Grocery rudeness, iin?
For the past few years, I've been having a neurological issue that causes me to have a hard time telling if I'm buying too much groceries, buying foodstuff that I already have or any other grocery related things. Its something that I can't help and something that I only just recently realized was a problem.
Since, May or June of 2011 I have been shopping at a organic grocery store. In the early days of my shopping there, things were fine and if they weren't I just didn't notice them. I was frightened of the types of people that shopped/worked there but eventually I got used to them. It was only recently on a few occasions that I noticed the workers were being rude to me, but I tried to shrug my unease off. The problem with them has been starting after and during check out. My store has the curious policy of NOT letting customers take their groceries to their car unescorted and they often insist that customers not take their shopping carts out of the store. They insist on manually carrying your groceries as they follow you to your car. Once, at your car they start putting your things into the car and when they are done, they say their "goodbyes" and head back to the store. Seems like it would be simple but it is not.
When, I put up things on the conveyor belts their "little comments" begin. I feel like I'm constantly being scrutinized be these people. To make matters worse, if I go ever the slightest bit over budget the relative I go shopping with will "mildly" start to verbally abuse me in front of these people. After the groceries have been bagged up the person assigned to carry them will start to complain about how they can't carry all of them, which makes sense but it would make even more sense if they at least allowed me to carry my things. They call someone else over who also says that there's no way they can carry all of the bags. So, the cashier talks on the speaker and demands the other workers come for assistance. Sometimes, a lot of people will show up while there will only be a few some other time. When they get the bags they will still gripe about the amount of bags. Then we make the torturous journey to the car.
Last week, was probably the worst they have acted. As we went to the car one of the workers, a new woman with a seemingly southern accent, asked us if we did a lot of juicing. The more I think about it, the more I feel that she didn't mean the question as a form of malignity but instead was attempting to break the ice. I said, "No" but I must have said it too softly because she asked the question again. My relative answered this time but the ice had not been broken. The next comment I remember hearing was from a woman with curly hair whom I do not like, for some reason, I have always gotten the feeling that she dislikes me. She said very sharply and almost mockingly,"Where are we going to fit all this?", "I hope there's enough room in your car to fit all this." Some of the other workers chuckled. She received a calm answer that told her there was.
I don't think I can take their behaviour anymore. I have agoraphobia, paranoia, and other health issues, all of which causes me enough problems as is. They make me feel so bad about things that I can't help. I never intended to inconvenience them in any way. Why can't they just do their job and leave me alone? I go into that store and wonder whether or not they say things behind my back. The people that were kind to me in that store either seem to not be working there anymore or too ill to come. I'm almost afraid to ask for any help when I'm there because I've been ignored so many times. Once, a cashier put me at unease because she seemed preoccupied with the time I usually came and because I didn't come at that time she proceeded to try to dig herself into my personal affairs.
Is any of this normal?!