I don’t normally do much shopping during the week, but I was out of Carnation Instant Breakfast, so I had no choice. I went to my local membership discount warehouse store. It’s called BJ’s. I’ve been glad to be able to get Carnation for cheap, but my big complaint was about their shopping carts. They were all chained together, and in order to release one, you’d have to put a quarter into it. If you wanted your quarter back, you’d have to chain the cart back up. It made me angry that I had to jump through a stupid hoop just to shop at their store. Why not make it easier to shop at their store instead of harder? Isn’t that something they cover in Marketing 101? Because of their restriction, all I would ever buy from them is Carnation. It’s all I could carry without a cart.
Well, yesterday I had a pleasant surprise. They got new carts. And they’re not chained together with quarter locks! Yay! To reward them for finally fixing a serious problem, I bought more than just Carnation. I got a bottle of TUMS that will last me until 2011 and I got a dozen bars of soap. Hooray!
Hooray for freedom!!! I remember the most frustrating thing about shopping in Maryland was that the stores had big concrete poles out front so you couldn’t take the cart to your car. Your choices were to 1) trust that no one would steal your stuff while you went to get your car, 2) shop with someone who could bring the car to you, 3) buy just what you could carry, 4) starve. Do they still have that madness?
The posts still exist, but there are usually two that are just slightly big enough to slip a cart through. Why they don’t space them ALL far enough to get a cart through, I don’t know.
Did you also get toilet paper? Because you’re running low.
They don’t carry my brand. They don’t carry the right brand of paper towels either.
I discovered that Northern, which I can get at Sams) can replace angel soft. I hate it when they change things!
Yay for small surprises!! The BJ’s in Bel Air has never had the quarter thing, and we don’t have the cement posts either…but BJ’s doesn’t sell my Instant Breakfast, so I still hate them for that.
Have you ever had the carts that lock their wheels if you go too far out in the parking lot? We have a Safeway that I love to shop at but there are never any parking spots up front, so I just park out in the boonies (no relation to the Goonies). Halfway through the parking lot the wheels of the cart just lock up, sending your groceries to the front of your cart and sending you over the top of the handle bar. I never remember where the line is that the carts stop, so I always look like a dork walking through the lot testing to see where it is. Arrrrr, stupid grocery stores.
You should paint a big red arc on the parking lot to help you (and everyone else) remember.
Wow, are you kidding? Carts with automatic locking wheels? I have never heard of such a thing. Are you sure you weren’t on candid camera?
Being out of one food product gave you “no choice” but to go shopping?! Heck, until we are out of all condiments, fresh milk, eggs, bread, and buttery spread with Omega 3 in it, we’re not seriously in need of groceries. Now, when the dog kibble runs low, that’s another story altogether!
Carol, Carol, Carol…Instant Breakfast is a MUST HAVE staple…and milk. It’s only been once or twice that I’ve opened my cabinet in the morning & been out of it. I let out a HUGE GASP…the family comes running…then I have to make up a believable story, like a mouse was just ran across the counter.
take out “was”…put $500. in my desk
Those carts used to make me crazy as well. My solution was to never shop there again and I can honestly say I’ve not set foot in a BJ’s for years. If I’m honest, though, I think my biggest disappointment was that I could not finagle a way to get more quarters back than I had originally invested. Maryland does not need slot machines – just a better way to cash in at the big box store parking lot!
See you Baltimore people in a couple days!
Ehhxcellent!!!
WAIT! Is this THE Deborah…as in Gebhardt?!
If so, your better half blew your cover in his meeting with the faculty and staff Thursday afternoon in the library. Now we’ll all have to watch what we type here (not!) in case you soon become The Boss’ Wife, eh?
…oh…and if you are not “the” Deborah…..in the words of Emily Litella (aka Gilda Radner)……..
“Never mind!”
What is this…. this Boss’ Wife phrase-ology???
That’s me. The boss’s wife. And we’re home now. That was a great visit! Must go to bed.