The Snackin' Wagon

So...we're at Costco again...seems we tend to do a lot of our shopping there these days. You can't beat stocking up on things that you know that you will be using at those prices. The only issue is that you have to buy so damn much of it. We've been pretty good about making sure that nothing spoils though, so I guess the lines and crowds are worth it.

But there are a few SERIOUS drawbacks to shopping at that place. First, the carts are so damn big, and the isles are designed (on purposed I'm sure) so that only two carts can go down them side by side at a time, and that's if they're pulled all the way over to the sides. Next, Costco is a window shoppers paradise these days. Back when it first started out, they only allowed people to join that actually owned a business. You had to provide your business ID information to get your card in the first place. And Costco catered to businesses...they didn't stock nowhere near the amount of crap that they have now. Now, any Tom, Dick, Harry or Hairy Dick can get a membership. And Costco stocks so much crap that its not even funny. People stop and stare and mosey and take their sweet assed time strolling through the isles with not a care in the world. Don't they have somewhere else to be? Something better to do? Can't they understand that not everyone has all bloody day to spend going at a snails pace up and down every damn isle in the store? And if they're not going to speed up, can't they learn to park they're damn carts so that other people can get past them? I mean damn...do you really have to take up the entire damn isle? And then there are the people that see someone stopped, window shopping, and they pull there cart right up alongside the other person's and start window shopping as well. Now there is NO possible way to get by. Then, just when you decide that whatever is on the other side of those damn carts cannot possibly be worth looking at, and you turn around to go the other way, you find that a brand new pair of dimwits have blocked your only escape route.

All of this is frustrating in its own right - but nothing can compare to the absolute utter rapture that is "The Snackin' Wagon". Costco Marketing, in all of its infinte and unfathomable wisdom, has decided to turn every damn isle in the food sections of the store into a sample-mania of each and every sort of crap that they sell at the store. From boneless leg of lamb, to microwaveable mini quiches, to Kirkland brand coffee, to your favorite sort of smoked salmon mush, each and every isle is bracketed by flea market sales people that hawk their wares with the joy of a street corner whore that has been on her feet for the last three days straight.

The worst part of this, is the sheeple that line up and block the "Costco Highways" and "Costco Avenues" with their aforementioned giant carts and wait for the slack-jawed, glassy eyed, flea market vendors to whip up a fresh batch of cat barf to shovel down their throats in miniscule bite size morsels. It can take anywhere from 5 to 10 minutes for the gaggle of snack whoring shoppers to clear a damn path, and God forbid if they happen to be serving cream puffs. You can be guaranteed to stand there for an absolute eternity while everybody waits for seconds, thirds, fourths, however many tiny mouthfulls that they can shovel in before the manager walks by and tells the vendor that its only supposed to be one per customer.

Now - don't get me wrong. I completely understand the marketing sense behind this. If you can push your product, and people buy more of it, then you are doing the right thing. However, the whole "slow people down on purpose to try and force them to buy products that they don't actually need" philosophy really blows like you read about. Costco should take these damn stands and section off a portion of the store just for them. That way, if you want to go to the snackin' wagon, you can - but if you want to avoid it entirely, you can go about your merry way and then all you have to deal with is the damn window shoppers.

All I have to say at this point is BAH - HUMBUG!

Is this thing on?

So, you have something that you are willing to do for a group of people. And you offer your help, assistance, ideas, aid, muscle power, experience, materials, money, whatever it may be. And they completely ignore you. What is the problem here?

Is it that you are not a "good person" and they want nothing to do with you? No - that can't be the case because they "use" you to a certain extent. Ok - so, is it that you are acutally "unqualified" to help the group in whatever way that you are offering, and they are ignoring you because they don't want to be mean and tell you to your face that you suck? No - that can't be it either, because in many instances you are more qualified than they are to do whatever it is that you are offering to help with. Do they really hate you and just use you because they can? That might be it, but you'll have a hard time finding out for sure because on the surface they are ever so polite.

Maybe, just maybe, it is because they are so full of themselves that they can't stand the thought of someone else taking the spotlight in the group - they shiver at the very idea that somebody might be better, more qualified, more respected, or even - God forbid - supplant them in the organization/group/whatever.

People that can't see the forest for the trees are numerous these days, as are those that are so arrogant as to assume that no one can help them, because they are either just too good or know everything. However, today is the generation of the "Me" people. Its all about ME and what I want. To hell with you - what you want, what you think, how you feel, what you know, how you can help, what you have to offer, your experience, skills, personality, EVERYTHING - to hell with you. It truly is all about ME.

Well, for all of you ME people out there, here's a thought from the rest of "us" - when you're standing/sitting/lying there, begging for help - at the end of your rope - try and remember that we offered to help before, but we weren't good enough for you then, and now, well, we're still not good enough to help you. You made that perfectly clear the first time around.