Not Exactly the Smartest Toaster on the Shelf

[Thrift Shop Romantic]

Oh my-- today I witnessed customer behavior at the Salvation Army that made my heart go out to the cashier.

I was perusing the housewares and toys when suddenly I start to smell... HEAT. Electric heat. Fried heat. Like a light socket that's gone bad... wiring that's fritzed.

This wafts to the cashier and I at about the same time and we exchange glances. I peer down the aisle. The cashier says, "I smell something on fire." And the customer, a middle-aged woman shrugs a shoulder. "I tried out that toaster. It didn't work. I think it shorted out."

"Where is the toaster?" the cashier asked.

"Oh, I put it back. It's over there on the shelf with the other ones."

Um.... WHAT?! It's on fire. So you put it back on the shelf with the other ones??? You didn't, oh, MENTION it to anyone? To prevent the place from burning down? Or the next person from getting a bad shock?

The cashier and I were both horrified. And the customer?

Just went about shopping like nothing had happened, completely unconcerned.

The Force of Common Sense was not strong with that one.

Yipes.

[Good Buddy]

The Force of Common Sense was not strong with that one.

People could have gotten seriously injured or died.
I thought all thrifts tested their appliances.

Wrong I am.

[Firekinghunt]

sad to say they don't have time to test anything, nor clean it. The thrifts around here get so many donations (good thing for them and me!) that I could never imagine (or expect) them to test or clean stuff. I know from just talking to workers that they do "screen" stuff and throw away anything severly soiled or broken.

I thrift pretty much everyday and I have seen many HORRORS let me tell you! I always see people break glass and just leave jagged shards on the shelf for someone to cut themselves. I myself have had my hands cut up going through stuff because it was just heaped and they left broken glass for the next person.

In fact just this Tuesday I was at my salvation army and this guy was standing in front of the cutlery just cracking the ends off of wooden spoons. I wish I was joking. He would stand there and just bend it on the shelf until it snapped. I stopped and gave him a look like "what the hell are you doing?!" and he stopped and walked away. Just a middle aged ordinary man. WEIRDO! Thrift stores are not full of people with common sense or even normal!

[mccoysnina]

WEIRDO! Thrift stores are not full of people with common sense or even normal!

Not just thrifts.  My DH had a late aunt that would go into book stores and pull  the plastic covers off new Bibles and look thru them all. Every Bible in every store.  Maybe to find out if there was a new ending?  I don't know.  Got to where she was not welcome in any local book store.  So she would go visit relatives in other cities and do the same thing.
Jeannie

[Thrift Shop Romantic]

Some interesting tales there, folks...

I imagine SpoonGuy is notorious in his area... (shakes head)

I do believe they screen their merchandise most places around here, but honestly-- appliances could fritz at any time. And I didn't see what the woman was doing with it, either. For all I know, she could have been putting parts of wooden spoons in it, and testing it out on them.

[Mattie]

And then there are the folks who poop in dressing rooms...

[valleythriftshopper]

Gross!  Never heard of that before!

[foutchie]

really??  truly???  never ever ran across that - why would anyone do that?!

[nancydr2]

I'm certain the local Goodwills do not screen electronics before they put them out, however, you can return them for a store credit if they don't work.  Once, I returned a toaster that did not work.  I made a point of telling the manager that it did not work.  The next week, I saw that same toaster on the shelf.  They just put it right back out with no notation that it didn't work and no change in price.  I thought that was pretty crummy of them (pun intended).

[Mattie]

When St. Vincent De Paul was located on Fulton Ave, they were in a building that had no public restrooms.  Many times, I'd go there and find the dressing rooms "out of order".  Occasionally the exasperated employees would post signs on the  doors saying "THIS IS NOT A BATHROOM." 

[SplashsMom]

Love the title of this post - great attention grabber

I know here also Goodwill does not tst appliances or anything electrical. And they do not reduce price on things obviously broken or missing parts. Their philosphy is if you don't like it don't buy it. But they do have a 5 day return policy if you leave the price on it.
ST Vinnies does test everything but also has a return policy.
Sal Army is hit and miss, but they try.
Does not look like any of them are too concerned with cleaning things tho, it is getting worse.

I did mention to Goodwill some broken glass and some spilled game pieces, etc and the cashier said, just push it under the counter so no one falls or gets cuts.  They have been told not to pick anything up because they could get hurt.
So who does it???  Is there a high risk night shift?

[elvisgurly]

Ugh, I cannot believe people would use a dressing room as a toilet!  That's utterly disgusting!  I could understand if a child accidentally went to the bathroom in the dressing room, but more than likely adults were the dressing-room-toilet culprits.

[sneezy1974]

We had a serial dressing room pooper for about a month. We never caught them. I seemed to die off when I posted signs in the dressing rooms "We DO have a restroom located near the front counter." We were all horrified. Then there are some who make it to the bathroom, but not the toilet...