Silence is Golden!
By w1z111
@w1z111 (985)
United States
April 12, 2007 8:54am CST
This old adage recently became very real to me. We (my wife and I) were shopping in one of our local home centers, trying hard to concentrate on finding what we came for...looking for the right aisle, not exactly sure if the item would be listed on the signs at the ends of the aisles; more than likely it's included in a larger 'group' of similar items and called by the 'group name'.
All the while, the intercom system is blaring out some music that sounds quite unlike any music we're accustomed to...between squeaky messages for "so and so in hardware, please pick up line 3"...etc., etc.
On top of that, the stock people are trucking and/or stacking and stocking shelves; their warning alarms "beep-beep-beeping" to alert customers (et al) to get out of the way!
Add to that the occasional "crash", or "thwap", or "smack" of somebody in the next aisle dropping a box of something on the floor or onto a rack shelf.
Finally, there's always a crying baby or two around the corner somewhere; not that we dislike babies, but crying isn't one of their better talents, y'know? Besides, we've "done our time".
By the time we're half-way to our destination aisle (once we figure out which aisle we want, and locate it), we're about "frazzled" already by the sense of chaos. Seems the minute we walk into the store we're hammered over the head with noise and confusion! And it only gets worse from there!
On most occasions, once we get back outside and into the car, we both let out a huge "sigh of relief" and comment about how every time it's the same...and we have to ask ourselves "did we get everything we came for?"
Is it just US, or do you experience similar things in these kind of places?
1 person likes this
4 responses
@mrsbrian (1949)
• United States
12 Apr 07
You are not alone. we have the same experiences everytime we shop. Crying babies seem to be what bothers me the most,that and trying to dodge the ones whom are runing free all thru the store. It angers me when im trying to see an item and the stock people come along and block up the whole isle. I dont know why they dont have stocking done after hours. Yes all the beeping,yelling ,music,crying,dodging, makes me very happy to get out.
Here this pasyt year we have taken to doing a lot of our shopping at night we take a nap in the afternoon ,stay up late and go grocery shopping and pick up a few things we need in oeace, the stores have way less people and children at night.
@prestocaro (1251)
• United States
12 Apr 07
I never thought of that angle, but it makes sense. Keeps us confused and so we buy things we don't even need. It's like that short story "Harrison Bergeron" I suppose.
Our stores always have babies in them. I think it's horrible. I mean, your baby should be in bed. Of course it's crying.
@margieanneart (26423)
• United States
14 Apr 07
Wow can I relate to you and your wife. I couldn't have said it better. I'm so happy to get out of there to get back to the ole homestead in the base of the mountains in the desert all alone.
@roshnichaudhary (1160)
• United States
12 Apr 07
This saying proved true to me to tackle with some of my relatives who had unavoidable influence on my life. Whenever they tried to prove that I don't know anything and they are superior I kept silence so they remained very much confused about me what is known to me and what is not. And now as I now maximum of their facts I reply sometime or still keep silence and do whatever I want to do.
@prestocaro (1251)
• United States
12 Apr 07
Oh. You are not alone, my friend. I sometimes just want to scream "SHUTUPSHUTUPSHUTUP!" in the grocery store, or Walmart, or whereever I am. Honestly, I find walmart to be the worst. I was there yesterday it there was"
1. garbled, distorted radio.
2. someone talking over the radio in another language (not spanish,english, or french, very weird since I live in texas).
3. some kind of pallet-mover that emits a beeping noise constantly.
4. keys being made loudly.
5. some kind of domestic dispute in the midst of the paper goods aisle.
6. an entire aisle of singing and dancing toys that had been set off simultaneously by two unattended brothers that looked to be around 7 years old.
7. many screaming babies -- also weird since I was there at around 10 o clock at night.
All of this and I wanted to just light up a ciggie in the produce aisle and curl into a ball. I loathe stores because of this. If I could pay much more and avoid it, I would. However, even the price-y grocers near us (Whole foods, Central Market) have the screaming baby/garbled music issue. Not to mention snide looks at my non-organic-yet-still-expensive cheese.
