Yes, this post is less than timely, but I still want to post it. You see, B has this new thing where he shops on Black Friday. I avoid even thinking about shopping on that day or the day after. B, however, thinks he has become a master because he does a "shop online, pick up in store" maneuver. This worked out quite well for him last year when he bought our 42" flat screen TV and then picked it up in the store about a half hour later with virtually no wait.
This year he decided we needed another smaller flat screen for the living room (the bigger one is in the den/game room). Who am I to argue with this logic? So he orders from the same place, again to be picked up, but this time at a location closer to us. This year was not like last year. First, I went with him to pick it up although I did not know that at the time. It was like a surprise party that you didn't really want, but was forced to attend anyway.
We were on our way to help his sister move when he said we were going to make a "quick stop" to pick up the TV. I told him that was NOT a good idea. It was just before 11 and mad Black Friday shoppers were still out in force. He dismissed my concerns. After zipping into the parking lot, he parked, told me I could wait in the car, declared he would be "right back" and ran off. For the next FORTY MINUTES I sat in that freezing car watching the shoppers go in and come out (usually without purchases interestingly enough), and wondered if we would ever get to help his sister move.
B finally called and told me to pull the car around as close to the door as possible. It was obvious he had not been outside in some time as there was no way to just stop the car in front of the store with the steady and quite crazed stream of traffic in and out of the parking lot. However, I made a valiant effort and managed to squeeze into a spot right outside the front door. Although I would like to attribute this to my majorly awesome driving skills, the fact is the place was starting to clear out. Either all of the specials were had or the shoppers needed lunch.
Parked, I see no sign of B. Try calling and get no answer. So I go inside and find him in the craziest longest line for "web pickup" ever. Seriously. There was NO ONE waiting to check out at the regular cashier but about 20-30 people in this line and the return line. Apparently some people had already purchased, took home, and were now returning their items from that morning. Then there was the lady there to get a price difference. Not sure they honor those on Black Friday, but whatever. I was relieved to see B at the front of the line.
As I walk up, his transaction is complete and they tell us they will pull the item so we should step off to the side. B is disgusted and tells me there are only two people running for items and that "tall skinny guy better get his ass back here." Oh, you mean the guy I just saw leave the store? B was getting redder and angrier. I was kind of wishing I was back in the cold car. In fact, I took that opportunity to go clean out the back of my car for the TV as I was not expecting to pick one up when we left. When I return, B is in the same place ready to explode.
So, he walks up to the first woman he sees who I believe to be a manager, based on her outfit, and asks her quite angrily if someone is going to help him. I do not know what B said exactly as I could not really hear, but I certainly heard and saw what came next:
The lady put her hand in front of her face, flat palmed, moved it in a circular motion over her face as if clearing it, pointed to herself and said to B:
"Are you talking to ME?"
I thought B's head was going to explode. I heard him yell something like "I'm talking to whomever will help me out" (with a lot of cursing involved as well), saw the guy next to B raise his eyebrows and turn away like he didn't want to be involved, and I just put my head into my hand. I thought two things:
1. How are we going to get out of here with our TV in one piece without either this lady getting killed or B getting killed; and
2. How on earth did that lady think it was okay to say to a customer "Are you talking to ME?" like she was in an Al Pacino movie (or whatever guy movie that was from - guy bloggers - help?).
Amazingly enough, after that crazy reaction, the woman jumped into gear and TWENTY MINUTES later we were finally out of the store with the TV. There was a problem "releasing" us so we went from cash register to cash register which also provided me with some amusement as at the first register, a guy came up to purchase stuff, saw how involved we were and went to the next register. However, because of our problems we had to go to the next register, just in time to cut him off again before he could get his purchases rang up. He, unlike B, did not yell. Because of that, he still may be at the store waiting for his purchases to be rung up. Who knows.
B is of the opinion that nothing gets done unless you yell. I do not believe that to be true but he keeps proving it to me time and time again. I did insist that he apologize to the woman and he did - twice. In her defense, she did also apologize to us at the end. For our wait. Not for her crazy mime demonstration and ridiculous comment, however. Nope, I guess that was perfectly acceptable.
There you have it. And here's the breakdown:
New TV $some hundreds of dollars
Blood Pressure medicine for B $10
Witnessing a manager of a store say "Are you talking to ME" while moving her hand over her face?
Priceless.
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