On 12 Feb 2006 23:02:00 -0800, aem wrote:

> sf wrote:
> >
> > It's childish and stupid.
> >
> A lot of humor seems childish and stupid to the cheerless. But missing
> the fun doesn't make them mature or smart -- just dull. -aem

You must be the Denny's type.
--

Practice safe eating. Always use condiments.

On 13 Feb 2006 01:55:11 -0800, -L. wrote:
>
> sf wrote:
> >
> > It's childish and stupid.
> > --
>
> Not if you have a name that's hard to pronounce.

I have a name that can be mangled but I don't play that game.

> Hostesses aren't usually the sharpest knives in the drawer...
>
So, that's your "excuse"? It's a poor one.
--

Practice safe eating. Always use condiments.

cathy wrote:
> I suppose this is a pretty minor pet peeve, but it still ticks me off.
>
> I shop at Vons in the Los Angeles area (owned and run by Safeway).
> They have two store policies that I find irritating and hypocritical.
> The first is, the checker always asks you "do you need help out to
> your car", no matter what the size of your order. I've had them ask me
> that when all I bought was a half gallon of milk, or a single bag of
> potato chips.
>
> Apparently it's store policy that they =have= to ask that question, no
> matter what the size of the customer's order. Aside from the
> ludicrousness of the question, I feel it's an insult to me - do I look
> so decrepit that they genuinely think I =need= help? And it's an
> insult to the checker - why can't the store trust their employees to
> use common sense - ask the question if there's a =large= order, or the
> customer is elderly and might need the help. Let the employee assess
> the situation. Its not rocket science. I've complained several times
> and have been told "it's company policy".
>
> The second thing that Vons does that ticks me off is this: when you
> pay by debit or credit card, the checker is required to call you by
> name when they hand you the receipt. So you have to wait while they
> stare at the receipt, and try and figure out how to pronounce your
> name. I find this fake "personalization" worse than just a generic
> "ma'am" or "sir". They don't know me from Adam, they are forced to do
> this, and the whole thing is so phony it makes me crazy. Again, I find
> it insulting, and I'm sure there are other people who genuinely don't
> want the checker announcing their name to everyone within earshot.
> Just imagine the reaction if you heard "Thank you, Ms. Longoria" or
> "Thank you, Mr, Laurie".
>
> None of the other markets I shop at do this. Anyone else have this
> kind of experience? (I think it's a policy for all Safeway stores).
>
> Like I said, I know in the greater scheme of things it's pretty minor,
> but I just can't help being irritated nearly every time I shop there.
>
> And yes, I =could= stop shopping there, but they carry things the
> other markets don't, and they occasionally have great sales on meat
> and poultry. Plus, they're they only market near me that carries milk
> in half-gallon wax paper containers, instead of the plastic jugs
> everyone else seems to have gone to. I find that my milk spoils a
> whole lot sooner in the plastic jugs.
>
> Cathy

Cash Back?

I love it when they ask it. Joked about it with a barista once, for
them they have to ask whether we have a loyalty card, or would you like
cream with that? It's like a sales assistant always ask whether we
need any help. Hehe. We also ask a lot of "would you like a cup of
tea". And "have you slept well?". Also a classic "How are you?"
almost several times daily.

On Mon 13 Feb 2006 09:24:39p, Thus Spake Zarathustra, or was it sf?

> On 13 Feb 2006 01:55:11 -0800, -L. wrote:
>>
>> sf wrote:
>> >
>> > It's childish and stupid. --
>>
>> Not if you have a name that's hard to pronounce.
>
> I have a name that can be mangled but I don't play that game.
>
>> Hostesses aren't usually the sharpest knives in the drawer...
>>
> So, that's your "excuse"? It's a poor one.

Right. I'd rather be called by my named mispronounced, than a fictious name
that has nothing to do with me.

It IS childish AND stupid.

--
Wayne Boatwright o¿o
____________________

BIOYA

On Mon, 13 Feb 2006 09:36:47 -0500, maxine in ri wrote:

> On Sun, 12 Feb 2006 14:54:40 -0600, "jmcquown"
> > connected the dots and wrote:
>
> ~Exactly. What difference does it make if the reservation is in your
> own
> ~name? It's not like you gave them your SSN or a credit card number.
> It's
> ~just a reservation. My last name is difficult to pronounce so I
> either know
> ~when they call it out and they're stumbling over "Mc-Mc-Mc" they mean
> me, or
> ~I just make the reservation in the name of Jill.
> ~
> ~Jill
> ~
>
> Do I assume wrong that it's pronounced Mc-Kwan? or Mc Kow(a)n?
>
> maxine in ri

If I remember correctly (she told us at one point), it's pronounced
Mc Kwown.
--

Practice safe eating. Always use condiments.

Wayne Boatwright wrote:
> On Mon 13 Feb 2006 09:24:39p, Thus Spake Zarathustra, or was it sf?
>
>
>>On 13 Feb 2006 01:55:11 -0800, -L. wrote:
>>
>>>
>>> sf wrote:
>>> >
>>> > It's childish and stupid. --
>>>
>>> Not if you have a name that's hard to pronounce.
>>
>>I have a name that can be mangled but I don't play that game.
>>
>>
>>> Hostesses aren't usually the sharpest knives in the drawer...
>>>
>>
>>So, that's your "excuse"? It's a poor one.
>
>
> Right. I'd rather be called by my named mispronounced, than a fictious name
> that has nothing to do with me.
>


You ought to hear them try to pronounce "zxcvbob".

Best regards, ;-)
Haywood

"Bob Terwilliger" > wrote in message
...
> RoR wrote:
>
>> I used to be upset when I heard HAND, but I decided to change my response
>> to it. Now I reply, "Thanks, I will." It usually leaves the person
>> offering this bit of courtesy, whether forced or not, smiling.
>
> Try, "You can count on it. I'm going home for a nooner!"
>
> Bob
snort!! It's been too long. I had to read this twice.

dee wrote:

> We also ask a lot of "would you like a cup of tea". And "have you slept
> well?". Also a classic "How are you?" almost several times daily.

The standard greeting in China translates literally as, "Have you eaten
rice?" But whenever I ask some round-eye cashier, I get a puzzled look, and
if I ask someone of Asian heritage, it's taken for racism.

How do you feel about people who say, "Take care!" when parting? Am I in
some kind of DANGER?

Bob

sf and aem traded witticisms:

>>> It's childish and stupid.
>>>
>> A lot of humor seems childish and stupid to the cheerless. But missing
>> the fun doesn't make them mature or smart -- just dull. -aem
>
> You must be the Denny's type.

I mentioned that my use of the pseudonym "James Bond" was done in connection
with opentable.com. If I get any e-mails addressed to "James Bond," I know
where the originator got my e-mail address. SF, I am neither stupid nor
childish. I do happen to think that life is more enjoyable with elements of
unpredictability and spontaneity. In "The Waste Land," T. S. Eliot writes:

My friend, blood shaking my heart
The awful daring of a moment's surrender
Which an age of prudence can never retract,
By this, and this only, we have existed,
Which is not to be found in our obituaries
Or in memories draped by the beneficent spider
Or under seals broken by the lean solicitor
In our empty rooms

In other words, you're only LIVING when you take that risk, when you feel
that "blood shaking your heart" and you surrender to the moment. But you
have to LET yourself feel, and LET yourself live.

I also feel that absolute control is boring, and that it's sufficient to
steer your life in the general direction you want it to go. Chaos isn't
attractive to me, but APPROACHING chaos is. My outlook is well-expressed in
the book _Who's Afraid of Schrodinger's Cat?_, which contains the following
passage [the words in all caps are topics covered in other sections of the
book]:


============================================
The Edge of Chaos

The edge of chaos is that critical band where physical systems display the
greatest COMPLEXITY. It is delicately poised between order and chaos.

Crystals and gases represent the two extremes of order and chaos. Crystals
are very ordered, gases entirely random. In a perfect crystal, each atom
occurs in its place in a regular, repetitive lattice, like wallpaper. The
system can be described very simply. In gases, the motion of each molecule
is random. At the molecular level, the system is too complex and chaotic to
be described at all. (At the macroscopic level, all the complexities average
out to give an overall pressure and temperature.) Neither crystals nor gases
have much interesting structure. Neither contains much INFORMATION: To
convey information with either medium, we have to inscribe messages on the
crystal or send sound waves through the gas.

The extreme examples of order and chaos represented by crystals and gases
suggest that the most complex and interesting structures are to be found at
neither extreme, but rather at the boundary between order and chaos-"the
edge of chaos." This is indeed where we find complex structures like living
organisms, ecologies, whirlpools, and perhaps conscious brains. All have
both regular and unpredictable features. Computer models of ARTIFICIAL LIFE
suggest that the most complex behavior occurs in a narrow band between
repetitive and chaotic behavior .

Work at the Santa Fe Institute suggests that edge-of-chaos systems evolve
naturally. Physicist Per Bak has built a model of "self-organized
criticality" illustrated by a pile of sand. More sand is slowly added to the
top of the pile, which spontaneously evolves into a conical shape. The cone
remains stable until it reaches a critical slope at which the addition of
even a single grain of sand will cause an avalanche, large or small. At that
point, the system shows maximum responsiveness and maximum unpredictability.
These characteristics--adaptability and fragility--seem to characterize many
ecosystems and also such human phenomena as fashion trends and the stock
market.

Theories of self-organized criticality suggest that evolution drives these
systems to the edge of chaos, where they can be maximally creative but are
also unstable. This may have very deep implications for the human desire to
maximize security, to arrange nature or our own affairs in some static
Utopia. Edge-of-chaos theories suggest that we might be wiser to aim at
dynamic balance, to accept that given forms of order are impermanent and
that nature itself evolves through a constant strategy of risk taking. Such
thinking now emerges regularly as a challenge to business and financial
circles, but at this stage it may be no more than a metaphorical extension
of chaos science.
============================================

That one sentence about aiming at dynamic balance and risk-taking is pretty
much my outlook on how life should be lived.

So I'm going to hold my breath until you apologize. :-)

Bob

Wayne Boatwright wrote:
> Right. I'd rather be called by my named mispronounced, than a fictious name
> that has nothing to do with me.

Not if you have missed more than one seating because the dingbats can't
pronounce your name. It's a hell of a lot easier to say "William
Smith" and you know you will be seated when it is your turn.

>
> It IS childish AND stupid.

I don't do it for childish reasons - I have found it a necessity.
Boatwright isn't that hard to pronounce or spell - you can spell it
phonetically, even; if your name was more difficult you might
understand the need to do it.

-L.

Bob Terwilliger wrote:
> dee wrote:
>
> > We also ask a lot of "would you like a cup of tea". And "have you slept
> > well?". Also a classic "How are you?" almost several times daily.
>
> The standard greeting in China translates literally as, "Have you eaten
> rice?" But whenever I ask some round-eye cashier, I get a puzzled look, and
> if I ask someone of Asian heritage, it's taken for racism.
>
> How do you feel about people who say, "Take care!" when parting? Am I in
> some kind of DANGER?
>
> Bob

Lol! That's one of my catch phrase too!

Take care!
dee xx

On Tue 14 Feb 2006 01:18:56a, Thus Spake Zarathustra, or was it -L.?

>
> Wayne Boatwright wrote:
>> Right. I'd rather be called by my named mispronounced, than a fictious
>> name that has nothing to do with me.
>
> Not if you have missed more than one seating because the dingbats can't
> pronounce your name. It's a hell of a lot easier to say "William
> Smith" and you know you will be seated when it is your turn.
>
>>
>> It IS childish AND stupid.
>
> I don't do it for childish reasons - I have found it a necessity.
> Boatwright isn't that hard to pronounce or spell - you can spell it
> phonetically, even; if your name was more difficult you might
> understand the need to do it.

Many people now seem to be giving their first name and first letter of
their last name, possibly for that reason. At least it's their name.


--
Wayne Boatwright o¿o
____________________

BIOYA

On Tue 14 Feb 2006 12:20:02a, Thus Spake Zarathustra, or was it Bob
Terwilliger?

> sf and aem traded witticisms:
>
>>>> It's childish and stupid.
>>>>
>>> A lot of humor seems childish and stupid to the cheerless. But
>>> missing the fun doesn't make them mature or smart -- just dull.
>>> -aem
>>
>> You must be the Denny's type.
>
> I mentioned that my use of the pseudonym "James Bond" was done in
> connection with opentable.com. If I get any e-mails addressed to "James
> Bond," I know where the originator got my e-mail address.

<diatribe snipped>

We all should live our lives as we see fit. You may see that as fit, as do
others. Some others do not. Not that I don't find humor in it nor dismiss
its entertainment value... When I hear an obviously phony name called out
in a restaurant, I laugh and think "what an ass". To each his own. <g>

--
Wayne Boatwright o¿o
____________________

BIOYA

>>
>> I mentioned that my use of the pseudonym "James Bond" was done in
>> connection with opentable.com. If I get any e-mails addressed to "James
>> Bond," I know where the originator got my e-mail address.
>
> <diatribe snipped>
>
> We all should live our lives as we see fit. You may see that as fit, as
> do
> others. Some others do not. Not that I don't find humor in it nor
> dismiss
> its entertainment value... When I hear an obviously phony name called out
> in a restaurant, I laugh and think "what an ass". To each his own. <g>
>
> --
> Wayne Boatwright o¿o

We laugh, too, about DH using Clint. He uses it at Panera because his name
is John. Too many John's. He goes by the name of Randy with all his family.
I've always thought that too -- well, you know.
So far, he hasn't thought of "James Bond." Now, I'd be a little embarrassed
about that myself. Tee hee.
Dee Dee

"dee" > wrote in message
oups.com...
>
> Bob Terwilliger wrote:
>> dee wrote:
>>
>> > We also ask a lot of "would you like a cup of tea". And "have you
>> > slept
>> > well?". Also a classic "How are you?" almost several times daily.
>>
>> The standard greeting in China translates literally as, "Have you eaten
>> rice?" But whenever I ask some round-eye cashier, I get a puzzled look,
>> and
>> if I ask someone of Asian heritage, it's taken for racism.
>>
>> How do you feel about people who say, "Take care!" when parting? Am I in
>> some kind of DANGER?
>>
>> Bob
>
> Lol! That's one of my catch phrase too!
>
> Take care!
> dee xx
>
Some people now say "Stay Well."
Dee Dee

On Tue 14 Feb 2006 07:53:43a, Thus Spake Zarathustra, or was it Dee
Randall?

>
>
>>>
>>> I mentioned that my use of the pseudonym "James Bond" was done in
>>> connection with opentable.com. If I get any e-mails addressed to
>>> "James Bond," I know where the originator got my e-mail address.
>>
>> <diatribe snipped>
>>
>> We all should live our lives as we see fit. You may see that as fit,
>> as do others. Some others do not. Not that I don't find humor in it
>> nor dismiss its entertainment value... When I hear an obviously phony
>> name called out in a restaurant, I laugh and think "what an ass". To
>> each his own. <g>
>>
>> --
>> Wayne Boatwright o¿o
>
> We laugh, too, about DH using Clint. He uses it at Panera because his
> name is John. Too many John's. He goes by the name of Randy with all his
> family. I've always thought that too -- well, you know.
> So far, he hasn't thought of "James Bond." Now, I'd be a little
> embarrassed about that myself. Tee hee.
> Dee Dee

using "Clint" isn't silly, just practical. My dad's first name was John,
but he always went by his middle name for the same reason. It's the
rediculous and outlandish names that I was referring to.

--
Wayne Boatwright Õ¿Õ¬
________________________________________

Okay, okay, I take it back! UnScrew you!

aem wrote:
> sf wrote:
>> On 12 Feb 2006 14:19:30 -0800, aem wrote:
>>
>>> It's just for fun. I thought that would be clear from the example
>>> names. From the other responses it's clear I'm not the only one
>>> having fun with it. -aem
>>
>> Whoda thunk that adults actually think this is funny. It's time to
>> grow up, kids.
>
> Grow up?! WTF? Adults take/make their fun where they find it,
> particularly when it's harmless. You sound like ol' Wayne-O whose
> line, "it would never occur to me" (or something close) has to be the
> least surprising post of the month. -aem

Okay, if you want fun, I worked with a restaurant manager who would grab the
microphone at the hostess stand and announce things such as, "Elvis has left
the building" or call for, "Balls, party of two". He thought it was
hiliarious. We just rolled our eyes and continued doing our job, which was
checking for available tables and calling *real* parties to be seated.

Jill

-L. wrote:
> sf wrote:
>>
>> It's childish and stupid.
>> --
>
> Not if you have a name that's hard to pronounce. Hostesses aren't
> usually the sharpest knives in the drawer...
>
> -L.

Heheh, I take exception to that! I was a *superb* hostess. If a name was
unpronounceable I'd ask them to spell it and jot a phonetic note next to it.
I was the "lead hostess" after only a week of working there. I didn't
usually seat people unless we were very busy. I scoured the restaurant for
available tables and made notes of which party could be seated where. I was
very good at estimating wait-times to within 5 minutes. I didn't double or
triple seat servers who were in the weeds. Conversely (my word for the day
LOL) if a server was particularly good at their job they'd often ask me if
I'd go ahead and double or triple seat them. The servers loved me. Of
course, I was 30 years old, not 18.

Jill

sf wrote:
> On Mon, 13 Feb 2006 09:36:47 -0500, maxine in ri wrote:
>
>> On Sun, 12 Feb 2006 14:54:40 -0600, "jmcquown"
>> > connected the dots and wrote:
>>
>> ~Exactly. What difference does it make if the reservation is in
>> your own
>> ~name? It's not like you gave them your SSN or a credit card
>> number. It's
>> ~just a reservation. My last name is difficult to pronounce so I
>> either know
>> ~when they call it out and they're stumbling over "Mc-Mc-Mc" they
>> mean me, or
>> ~I just make the reservation in the name of Jill.
>> ~
>> ~Jill
>> ~
>>
>> Do I assume wrong that it's pronounced Mc-Kwan? or Mc Kow(a)n?
>>
>> maxine in ri
>
> If I remember correctly (she told us at one point), it's pronounced
> Mc Kwown.

As best I can describe it, it's pronounced like a cat meowing.
Muh-keeow-en.

Jill

On Tue 14 Feb 2006 08:39:50a, Thus Spake Zarathustra, or was it jmcquown?

> aem wrote:
>> sf wrote:
>>> On 12 Feb 2006 14:19:30 -0800, aem wrote:
>>>
>>>> It's just for fun. I thought that would be clear from the example
>>>> names. From the other responses it's clear I'm not the only one
>>>> having fun with it. -aem
>>>
>>> Whoda thunk that adults actually think this is funny. It's time to
>>> grow up, kids.
>>
>> Grow up?! WTF? Adults take/make their fun where they find it,
>> particularly when it's harmless. You sound like ol' Wayne-O whose
>> line, "it would never occur to me" (or something close) has to be the
>> least surprising post of the month. -aem

It's not for me to either surprise or please you. What the hell do you
care what I think, anyway?

> Okay, if you want fun, I worked with a restaurant manager who would grab
> the microphone at the hostess stand and announce things such as, "Elvis
> has left the building" or call for, "Balls, party of two". He thought
> it was hiliarious. We just rolled our eyes and continued doing our job,
> which was checking for available tables and calling *real* parties to be
> seated.

Poor you!

--
Wayne Boatwright Õ¿Õ¬
________________________________________

Okay, okay, I take it back! UnScrew you!

jmcquown wrote:
> -L. wrote:
>> sf wrote:
>>>
>>> It's childish and stupid.
>>> --
>>
>> Not if you have a name that's hard to pronounce. Hostesses aren't
>> usually the sharpest knives in the drawer...
>>
>> -L.
>
> Heheh, I take exception to that! I was a *superb* hostess. If a
> name was unpronounceable I'd ask them to spell it and jot a phonetic
> note next to it. I was the "lead hostess" after only a week of
> working there. I didn't usually seat people unless we were very
> busy.

I should clarify; the other hostesses did the seating and took the parties
where I told them to

I scoured the restaurant for available tables and made notes
> of which party could be seated where. I was very good at estimating
> wait-times to within 5 minutes. I didn't double or triple seat
> servers who were in the weeds. Conversely (my word for the day LOL)
> if a server was particularly good at their job they'd often ask me if
> I'd go ahead and double or triple seat them. The servers loved me.
> Of course, I was 30 years old, not 18.
>
> Jill

"Dee Randall" > wrote in message
...
>
> "dee" > wrote in message
> oups.com...
>>
>> Bob Terwilliger wrote:
>>> dee wrote:
>>>
>>> > We also ask a lot of "would you like a cup of tea". And "have you
>>> > slept
>>> > well?". Also a classic "How are you?" almost several times daily.
>>>
>>> The standard greeting in China translates literally as, "Have you eaten
>>> rice?" But whenever I ask some round-eye cashier, I get a puzzled look,
>>> and
>>> if I ask someone of Asian heritage, it's taken for racism.
>>>
>>> How do you feel about people who say, "Take care!" when parting? Am I
>>> in
>>> some kind of DANGER?
>>>
>>> Bob
>>
>> Lol! That's one of my catch phrase too!
>>
>> Take care!
>> dee xx
>>
> Some people now say "Stay Well."
> Dee Dee
>

To the standard and meaningless "Have a nice day" I sometimes reply that I
have other plans.


--
Peter Aitken

and Keep well

Suddenly I understand completely how annoying it is to be asked such
rubbish questions. Being asked "aren't you cold?" so many times today,
I am starting to think I have sinned for feeling warm! Lol...

Bob Terwilliger wrote:
> dee wrote:
>
>> We also ask a lot of "would you like a cup of tea". And "have you slept
>> well?". Also a classic "How are you?" almost several times daily.
>
> The standard greeting in China translates literally as, "Have you eaten
> rice?" But whenever I ask some round-eye cashier, I get a puzzled look, and
> if I ask someone of Asian heritage, it's taken for racism.
>
In Bavaria the greeting is Gruss Gott. Translates to "Greet God". I'm
not sure how atheists feel about that?

Wayne Boatwright wrote:
> On Tue 14 Feb 2006 08:39:50a, Thus Spake Zarathustra, or was it
> jmcquown?
>
>>> Grow up?! WTF? Adults take/make their fun where they find it,
>>> particularly when it's harmless. You sound like ol' Wayne-O whose
>>> line, "it would never occur to me" (or something close) has to be
>>> the least surprising post of the month. -aem
>
> It's not for me to either surprise or please you. What the hell do
> you care what I think, anyway?
>
>> Okay, if you want fun, I worked with a restaurant manager who would
>> grab the microphone at the hostess stand and announce things such
>> as, "Elvis has left the building" or call for, "Balls, party of
>> two". He thought it was hiliarious. We just rolled our eyes and
>> continued doing our job, which was checking for available tables and
>> calling *real* parties to be seated.
>
> Poor you!

Yeah. I used to do back-of-the-house stuff for this restaurant in the
mornings. Used the computer to do process accounts payables and receivables
and payroll. This same manager (recently promoted to General Manager)
changed the password and locked me out. I complained to the Regional VP and
he said something like, "Oh, he probably just wants to learn to do it
himself." I said that didn't make sense, something was wrong.

A few months later the police hauled the GM off for embezzlement. He'd
added members of his and his wife's family to the payroll roster and was
forging hours worked and having checks cut for them. This was one time when
I wasn't the least bit hestitant to say, "I told you so!" LOL

Jill

Bob Terwilliger wrote on 2/13/2006:

> In "The Waste Land," T. S. Eliot writes:

> My friend, blood shaking my heart..

<big snips>

Eliot was a truly wild and crazy guy. I'll bet *he* never used *his*
real name when he made a restaurant reservation. There were probably
days when he wore socks that didn't match.

Carpe diem!

"dee" > wrote in message
oups.com...
> and Keep well
>
> Suddenly I understand completely how annoying it is to be asked such
> rubbish questions. Being asked "aren't you cold?" so many times today,
> I am starting to think I have sinned for feeling warm! Lol...
>
Your post reminds me of a few weeks ago I was "Under the Scan" and the
scanner rubbed her grubby-little-hands on my leggin's and asked 'aren't you
hot in these?' I felt it was, as you say, a "rubbish question.." As this
person had been a beast to me even in DH's presence, I knew she was on a
roll that day and probably every day of her life.
Dee Dee

CJ Jones wrote:
> cathy wrote:
>> I suppose this is a pretty minor pet peeve, but it still ticks me
>> off.
>>
>> Apparently it's store policy that they =have= to ask that question,
>> no matter what the size of the customer's order. Aside from the
>> ludicrousness of the question, I feel it's an insult to me - do I
>> look so decrepit that they genuinely think I =need= help?
>> Cathy
> (snipped much)
>
> Uhm, I don't look decrepit. I'm certainly not old. I'm 41 with a very
> serious illness, and sometimes, even if it's a gallon of milk, I'm
> very grateful when someone carries this to my car. People who ask me
> if I need help are very well received, even if I just bought a tooth
> brush and some crisps.
>
Hear hear! One of my best friends is stricken with Multiple Sclerosis in
her early 30's. When she first started having some balance problems, she'd
encounter so much rudeness in grocery stores it was unbelievable. The
patrons thought (and said so aloud) if she stumbled she was drunk and would
mutter loud enough for her to hear, "Go sleep it off". Luckily, the staff
at the store, even if they didn't know her, would assist her with her bags
to her car. She's now confined to a wheelchair full time.

> To be insulted by someone thanking you and using your name to do so
> is a call back to the days of the mom and pop shops. And, if you do
> shop there over and over, chances are they won't have to look at your
> card to say hello to you. When I lived in Pasadena, I shopped Vons,
> and it was nice after driving the hellish 210 or 405 or 705, to come
> home, get groceries and be thought of as a person instead of a member
> of the driving flock.
>
> I hope you don't take any offense in what I write, I'm just pointing
> out other's feel differently.
>
> CJ, Who uses a wheelchair or a cane at least every day.

I've written before about the small store down the street. It's now owned
(about 9 months now) buy a lovely couple from Ethiopia. His name is Gabe;
her name is Marta. When I walk in I'm greeted with "Hello, Jill!" If I'm
wandering around looking for something (because they keep rearranging stuff)
one of them will come over and ask what I'm looking for. I find it very
nice. And I don't get that sort of courtesy in big grocery stores. I
suppose it's sad that I have come not to *expect* that sort of courtesy.

I can, however, say positive things about the Schnuck's supermarket on
Germantown Parkway. An employee realized I was having a hard time finding
something simply by noticing I kept going up and down the same aisles. I
don't now remember what I was looking for! But she came over and asked,
then she showed me, on the flip-side of the plastic insert in the
"child-seat" they have a chart with what you can find on which aisles. What
a great idea! And I find if I ask the butcher if they have a particular cut
and they don't, he'll offer to order some for me.

As for the checkers, they don't thank me by name. They do ask if need help
carrying something out. No big deal. I usually say no thanks because I'm
grateful I don't yet *need* the help. But some people might and do
appreciate it.

Jill

Goomba38 wrote:
> Bob Terwilliger wrote:
>> dee wrote:
>>
>>> We also ask a lot of "would you like a cup of tea". And "have you
>>> slept well?". Also a classic "How are you?" almost several times
>>> daily.
>>
>> The standard greeting in China translates literally as, "Have you
>> eaten rice?" But whenever I ask some round-eye cashier, I get a
>> puzzled look, and if I ask someone of Asian heritage, it's taken for
>> racism.
>>
> In Bavaria the greeting is Gruss Gott. Translates to "Greet God". I'm
> not sure how atheists feel about that?

Forget the atheists... are the Bavarians trying to warn you you're about to
get hit by a bus and therefore get ready to "greet God"?!

Jill

jmcquown wrote:
> > In Bavaria the greeting is Gruss Gott. Translates to "Greet God". I'm
> > not sure how atheists feel about that?
>
> Forget the atheists... are the Bavarians trying to warn you you're about to
> get hit by a bus and therefore get ready to "greet God"?!
>
> Jill

Why forget the atheists? If you do, you are ignoring most of Europe.
Not to mention China and ...

wrote:
> jmcquown wrote:
>>> In Bavaria the greeting is Gruss Gott. Translates to "Greet God".
>>> I'm not sure how atheists feel about that?
>>
>> Forget the atheists... are the Bavarians trying to warn you you're
>> about to get hit by a bus and therefore get ready to "greet God"?!
>>
>> Jill
>
> Why forget the atheists? If you do, you are ignoring most of Europe.
> Not to mention China and ...

It was a joke about the intent behind the greeting, silly.

Jill

In article .com>,
"dee" > wrote:

> and Keep well
>
> Suddenly I understand completely how annoying it is to be asked such
> rubbish questions. Being asked "aren't you cold?" so many times today,
> I am starting to think I have sinned for feeling warm! Lol...

Pishtosh! I haven't worn a coat outside in several weeks. I walk from
car to Y, car to grocer store, car to restaurant, etc. Mostly people
look (and small children tell their keepers, "Look! She doesn't have a
coat on!" To the occasional person who comments to me I just smile and
say I have hot blood. (I have one or two coats in my car, BTW. I may
be hot blooded but I'm not stupid.)
--
http://www.jamlady.eboard.com, updated 2-11-2006, Sausage Roll Ups

Melba's Jammin' wrote:

> > Suddenly I understand completely how annoying it is to be asked such
> > rubbish questions. Being asked "aren't you cold?" so many times today,
> > I am starting to think I have sinned for feeling warm! Lol...
>
> Pishtosh! I haven't worn a coat outside in several weeks. I walk from
> car to Y, car to grocer store, car to restaurant, etc. Mostly people
> look (and small children tell their keepers, "Look! She doesn't have a
> coat on!" To the occasional person who comments to me I just smile and
> say I have hot blood. (I have one or two coats in my car, BTW. I may
> be hot blooded but I'm not stupid.)

It's been an exceptionally warm winter here too. I have the same basic
pattern. House to car, car to Y, Y to car, car to coffee shop, coffee shop to
car, car to grocery store. I was thinking last week when we had a cold snap
that would have been considered a warm spell in any other winter, that while
I have worn a winter jacket this winter, I have not had to zip it up.

On Tue, 14 Feb 2006 18:32:16 -0600 while whitewashing the broccoli
Melba's Jammin' > tossed a caber
at the lizard while remarking:

>Pishtosh! I haven't worn a coat outside in several weeks. I walk from
>car to Y, car to grocer store, car to restaurant, etc. Mostly people
>look (and small children tell their keepers, "Look! She doesn't have a
>coat on!" To the occasional person who comments to me I just smile and
>say I have hot blood. (I have one or two coats in my car, BTW. I may
>be hot blooded but I'm not stupid.)

I'm the same way, Barb. I have a big parka and a pair of Sorels in my
car but haven't actually used them. Dang hot flashes keep me plenty
warm even if it wasn't an unusually warm winter here.

Cheryl
~~~Well, we're not in the middle of nowhere, but we can see it
from here.~~~ (from "Thelma & Louise")

cathy wrote:
> I suppose this is a pretty minor pet peeve, but it still ticks me off.
>
> I shop at Vons in the Los Angeles area (owned and run by Safeway).
> They have two store policies that I find irritating and hypocritical.
> The first is, the checker always asks you "do you need help out to
> your car", no matter what the size of your order. I've had them ask me
> that when all I bought was a half gallon of milk, or a single bag of
> potato chips.

Since this happens each and every time, you probably could get a sense
of timing and delivery, especially since LA has lots of teachers and
wannabes who could help you out if you don't sense the comment coming.

IOW, why not just interject, thanks, i don't need any help today? just
before they ask you? it would be fun to see if you can get your
delivery just right. makes it a challenge.

On Sun, 12 Feb 2006 11:32:02 -0700, "Janet Bostwick" wrote:

> I'm replying to no one in particular and I'm not going to make myself
> popular either.

FWIW, I'm adding my own "Bravo!" to the others you've received.

> ...These people work really hard for their money. To generalize
> about them that they are all low intelligence and don't understand
> what is going on is shameful.

That's putting it mildly.

> Many of these people had the same hopes and aspirations just a
> little while ago that you do and now all they can look forward to is
> a constant, hope-deadening grind...
>
> Most of them have a hard enough time just getting a 40-hour work
> week from their employer, they are not going to jeopardize the job
> they do have to ignore the manager's orders.

What you said -- every eloquent word. Thank you.
There, but for fortune, go the whiners themselves.

> Say thanks, smile and leave.

I always do, while wishing them the same, and *meaning* it, knowing that they'll
probably be subjected to some of the rude classless remarks articulated in this
thread.

> Janet

Nancy

"Sunrat" > wrote in message
news
> On Sun, 12 Feb 2006 11:32:02 -0700, "Janet Bostwick" wrote:
>
>> I'm replying to no one in particular and I'm not going to make myself
>> popular either.
>
> FWIW, I'm adding my own "Bravo!" to the others you've received.
>
>> ...These people work really hard for their money. To generalize
>> about them that they are all low intelligence and don't understand
>> what is going on is shameful.
>
> That's putting it mildly.
>
>> Many of these people had the same hopes and aspirations just a
>> little while ago that you do and now all they can look forward to is
>> a constant, hope-deadening grind...
>>
>> Most of them have a hard enough time just getting a 40-hour work
>> week from their employer, they are not going to jeopardize the job
>> they do have to ignore the manager's orders.
>
> What you said -- every eloquent word. Thank you.
> There, but for fortune, go the whiners themselves.
>
>> Say thanks, smile and leave.
>
> I always do, while wishing them the same, and *meaning* it, knowing that
> they'll
> probably be subjected to some of the rude classless remarks articulated in
> this
> thread.
>

Indeed! And while some of them are probably not the brightest people in the
world, so what? They are still people, trying to earn a living, and giving
them a hard time for following management orders seems a bit childish.


--
Peter Aitken