There seemed to be a theme in today's jaunt that could be interpreted in a couple of ways.
First stop, Salvation Army. This is the one where I scored all those LaserDiscs a couple weeks back when I took my workfriends thrifting. Lo and behold, the final batch of discs was still there in a showcase. "Still got those LaserDiscs, huh?" I asked the manager. Remembering that someone bought most of them (but having to be reminded, gently, of course, that it was me), he sold me the lot of 8 for $1 each. Then told me: "I think I've got a Fantasia at home that I'll bring in for you next time you're here." Bonus! New favorite thrift store. (I should also take pics of the price tags I've been seeing on the furniture lately - great stuff.)
Then lunch at Roy Rogers. If you don't have one near you anymore, go to an area that does. $7 gets you 3 pieces of fried chicken you won't soon forget. Excellent bang-for-the-buck ratio.
After lunch, the meaning of "more than I bargained for" changed...kinda dramatically. Right near the other Sally was something I'd only heard about on the news. A couple of women in a minivan were involved in a knock-down, drag-out fight, complete with all the punching, kicking and hair-pulling you'd expect from the worst reality shows. Oh and did I mention, the van was apparently still in gear during all this? I saw the brake lights on from my rearview. Cops were shortly there to break it all up.
Then in line at the Sally, it looked like there'd almost have to be another police call. A woman struck up an argument with the cashier. Seems the woman, who claimed to be a customer of the store for 10 years, had always taken the tags off the clothes right at the checkout line so she could wear them out of the store. Cashier said that wouldn't fly - "new" rule. Customer said the new rule wouldn't fly with her. She'd have to change clothes right out there on Main Street? Uh-uh. So Cashier calmly summons the manager from the back of the store to referee this fight. In the mean time, Customer complains loud and clear to us that she's now been shopping there for 12 years, not 10, and she's never had this problem. Manager comes out and says, "Yep tags stay on. That's our story and we're sticking to it." To which Customer replies, "You're the new manager here? You won't be here long, they go through 'em fast." So Customer gets her stuff and exchanges sickly-sweet sarcastic "Have a beautiful day"s with Manager. Cashier and Manager tell me they smelled booze on Customer, who won't be welcome back any time soon. Good riddance, I say. I hope they take my half-joking suggestion of snapping her picture next time she does try to shop there and put that picture up by the counter warning cashiers about her...kinda like they do with the names of check-bouncers.
Having seen this all right from the checkout line, I side with the store 100%. Wouldn't it be just plain common sense to leave the tags on until you get to the car and then change there? Or better yet, why wouldn't you wash those clothes before you wear them? Seriously.
If I want entertainment, I'll go back to the other Salvation and listen to the manager there sing. This was just too much.
