The Middle and Pensionable Age in the Queue at Sainsburys

I nearly committed murder today, twice. I thought I would be brave and go to Sainsbury London Colney, this is a large out of town 'superstore' with a Marks and Spencer, Next, Boots etc attached. The parking is awful, but I figured that as it was early on a weekday it wouldn't be so bad. Anyhow, as expected the mother and baby parking spaces appeared to be full of pensioners jostling with each other, so I ended up parking miles away from anywhere no trolleys in sight, but where once I was trying to get Fifi out of the car appeared to be the busiest route in the car park. Still, thems the breaks, fancy expecting to be able to park at the supermarket in one of the TOO few mother and baby spaces.

At breakneck speed we located a trolley with a wobbly wheel, a wet seat and a dirty old bit of bread lying in the bottom. Lovely, it would be so nice if they cleaned them occasionally wouldn't it. Oh, yes, I forgot, if all their customers don't get Swine Flu they wont make so much in the way of profits from cold and flu remedies.

I strolled around the store, having to wait for minutes at each item as there was inevitably someone else blocking it with their trolley full of booze. Not to worry, its not like I don't have all day or anything. I mean, babies don't need feeding, toddlers don't need picking up from pre-school, I don't have any other sort of life.

To the tills, I approach one and start queuing up, a middle aged woman with a basket comes along pushes in front of me with a smile. Let it go I think, t'is only a basket. Then her husband comes along with an over flowing trolley. What to do? I'm British. Oh, god the clock is ticking. I'll just go to another till. I move away from where I am standing and head directly at speed to the next till. Quick as a flash a couple of pensioners moving faster than I have ever seen the elderly move barge in front of me. I think I am either going to cry or scream. Hold on a minute. I don't have to, as Fifi is doing it for me. Then I notice all the looks. I say loudly that I am 'JUST GOING TO LEAVE THIS BLOODY TROLLEY'. People look at me knowingly. Then I think, why should I? I wait and wait, then 'pushing in' pensioners then finished their shopping and pay and STAND THERE CHATTING for five minutes. I think, primarily, to hold me up further.

At that moment, the till supervisor comes over, I explain what has happened and how cross I am and how this seems to frequently happen when I shop here. It has never happened at Tescos. 'It's this time of year love, nothing we can do'. Well actually, yes there is something that you can do. YOU CAN OPEN ANOTHER TILL.

So anyhow, I have been thinking on this and I am going to start a new campaign. I am dammed if I am going to pay for food deliveries from the supermarket when you don't end up with half the shopping you wanted. No, supermarkets should install Mother and Baby Tills during the peak hours for Mother and Baby Shopping. These tills will have dedicated staff, no pensioners to poke prod breathe on babies, there will be no sweets lining the way, the staff will not engage in chit-chat, but push the stuff through as quickly as possible. Anyone else with me on this one?

The Middle and Pensionable Age in the Queue at Sainsburys