brokenclay.org/journal

Being Patronised

I went to a home improvement place yesterday to buy faucets and a sink, and to look at tile. Elderly Guy was working the tile department, and asked if he could help me. I asked about samples, and he muttered something about lending out sample boards, then looked down at me gravely and said, sadly, “But you can’t carry a sample board, with your wheelchair.”

I responded that maybe I could, or maybe the store had someone who could carry it to my car for me (what a concept!). I wandered through the tile department, didn’t see anything that I really wanted samples for, so I crossed the aisle to faucets.

I picked out my faucets, but the register was being used, so Faucet Lady walked back across the aisle to tile to ring them up there, which put me back in contact with Elderly Guy. She’s ringing up, he’s looking over my small stack of faucets (1 sink, 2 shower/tub), and asks if he can get me a shopping cart. Then he stops. “But you can’t use a shopping cart, can you?” At this point I want to whack him over the head with a tile sample board, or maybe a heavy faucet box. But I’m civilised, so I just say, “I can carry them on my lap, thanks.” I resist the urge to holler, “I can too use a shopping cart, so there!”

I don’t think I’m going to buy any tile there.

Katja

4 Comments

  1. Becca

    What an ass! His offer of “help” was so very passive-aggressive. I think you handled it much more politely than I think I would have. (P.S. I’m hoping it wasn’t Lowe’s, because I much prefer that store to Home Depot…)

    Reply
  2. Katja

    Home Depot’s always treated me well. It was The Great Indoors.

    Reply
  3. mdmhvonpa

    I almost feel bad about your situation. Funny thing, when I am at the Home Depot Temple, people come up to ME and ask for help. I guess it looks like I’m in my natural environment there. Of course, it happens at BJs too, but that is another story.

    Reply
  4. Patricia Tryon

    Thank you for naming names. I already had a long list of reasons for no longer shopping at The Great Indoors, but yours is the “best”, yet.

    Reply

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