Navigating the high street


A shopping trolley abandoned in the middle of the aisle in some super market is a common sight and we all have learnt to navigate our own cart around such obstacles. Abandoning one's shopping cart in the middle maybe still acceptable with a little bit of inconvenience to fellow shoppers but to find a pram with a child nicely parked in the middle of an aisle makes me nervous.
Certainly there is something mostly in the female genes (no offence intended) and in some males too, that causes the brain to freeze the very moment the eye spots an interesting package on the display shelve. All other logic stop working if there happens to be some red tag declaring a “Sale” or a yellow tape wrapped package stating "special offer" or “buy 1 & get 1 free” or maybe a yellow sticker with "free" written in red ink attached to any product on display. The world around does not exist anymore as the brain starts working on complex calculations towards establishing how much profit this offer is going to make to the weekly budget. The shopping cart is abandoned then and there with no consideration for fellow shoppers.
I had been all along trying to get some traffic sense into shopping cart driving of my better half and finally took charge of the steering bar. While she does the shopping I and our daughter who has recently graduated from her pram to the shopping cart take care of the maneuvering. Now I have come to realize that there is much more grief than to worry about an abandoned cart. One has to steer through groups of people socializing with no concerns for fellow shoppers. The good thing is that sometimes they move and give way when you give out an irate grunt (excuse me please)! The other menace are the learners as the proud parents lend the control of the cart to their 5 year olds who is already sporting a pair of skates (the normal shoes fitted with the wheels) which does not make things any better. They come and hit you from behind (believe me it hurts!) and you are not supposed to even yell at someone else's kids.
Now a days we are able to beat the traffic, both inside and outside the supermarket, as we do our weekly shopping during the middle of the working week. It is peace and tranquility for now till others decides to do the same.

Comments

  1. Very true, I have also experienced this behavior of fellow shoppers. I liked the way you have said "that causes the brain to freeze". There is no cure for this and one has to live with it.

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  2. Ah, what a great post! I hate crowded supermarkets with inconsiderate shoppers! I actually dislike grocery shopping, most likely as I am a bad cook and buying groceries (aka food) seems like a necessity and not a pleasure at all. However, eating a meal is a different story all together, I LOVE food.;)
    Anyway, I envy you that you can shop in the middle of the week, I wish I could.;)

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  3. Your honour, I plead guilty to charges of getting my brain befuddled when I see a SALE sign. Although, in my defence, I will declare that I try and keep the shopping trolley to one side of the aisle so as not to block fellow-shoppers. It is a case of DO UNTO OTHERS AS YOU WOULD HAVE THEM DO UNTO YOU.

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  4. You knw,Suman its no less chaotic here.So what we do is we normally go for shoppings on friday mornings when there is in your words 'peace and tranquility' all around!
    But,a pram in the middle of the aisle,with a child in it,neglected???Really???

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  5. Rajesh,
    I guess marketing is all aout impulsive buying ..
    Protege,
    I guess it is same all over the world.
    We have started to do this recently.. Kind of after dinner activity.

    Sucharita,
    The credit goes to marketing executives for being able to get your attention. That's the reason the executives are kept happy by their bosses.
    Deeps,
    Friday morning is a great idea. But these days it takes a while before the daughter is reay to go out.
    No the child is not neglected.. the mother is close by with all eyes on the shelf.

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