Not QUITE kindred spirits

Yesterday Johanna had a 5:30 ball game. I did the math and realized dinner would be at 7:30. Fun fact: I get cranky when I'm hungry. Short story long, I decided to grab a snack at the grocery store beforehand.

Get my bagel in a paper bag, get a cheese stick in plastic wrap (whoops), grab an organic tea in a glass bottle (turns out I really do hate tea, even cold), head to the check out.

Because it's like 5:25, everyone and their brother is at the store, and the lines? Are long. I see one with only one guy, and I'm all like, score!, and plop my purchases down.

The first thing I notice: His reusable containers. He has quart jars and lids just like mine! He also has a couple of wicked looking glass bottles. Yay!

The next thing I notice: This guy has written NONE of the tare weights or bulk codes on his jars. The cashier was getting more and more flustered the longer this went on, because he had to repeat every code half a dozen times and then argued every tare weight AFTER she rang it up. She finally called the manager over and they got it all sorted out, but by that time I'd been in line ten minutes and no joke, my cheese stick had totally wilted. Boo!

The third thing I notice: He just bought 5 quarts of dried currants. Well, that's something you don't see every day.

Anyway, so he pays and he leaves, and the cashier is like, he told me I was going to die, and I was like, WHAT? because I totally missed that part, and she was all, oh, this was a while ago, he was having a bad day and he's kind of special, and he told me I was going to die, so every time he comes in my line now I cringe. And I was all, well, I say you're going to live and you were very patient, and she was like, have a nice day!

It probably helped our transaction lasted roughly 30 seconds.

Here's what could have helped that guy--and all of us--have a way less stressful ordeal:

1. Have the tare clearly marked on the jar
2. Have the bulk code clearly marked on the jar
3. Don't be a jerk when you have to repeat yourself because you didn't do these things

Huh, short list. I know that some people don't like marking up their lids because it makes them look ugly, but seriously, get over it. IT'S A JAR LID. If a store is willing to let us bring in our own jars, the least we can do is make it as easy as possible on their end. If permanence stresses you out, bring a crayon. That sucker will rub off.

I like permanent marker on my lids, actually, because I tend to buy the same ol' junk time after time anyway. Makes it easy.

P.S. It's probably pointless to rant at currant dude, since he'll never see this anyway, but wow, I feel better. Blogging is weird.

To sum it all up, use your jars and be polite. Also, maybe don't tell the cashier to die.