I'm Pretty Sure Hick Is Not the Only One Trying to Kill Me

Thursday is errand day. I was over in Sis-Town to mail Genius's letter, and three bills. I stopped for T-Hoe's gas at the Sis-Town Casey's. I don't like to use my card at the pumps, because a while back, the local newspaper had a story about scammers who had put a card-reader thingy on the pumps there. So I pay inside before pumping.

Of course I also buy some scratchers with my gas, and dutifully tap in the access code for Hick's rewards card. Lottery purchases don't count, but gas does. 

All the pumps but the one I got were full! I think there's a dozen of them. I usually take Pump 4, because it's across from the handicap ramp, but this time I was happy to find Pump 6 vacant. When I entered the store, I was shocked that I was the only customer! I'd expected a line of five or six people, but I guess they were all paying at the pump, and headed home for supper, not buying snacks.

As I was telling the cashier what I wanted, another Casey's employee came around the counter, swirling a mop across the tile floor. I figured maybe somebody had spilled a soda. Not a Diet Coke, of course! They're not sticky! But those sugar sodas make a big mess. I didn't actually see anything on the floor. Just the wet shine after the mop swabbed over the tile.

"I'm mopping behind you, so be careful."

Wasn't that nice? The little gal warned me that she was behind me, cleaning up. Or so I thought...

As I stood there receiving my scratchers, and tapping in Hick's rewards code, and forking over the money... 

LITTLE GAL MOPPED UP AROUND MY FEET!

She didn't actually get my shoes wet, but she had mopped every inch around me! It was like I had painted myself into a corner! You know that Val is NOT surefooted. I can barely hobble in and out of the store. And NOW I was expected to cross that expanse of soapy, just-mopped tile! With nothing to hold onto!

Has the whole world gone daft? Is this a thing, mopping while a customer is needing to exit? It used to anger me when the Chinese restaurant gal would run the Bissell sweeper under our table while we were still eating. But at least that did not endanger my life!

What in the NOT-HEAVEN? Is that the only time she could mop? Every other Casey's puts out that yellow caution sign that says WET FLOOR when they mop. But this Little Gal thought a verbal warning was enough? What I if I was deaf? She could at least have waited for me to leave. Or left me a dry path to the door!

She might as well have said, 

"I'm dropping a murder hornet down your pants, so be careful." OR...

"I'm planting land mines from here to the door, so be careful." OR...

"I'm dangling a live wire from the ceiling over your head, so be careful." OR...

"I've just activated a maze of laser beams that will release an Indiana Jones boulder if broken, so be careful."

 

Was she oblivious to my appearance? Do I LOOK like the kind of person who can safely walk on wet tile? I guess I'm forgetting that Casey's pays their employees $10.30 per hour...