Crazed at Wal-Mart

Yesterday I went to Wal-Mart. I made the mistake of getting one of those smaller shopping carts. You may be thinking that was my second mistake - the first being the fact that I went to Wal-Mart. You'd be right. Anyway, I like the smaller carts because you can get around people in the aisles easier - you know the ones - the ones with big butts and big carts and all the time in the world. A few weeks ago when shopping with my mom, she said, "You shop like your dad!" I'm not sure what she meant, but my dad was a man on a mission when he shopped - get in, get out, get it over with. If that is what she meant, I'll take that as a compliment.

Yesterday, I bought several things for Thanksgiving, which added to my usual list. Some things were. bulky and took up lots of room in my little cart.  No matter how many groceries I have, I like to do the self-checkout. It keeps me sane. Since I bring my own bags, I can fill them like I want to fill them, which is full to the rim. I hate those plastic bags where checkers put a few items in them and send you home with ten-jillion bags. I can check myself out, stack my own groceries, and get out much faster and happier than at the regular checkout.

Anyway, there was no one at the self-checkout yesterday, except the helpers - the ones who watch what you do and help you or come to your aid when you buy spray paint or booze.  I managed to get all my groceries stacked neatly in my little cart for the trip out to the car. My dog food bag was balanced on the back of the cart. At the automatic doors, things got bottle-necked with several carts and elderly people slowly moving about. One of those Wal-Mart greeters was standing there also, so I said, "I guess I'll just slow down, since things are not moving very fast." She replied with, "Can I see your receipt?"

What!? They don't usually do that anymore. I have always found it irritating to be treated like I just stole something. I was glad when Wal-Mart quit checking your receipt years ago. I often wish Sam's Club would do the same. It makes me crazed to shop through a huge store with lots of people, check out, and then have someone hold up everyone at the door checking your stuff and causing a long line. Although, I can kind of understand at Sam's Club, because you don't have grocery bags to prove that you went through the check-out.

So I fished my receipt out of my purse and handed it over. The Greeter slowly and carefully went down the list. Then she said, "What is the name of that dog food?" because she could not find it on the list. I told her that I did not know what it was called, but it was the last item on the list. She looked at the list again, checked it off, and handed me back my receipt.

 Did I look like a thief? I saw lots of folks in Wal-Mart that looked more desperate than I did. I wanted to ask her if it had been worth it to make me crazy - crazier than Wal-Mart usually makes me?