The Check out lady at the CVS

[SternWake]

Several Years ago, In this particular instance, I was very rude.  I was buying some beer, and the check out line was long, with too few employees working the registers and I was irritated, but this is no excuse.

When it was my turn, the older lady at the checkout didn't ask me for my ID, but simply wanted my birthday to punch into the register.  As someone more than 2x the legal drinking age, and one who does not readily give away personal information, I just told her the year of my birth, and when she asked for a month and day I gruffly said 'pick any freaking one you want.'

She Did, I paid, and left.

In the ensuing years I got more and more annoyed at the understaffed check out lines at this CVS and greatly reduced my patronage, and on the rare instances I did go there, if there was an option, I chose the aisle with a different checkout person than this old lady.

About a year ago I was in there, not buying beer, and the old lady to whom I was rude, was still running a register. Her health had deteriorated.  She was shorter, more hunched over,  moving slower.  There was a long line and I witnessed an impatient  young woman in front of me, be extremely rude to her, and felt anger and sadness, and shame.  When it was my turn I told her I wanted to apologize for being rude to her so many years before.  She accepted my apology though I don't believe she recognized me.  

She did give me a smile and wished me a pleasant day as I paid and left.  I had been in there perhaps 3 times since and always joined her line and was patient, but was sad to see her deteriorate a bit more each time.

This last Friday, I was going into the CVS, and I saw a woman leaving the store with tears in her eyes, on the point of full on bawling.

When I grabbed my articles and joined the check out line, I saw this same old lady was still working a register, but that everybody was avoiding it, choosing much longer lines at the other two.

She was so hunched over, so tiny, skinnier, and could not even lift her head. It took quite some time for her to ring up my purchases.  I thanked her by her name, and in this little sweet voice she wished me a happy Fourth.

I left the store in the same state as the woman I had seen leaving it as I'd entered.

 

[jaxtonsgram]

Ok now you made me cry. Thanks for  sharing the experience and it is a good reminder  to me to have patience and be nice. Nora

 

[mockturtle]

Yes, it's so easy to get impatient in long, slow checkout lines but someone's feelings are much more important than your haste. You made her day, I'm sure! Good job!

 

[SternWake]

I am rather surprised at my reaction. My childhood taught me to play the sociopath pretty well, when required, but I required several minutes to gather myself in my van, before I could enter an adjoining store. 


I hope that she is still working because she wants to, not because she has to.

I think it is the latter though.  She is not really capable of performing the job anymore. 

Management must have a kind heart, or is family.

 

[LadyJo]

You are a nice person SternWake.
I see very elderly ladies in Costco handing out sample food. Makes me want to cry.

The other day at the bank there was an elderly, shaky man at the teller window. As he was hard of hearing I over heard every word. His SS check had hit, he had $1130. in the bank. He got a money order for $605.20 for his apartment rent. Then took out $450.00 in cash. This would be all the money he had for everything else for the month. This is no country for old people.

 

[Every Road Leads Home]

I think everyone's been in your situation a time or two but how many went out of their way to apologize? I tip my hat to you for not only recognizing your mistake but also taking an extra step to fix it.

I've always hated seeing people suffer when it comes to not having enough money and/or people still working at a very old age because they have too. I think when I became disabled myself I've become even more sensitive to it as I learned how the system operates first hand and people with little or no means are left to fend for themselves and/or survive on a bare minimum. Then it gets me to thinking how life is just that.......always a constant struggle of survival and it does not favor the weak......just like in the wild.