Monday, September 12, 2005

Rant - Nothing to Do With Cycling!

Okay, this entry has absolutely nothing to do with cycling. I’m compelled to break my silence in this blog because I am extremely PISSED OFF, so excuse me while I rant. Maybe some of you share my angst. This fury has been building up over months, years even!!

Whose brilliant f’n idea was it to turn simple errand running into some sort of bizarre club hopping where everyone gets ripped off except for those spineless souls willing to litter their wallets and keychains with little plastic access cards?? Little plastic RIP OFF PREVENTION CARDS. Those cards are a complete pain in the ass. Don’t you hate standing there searching through your wallet with a line of people waiting behind you looking for the right colored card to prevent being ripped off? I threw the damn things out long ago. If everyone can have one, why require them? Oh, that’s right, I remember – because they track your purchases!

One instance of buildup to the fury:

During the summer, I went into a new Bob’s store holding a grand opening sale, hoping to find a swimsuit on sale. I was immediately bombarded by overly friendly sales clerks pushing their version of the rip off prevention card. They told me the sales prices were only good for Bob’s Club cardholders. I immediately walked OUT. All I want is a store where I can approach the counter with needed goods and know I’ll be charged good prices. Whose damn marketing ploy is this?? It’s not encouraging consumer loyalty with me, it’s making me MAD! Don’t you all feel like you’re being preyed on?

The event that spawned this fury tonight:

I walked over to CVS to pick up a prescription. I also needed a toothbrush. After flirting with the 99-cent generic, I decided to go with my favorite standby and grabbed the Oral-B that was more expensive, but also on sale. I stood in line at the pharmacy pick-up, and when it was finally my turn, awaited the dreaded question with which I seem eternally confronted. “Do you have a [CVS] card?” {Sigh.} I said I lost it long ago. (This is true, except for the missing part about losing it intentionally.) Unbelievably, the pharmacy clerk persisted, telling me that I needed it because the toothbrush was on sale only for those with the CVS card. Feeling discriminated against, like my equal rights were being assaulted, I asked, “You’re not giving it to me for the sale price because I don’t carry your little plastic card anymore??” As the tension rose, some nice, smiling and sympathetic man interjected from behind me and offered the use of his special rip off prevention card, but again unbelievably, the cashier man informed both of us that it would not work with my transaction! “Do you still want the toothbrush?” the cashier asked. “Absolutely not!” I replied, and “I will have to find a new pharmacy!”

Well, I’m sick of the damn rip off Gestapo cards! Tonight was the last straw! And I’m going to do something about it! I’m going to…. going to….

{sigh}

Open a good bottle of wine!

Sorry if this offends anyone who fills their wallet with these rip off cards and doesn’t mind corporations tracking your purchases. I suppose resistance is futile.

Ok, I’m calming down.

Damn I like wine.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

Howdy, great blog, fun and informational.

I have a kid games site/blog.
It covers kid games related stuff.

Come and see it when you get time.

Rebecca said...

Can I rant about spam comments!!? I hope I fixed this problem.

Anonymous said...

I totally agree. One night I was shopping at shaws in Stow. I had about 120.00 on the check out table and the check out person (poor soul) ask me for my card. I said "I did not have one" and then demand they uses the card they had behind the desk". she said "no" so I left the store and the grocey are still on the counter. My parting words were "I will never shop here again.
Clayton