing as part of my training opened her mouth and out fell, “Is that a REAL Coach bag?” The woman looked confused as to how best to answer (*blinkblink*), but before she could even attempt it the girl continued, “Because if it is then it must be last season, because I ain’t never seen that one before.” Where to begin? Asking if the bag was a knock-off? Implying that the bag was out of style? “ain’t never”? I mean, someone call Mr. Haney and Arnold the pig because that poor Eva Gabor had obviously stumbled into Hooterville without knowing. Standing there, I am sure that I turned ten shades of red.

It’s true, we don’t have typical grocery store customers. By the same token, management should stop hiring typical grocery store employees. Of course, if they did that, this blog would be a mite less interesting.