Stop It

The bag of clementines wouldn’t scan.

I tried several times.

So, I was just about to key in the bar code numbers when a store clerk shouts at me from down the aisle, “YOU HAVE TO SCAN IT!”

In a flash she was at my side, huffing mad. I told her it wouldn’t scan. She grabs the bag from me and angrily keys in the numbers, which I could have done myself, and was about to do, thank you very much. She then grabs the rest of the items in my basket, and despite my polite protest that I could do this myself, proceeds to scan my groceries. I reluctantly hand her my produce and I am obviously not fast enough, “Come on, come on.” She’s snapping her fingers at me.

Now, this is a Thursday afternoon. there are perhaps two of us at the self check out. There’s no big line or anything.

After she asks me if I want bags, no thank you, she starts the infamous Mastercard spew.

I said “I don’t want it.”

She growls at me. “But…”

“I said I don’t want it. NO.”

“But you don’t understand..” She persists.

“NO!”

“But you could save…”

“STOP IT!” I yell. “Every time I come into this store a clerk accosts me to buy a Mastercard I don’t want.”

I was having a nice day up to that point.

In all fairness, I know what this is all about.

I worked at a chain bookstore, many years ago, and we had to sell so many of their points cards a week. We had a quota to meet. We got nothing out of it, except raked over the coals every Friday because we didn’t reach our quotas. So, I figure it is the same with Walmart staff. They must sell so many per week.

It is deplorable on all fronts. I hate to be harassed to get cards of any type. And I was equally angry that the clerk insisted on assisting me with my purchases. If I want and need help, I will ask.

Pressuring people to get credit cards is highly unethical to say the least.