Saturday, I dashed into 10Box for scratchers from their lottery machines up front. Dang it! The machine on the right had an OUT OF ORDER sign taped to it! Oh, well. The other was still in operation. As I scanned my winners in for credit, I heard a crash. Shattering glass.
When I turned, I saw an older lady at the end of the checkout. She had bagged her groceries, as it the policy at 10Box. A bag had fallen through the child-seat part of the cart, where she hadn't flipped up the plastic seat thingy. A bag was on the tile floor, leaking clear amber liquid.
"Oh, I'm so sorry! The bag fell through!"
The staff got on the PA system right away, calling for a clean-up. The glass had been contained by the plastic bag. Only the liquid was a problem. A guy came right away. Got a mop and bucket. "At least it smells good!"
I turned back to buying my scratchers. I felt bad for that lady. Not just for the embarrassment. I knew that was some kind of alcohol, whiskey, most likely. Because soda is darker than that, and doesn't come in glass bottles at 10Box. It was Saturday. The first of the month. When people who are retired, or on some kind of assistance, get their money. They do their shopping for the month. What a disappointment for this old lady, having just purchased her alcohol, then having it flowing over the tile.
I told The Pony later that evening: "I felt so bad for her. If I was able to walk, I would have asked her if I could go get her another bottle. I would have paid. It just hurt me knowing what a disappointment that must have been for her. But I'm sure she wouldn't want to wait for the length of time it would take me to get a cart and walk over to replace it, and wait in line to pay."
"Yeah. I hope the store people offered to get her another bottle. For free. It would be good PR for them, if somebody talked about it. Which you know they would."
"If I was a manager there, I would pay out of my own pocket for her. But I know not everybody can afford to do that. It's just the idea of it being the weekend, and a 'payday' of sorts, and how people look forward to that. Then having the bottle break. It's like having the scoop fall off your ice cream cone right after you get it!"
Anyhoo... I don't know if anybody offered to help that old lady or not. I left as they were mopping up the liquid.
Val. The #1 Would-Be Enabler in Backroads.
That is sad. Those seats are treacherous. I had a can fall through and damaged my toe. That hurt so much. Now, I warn people who are putting groceries in the child seat without the plastic flipped up.
ReplyDeleteOoh! Good thing that bottle didn't land on the old lady's toe! The first thing I do when picking a cart is make sure it HAS the plastic seat. Sometimes the older carts are missing one. At least 10Box is a fairly new store here, and all the carts are in good condition.
DeleteI sure hope the store manager or clerk allowed her to get another bottle to replace the bottle that broke. I'm pretty sure they'd do that here if it happened.
ReplyDeleteI hope so, too. They were still cleaning up when I left, and she hadn't moved from the end of the register. So there's hope. Maybe somebody offered and I didn't hear. Otherwise, she could have just pushed her cart away and left the store while the guy finished cleaning. Maybe the manager came up to see what was going on and offered. I don't think they'd give their cashiers that kind of responsibility.
DeleteDamn :( that happened to me - I was so tired, I was putting the liquor in the car and let go of it before actually putting it into the trunk :( poor lady.
ReplyDeleteOh, no! I dropped a bottle on our sidewalk between garage and porch, when the single bag split open. I was worried that the dogs might get into the glass.
DeleteThat really stinks! I hope the store was able to help her out. It wasn't like she broke it intentionally. I am sure she was so embarrassed.
ReplyDeleteI hope they were able to get her another bottle. That stuff ain't cheap! I would be embarrassed over breaking ANYTHING in the store. Even before paying for it.
DeleteI also hope somebody offered to get her another bottle. Where I used to work she would have definitely got a replacement bottle without having to pay extra. of course our supermarkets don't sell alcohol, but if we did, that's what would happen.
ReplyDelete