New Jerseyans at Costco

On Monday afternoon, I headed to Costco at 3 pm.  I was pleased that I had avoided the weekend crowds and I naively assumed that the day’s Costco run would be easy-peasy.

Ha.

It would seem that at my local Costco, Monday is senior citizen day.  It was a feisty and argumentative crowd the filled the store on Monday.  I am a youthful 51 and, I note, well-behaved in public places.   But that was not the theme of the day.  I noted the following:

1.  The Costco parking lot often achieves maximum cart crimes, with people abandoning their empty cart in the lot rather than walking it over to the cart rack.  But Monday brought something new.  I watched an older couple park their car, get out, and promptly move nearby abandoned carts into the empty space next to their car, so that no one could park next to them.  

2.  Once inside, there was the usual array of snacks available and I watched a woman attempt to sneak herself a pair of plastic gloves from one of the food displays.  When the Costco employee objected, the lady aggressively explained that she wanted a napkin.  Costco employee was having none of that and voices were raised.  I wheeled away.

3.  I made my way toward the back of the warehouse for a visit to the cheese aisle, only to be struck by a number of folks milling around the roasted chicken section.  New chickens were coming off the roaster and in typical Jersey style, folks were jostling with their carts to get toward the front of the line.  Then they were taking two chickens; one woman even sought three.  Those who found themselves at the back of the roasted chicken line commenced loud complaining, demanding a two-chicken limit.  With no plans to secure a roasted chicken and concerned about the tenor of the chicken patrons, I headed to the refrigerator to bulk-buy ultra-pasteurized half and half for my coffee.

4.  The checkout lines were busy because….Costco.  But I chose one, only to discover there was a hold up.  While the clerk waited for the manager, the people ahead of me in line began to defect.  But instead of going to the end of another line, I watched a woman with a full cart shove her way into the next line over.  The folks in line and I watched, incredulous, as she cut the line from the side.  When the clerk asked who was next, she claimed her stolen spot while the rest of us silently observed.  Only when she began to actually unpack her cart did the judgement and complaining ensue.  But the line-cutter was stoic, raising her chin defiantly and refusing to yield.  The people now behind her in line muttered under the breath and cast her character into doubt for the whole of her transaction.  She didn't give a damn.

When I finished, I left the store, emptied my cart into my car, returned it to the cart rack (!), and carefully eased my way out of the parking lot and into the traffic for my drive home.  It was not our finest community display, that’s for damned sure.