Monday, January 17, 2022

Hooterville or Twilight Zone?

No, I am not taking a survey to see if you would rather live in Hooterville or The Twilight Zone. I am trying to figure out if I have been transported to one or the other.

Val does not lead an exciting life, despite her braggings here at the House of Unbagged Cats. A trip to town each day, for scratchers and a 44 oz Diet Coke. Shopping at the two local grocery stores each week. A gas top-off for T-Hoe. A post office visit for Genius's weekly letter and old-fashioned bill-paying. That's it. Nothing interesting until a casino trip every couple of months.

You'd think a grocery store would be a pretty uneventful place. Push a cart/walker around the building. Put items from shelf to cart. Pay and leave.

 
One of these things is not like the others. One of these things just doesn't belong.

WHAT IN THE NOT-HEAVEN?

Am I shopping in Sam Drucker's General Store? Will Ike Godsey come out from behind the shelf, and offer me some of the Baldwin Sisters' "recipe?" Maybe Mr. Haney will roll up with his jalopy truck to sell me a bargain I can't find in any store. Or Granny might have some tempting vittles she's been boiling in a kettle out by the ceeeement pond.

WHY IS THIS JAR ON THE SHELF IN A GROCERY STORE CHAIN?

 
I'm pretty sure there's a law against something like this. If not... there oughta be! SURE that's the contents of that jar. It's a little different color than the contents of the other jars. The lid LOOKS like the seal hasn't been broken. But in looking at the lid, I think the expiration date has passed! A tight zoom appears to show that date as 11/13/20. There's a glare, so I can't be sure. AS IF that would be the only reason not to buy it!!!

Is this The Twilight Zone? Maybe there's some superhuman guy named Alfredo, who produces (if you're pickin' up what I'm layin' down) a very potent special SAUCE that's in high demand, and whether a woman can get it or not is just luck of the draw. Perhaps there's a unique responsibility that comes with the sauce of Alfredo, heh, heh.

I didn't have the guts to take that jar up front and try to buy it. I wonder if there's a barcode drawn on the back label. Or IS there a back label? I wonder what the nutritional information would show.

Is this a legitimate attempt of Country Mart to sell "OFF" label merchandise? Was somebody instructed to cut that label with square corners? Did they take handwriting samples to see who should put the name on it? Can a customer barter for a price reduction?

I'm pretty sure I wouldn't buy this jar of Alfredo Sauce if it was the last one on earth. Which it could be, if this was The Twilight Zone.

14 comments:

  1. That is funny! I was going to suggest that the best by date would be NEVER!!

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    1. Heh, heh! If it didn't take so much effort, I could open that jar picture in PAINT, and put in NEVER for the Best By date!

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  2. I can see that expiry date clearly, 11/13/20. such a sale is illegal with a handwritten label like that, you need to send an anonymous report to head office, with your photo file attached. You need to name the store and the date you were there. That product is probably no longer safe for human consumption, given the slightly darker shade.

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    1. That's what Hick said! Send it to the county health department, so they'll have to go inspect the store. Which isn't called Country Mart any more, having been bought out last summer by a similar chain.

      Anyhoo... I feel like they should be given a chance to make it right first. Like me taking it up to the service desk and asking/complaining about it. But then if I saw it back on the shelf later, I'd HAVE to call the county health department, and the CM people would know who turned them in...

      Such a tangled web we weave, when trying to put the kibosh on a store that deceives!

      Surely NOBODY would ever try to buy and eat that product!

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  3. All I can add to the comments above is: YIKES!

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    1. I'm going to venture that while you're shocked, you're not surprised...

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  4. I would suggest assuming it has already been put back on the shelf and complain to the health department anyway.

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    1. I should, but that doesn't mean I will. I don't like to get involved.

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  5. Oh my goodness, is that for real? I wonder of it was a prank? In any case, I would not be sampling.

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    1. I'm hoping a manager put it there, to see if the person responsible for facing those shelves (pulling product to the front, with labels showing) would catch it and remove it.

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  6. You would think they would have at the very least offered a discount!! It is like dented cans, if the product has a bunch of undented cans around it, you buy one of those! One would need incentive to purchase the hand labeled sauce! Which is what I would have told them at the service desk, as I enunciated loudly to draw everyone's attention ....

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    1. I can imagine a crowd gathering around you as you give your speech, like the guy talking about Trouble In River City in "The Music Man."

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    2. I would enjoy every minute, too! I wonder if that is a sin ....

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