Two Guys at a Safeway checkout.

At a self checkout counter, Beep… Beep… Kerbeep, the 60 year old man in a bomber jacket moved one full bag of organic celery and two for the price of one Drisoll Strawberries that were as deep a red as you've ever seen.
"Excuse me but I tink one of your items didn't scan", said the cute but large young black clerk who had a slight jovial Jamaican accent.
You know I hate when stuff like this happens with these checkouts, it makes the consumer look like some kind of thief. All I did was move the bag to make room for another and the screen is telling me *unexpected item in bagging area*. "No no it's not like that", she takes the bag and ties to scan the celery, *item not found* "See, it's not in the computer.
Well that is the same kind of excuse I hear when the computer charges more than what the signs say. You know that can be sort of the opposite of shop lifting, but no one is responsible, it's just a machine glitch.
"No it's not like that here" See, I had to put in the right code, let me scan your whole order up here.
OK but I don't ever want to use these self checkouts again; I'll get a real clerk to… "It's OK I'll do everting right here.
Thank you, mostly I love to complain. "Oh no you don't, there are people who really complain" Beep, Beep.
Really. I like to complain. Yesterday I was at Bed and Bath and was about to buy a reduced item that had a hand written price tag and the clerk acted as if I was trying to steal the pillow with a homemade price tag and was looking for a manager when I said, I will not pay for any item you need to executive decisions for. It makes me feel like I am doing something wrong, as if I am being scrutinized for wrong doing every time I go shopping.
"It's not like that here sir, besides you are not a complainer, There are people who complain like you would not believe" her voice trails off.
Mr. bomber jacket dragged his debit card to pay but had to do it twice. He was using his wife's card since he tried to initialize his card by home phone but bollixed it up when he entered his last 4 digits of his social security number and the robot said, *our system does not recognize this procedure, please contact your own banking agency*.
Beyond the checkout a white haired man in a Members Only jacket stood near the Starbucks stand holding a small reusable nylon bag of groceries.   He looked up and down all the checkouts and saw there was only one clerk here at the self checkout station while all the full service checkout were empty. He said "Where is everybody?"
Mr. Bomber jacket looked up and said, They are conditioning us to use the do it yourself check out.
Mr. white hair chuckled and said "I thought there might be a strike or everyone crossed the border to avoid working like those Wisconsin Senators, heh heh."
Mr. Bomber thanked the clerk quickly and edged his cart toward Mr., White and stopped to say, "I support unions although I have never been a member.
"Well I do too" said Mr. White, "but when these democrat senators run away it not doing their job."
Mr. Bomber: You know that was not a new or silly or cowardly thing to do, Abraham Lincoln did the same thing but he escaped through an upstairs window to deny a quorum vote to something he didn't believe in. And that was when he was still a young man in Springfield Illinois. Media makes it sound as if what the Senators did was something new and unheard of.
Mr. White's eyes opened wide as if he had acquired a worthy adversary or prey and considered what he just heard and then said "Well I don't like paying for teachers unions to jack up salaries I pay for. I have a friend who teaches third grade and makes $100,000.
Mr. Bomber: I won't believe that unless he shows me his W-2.
Mr. White starts to saunters toward the exit. "It's true, he has his Masters degree.
The exit doors automatically open as a cool pre Spring wind gusts into the store entrance.
Mr. Bomber: Oh so it's about those arrogant rich teachers flaunting their Kia or their 10 year old Mercedes.
Mr. White: "I just don't want to pay for their groceries, their homes, their...
Mr. Bomber: I'll tell you what you don't want. You don't want to pay for a nation. You don't want to pay for your own country. The pithy amount of tax you pay compared to all the things you could not possibly do by yourself is staggering. How would you like to shovel all the snow on all the streets you drive?
Mr. White: "I'll tell you what I don't want, I don't want words put in my mouth, I just said I wouldn't mind making $100,000 and have summers off.
Now outside nearing the parking lot Mr. Bomber says; I couldn't possibly put words in your mouth, someone else already did. Everything you have said is verbatim FOX News talking points that are designed to enrich the rich and divide impoverished American workers.
As their path widens Mr. White raises his voice in the parking lot "I just don't want to pay for their gas!
Mr. Bomber: You don't, they are working for it, they are giving their work for something in return…We shouldn't be divided. we all should deputize ourselves to learn the truth. The whole truth from many points of view. Then we are at least all on the same side of truth.
Mr. Bomber couldn't hear what Mr. White said back. Mr. White probably didn't hear what Mr. Bomber just said. But they both thought to themselves "Now that guy was a real complainer".


PS       Mr. B got into his late model Cadillac while Mr. W drove away in his Toyota. They both passed a gas station selling gas for $4 bucks a gallon.