It must be stupidity because it is not convenient anymore!

   

 I have been shopping at the same Fry’s for basically 30 years…that’s when we moved into this neighborhood when I was a kid.  Most of you know that I’ve been disabled for a little over 2 years now and depend on a wheelchair because I can’t walk long distances.  Well I can’t physically walk through the grocery store so I have to use one of those electric scooter things.  It was humiliating at first especially when I would run into people I knew.  After 2 years it really doesn’t bother me anymore.  I still get the rude stares and the occasional rude comments but I just smile at those passing judgment on me and go on my way.

      In the past year though EVERYTIME I go to Fry’s ALL of the scooters are not working or I get half way through the store in the only working one and it dies on me.  It’s embarrassing for Kenny or one of my girls to push the dead scooter and me up to the check out.  It’s also frustrating that no one ever asks if I need help out when I’m alone.  I complain but no one seems to care.  I have been told that their scooters are maintained often and are all in good working order…really that’s not what I have observed or dealt with.  Having the hand baskets over the top of every scooter doesn’t look like good working order to me and they have five or more scooters.    Yet I still go back at least 4 times a week, usually more.

      Those who know where I live also know that I have two other grocery stores on the corner Safeway and a Wal-Mart Neighborhood Market.  I have been trying to figure out why I just don’t give in and start shopping at one of those stores.   I mean come on Lysa, Wal-Mart does ad matching and every time you’ve been in their store you haven’t had a single problem with their scooters.  Safeway is a nice store as well; although I don’t know what their scooter situation is like because it’s been forever since I was in there. 

      I had a surgical procedure done the other day and had to run to the store and of course there weren’t ANY working scooters in the store and outside there weren’t any handicap spaces available.  I had to call Kenny and ask him to bring my wheelchair in after he parked a half mile away.  I looked at him and said let’s just go to Safeway but as soon as I said it one of the young baggers came in with a working scooter saving them from finally losing me as a customer.

      This situation left me seriously pondering why in the world do I go back there?  Is it because I know where everything is?  Is it because I know all of the employees really well?  Is it out of loyalty since I’ve been shopping there for 30 years on and off?  I don’t like change…never have so that was thought number one.  Then I started thinking about my other options…I can never find anything in Wal-Mart and Safeway tends to be a bit pricey unless they happen to have a really good sale; which in my opinion is once a month.  So I have decided to get better acquainted with Wal-Mart in the end it makes the most sense because they have great scooters and they ad match everything so I’d be saving money and losing my frustration at the same time…now how do I tell Kenny and the kids that Fry’s is no longer an option?

©2014 Lysa Wilds