| Sam, I finally visited the Stop & Shop last night. Frankly I have
to give it a thumbs down.
Now, Sam, you and I have met. We both know how tall we are (not).
First, I visited their truly marvelous salad bar. What delicious
things they have! However, you gotta be gorilla armed to reach
the core vegetables. Things like cherry tomatoes, peppers, broccoli,
cauliflower, alfafa sprouts, etc were in the center and elevated.
My 17 inch arms couldn't quite reach them. As a result, in my attempt
to extend my reach I dipped my elbow in chocolate mousse, spilled
the cauliflower dish, and a certain other part of my blouse got
wet from the ice. We don't know each other well enough to say exactly
which part of my blouse. Then I hit my head on the top of the
decorative hood. It was downright embarrassing.
Surviving this ordeal, I then went over to the fruit. Really nice
nectarines had little stickies describing their code. (When I got this
home it was a pain to wash it off). Then I also needed fruit juice.
Well, the brand I wanted was on the top shelf. Things were lined
up like little soldiers one in front of the other. Then they stacked
cartons on their sides on top of those so high that when I took
one of the soldiers, one on its side plumeted down. I got a nice
bruise on my right hand from catching it; not to mention almost
breaking one of my prized fingernails. But I got my juice!!
Forget the paper aisle...You'd have to be the jolly green giant
to get anything off the shelves there!!
Off to the frozen food aisle. I checked out the kosher food and
it certainly looked promising. While I don't keep a kosher kitchen
any more, it's a good idea for me to know that the food is easy
to get to if I do want a knish or something else good.
The frozen vegetables were another challenge. Again stacked much
too high.
I have to say that I was impressed by the bakery aisle but prices
were much higher than Shaws. Shaws also has a kosher section.
Note worth mentioning: I saw a couple of store managers. They
were extremely friendly to the crowd. So I joined in the conversation
and voiced an opinion on the "tallness" of the store. One of the
managers chimed in an answer that really rang my angry bell. "Well,
madam (I hate to be called madam), in your case we will gladly give
you assistance.".
Sam, I almost slapped him. I'm short. It's okay that I'm short.
I have been short all my life and will continue to be short for
as long as I live...at least this time. Maybe I'll come back as
a tall svelt sexy shicksey. But for this time I'm stuck the way
I am -- short...not incompetent....
I think I'll go back to the Food Warehouse and Shaws. Stop and
Shop is tall chauvenist!!!
Please don't misunderstand. Your note is very helpful. I appreciate
it. I heard so many nice things about Stop and Shop. So I needed
to give it a try. So I'm not yelling at you. I just hate
condescending attitudes of jerks who doesn't think short people
have dignity and feelings and function as normally as tall people do.
BTW, one day at Shaws I wanted to buy microwave popcorn because
I was having company and wanted a snack item, not only for them
but ME TOO. I couldn't find it. So I walked up to a clerk and
laughingly said, "Excuse me, but if you were microwave popcorn,
where would you be?" He said, "Oh, right this way" Nuke popcorn
was on a top shelf and I would have never seen it in a million
years much less reach it. He was nice enough to take down several
brands so that I could compare what I was getting. I made my choice
and he put everything back that I didn't want. The next time I
was in the store, some brands were on the top shelf but the brand
I chose my previous visit, as well as other brands, were on the second
shelf. Now I call that customer oriented management!!
I know that Shaw's is a bit of a ride from your house, but I highly
recommend it. I think you will be as pleased with their selection
as you are with Stop & Shop.
Okay, enough of the soap box. Just because I got caught up and
most of my people are in Atlanta for a meeting and I can cruise
for this week, doesn't mean I have to monopolize the net.
Adriane
SHORT PEOPLE UNITE!!
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| Adrianne,
I guess you don't like Stop & Shop.....
To be honest, I dislike the place as well, but it's close to
home for me.... I grin and bear it.... I have the advantage
that I don't have to act ladylike when I go in there. If I
can't reach something, I'll scale the shelves, leaving the
shelves behind and below me in a shambles. Believe me, its
aggrevating to me also.
I only shop there for staples - canned and paper goods,
dairy products, frozen foods. Though they have a wide selection
of fruits and veggies, they're usually way past their prime. Now
that summer's here I shop in a local farm stand. Winters, I have
to admit that I trek to Bread and Circus in Wellesley, pay the
exhorbitant prices, but get decent produce.
The whole business about kosher chickens arose because my mom
is living with me now, and she prefers kosher meet. Since
we eat a lot of fish and poultry, having a source of kosher
chicken and frozen foods in town was convenient, it saved a
trip to Framingham or Newton when we needed only a few kosher items.
As it turns out, I think I was the only one who bought any of their
kosher chicken. They've since stopped carrying them.....
Stop and Shop, Star, Shaws, whatever, there's still no
subsitute for a family owned and operated market. Prices
may be higher, selection smaller, but quality and service
is usually better. Too bad they're few and far between
these days.....
/Sam
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