...Think, Think, Think...

Friday Night Shopping

Dear Waitrose,

I thought I'd write you a little note just to let you know that I do, in fact, adore shopping with you.  Of all the supermarkets you are my favourite for many reasons, the primary of which is the fact that as you slightly overprice your products the calibre of person in store is usually much better. 

Call me a snob if you will, but if I have been at work all day and want to get something nice for my dinner, I do not want to contend with screaming toddlers and their oblivious parents.  I want to wander, quietly browsing until I find something yummy.  I then would like to pay without much of a wait and make my way home.

This evening, all was well until I got to the checkout.  Here's what I bought:

• Computer Active Magazine x 1
• Look magazine x 1
• Ciabatta Rolls x 1 pack of 4
• Deli Style Charlotte Potato Salad x1
• Coleslaw x 1
• Birds Eye Simply Salmon in Lemon/Herb butter x1
• Nestle Mint Aero x 1
• Jacques Fruit Cider x1

The young lady serving me and my father (who is well over 60, I should add) was under 18 and so had to ask a grown up if she could serve me the cider.

So we waited.  She pushed her little buzzer and waited for the lady in the barbour-style green jacket (seemingly this indicates some sort of seniority) to come over.  We waited a bit more.  And a bit more.  Probably only three or four minutes in total, but that is too long really.

Eventually, barbour-jacket comes over, types a little code into the till and looks me up and down.

Now, I will admit, I do try to take good care of my face.  The rest of my body, not so much.  I don't like the gym but do very much like alcohol/cheeseburgers/vast quantities of pasta/chocolate etc.

The policy in the majority of shops is that if you look under 21, they will ask you for ID.

Barbour-jacket's eyesight is so bad that the face below apparently looks under 21:

 

Note the lack of makeup, the bags under eyes, the smile lines (aquired mostly through years cynical/derisive laughter).  This is the face of someone who works in an office and at the moment doesn't enjoy it much.  This is not the face of an underage drinker looking to get wrecked.

I ask you, Waitrose, do you think that underage drinkers go to your stores with their dad on a friday night and buy ciabatta and salmon to go with their posh fruit cider?  Really Waitrose?  Really?  We're hardly talking fish and chips and abottle of white lightning are we?

Many people may find it flattering.  For me, it does just seem ridiculous.  I may be a little hard on myself but I am quite sure that I do not look under 21.  At the moment I'm amazed that I pass for under 41.

I do understand that you have laws and rules to follow, however I can't help but think you may be better off having the people enforcing those rules able to read without the use of brail and navigate their way around the store without the assistance of a guide dog or a white stick. 

Otherwise, thank you for a lovely shopping experience.

Best Regards

Beth

Politics

I'm not usually much of a one for politics.  I have a theory that all politicians are on the same side, like a wrestling tag team if you will.  They go as long in the ring as they can (battling the issues) and then tag out to what they'd like to have us think is the opposition.  I don't think there is such thing as true democracy in the political arena, its theatrical democracy.  I realise, lots of people will disagree with me and thats totally fine, this is just my angle on it all.

My beliefs aside, there are some things I do like.  I like when an ingenious blogger makes a very funny comment but completely untrue about a political candidate on his blog and it gets picked up by the US Media.  Not much of a post for the Brits, but for anyone who has read comments about Sarah Palin thinking Dinosaurs are Lizards of Satan, I urge you to go to the blog of the man you have to thank for that comedic gem:

http://unbearablebobness.typepad.com/ 

I also got a random email in my blog inbox to ask me to mention a political documentary and as I know that some of who you are so very kind as to read my blog have an interest in this stuff, I'm mentioning it.

Its called Split: A Divided America and the little bumpf at the bottom of the email says:

"Shocking and informative, SPLIT: A DIVIDED AMERICA takes a behind the scenes look at the partisanship dominating our politics."

In the film, they're speaking to real people across the country and getting their take on the whole business.  Anyway, go here, read stuff about it, watch the trailer, by the DVD:

http://www.bside.com/films/splitadividedamerica

My completely self-centred and whiney posting will resume in the next few days.