Monday, November 15, 2010

Begging Your Pardon

My daughter and I stopped at Walgreen's the other night for a hairbrush. And some ponytail elastics. And maybe some moisturizer. And...you know how that goes.

As soon as we walked into the store an employee blocked our path and asked me two questions. Her English was heavily accented, so I asked her to repeat the questions. When it was clear that I wasn't going to understand what she was saying, I got nervous and answered, "Yes!" to the first and, "No!" to the second.  I walked around her, but she began to walk right behind me. At no time was she more than a few inches from me. Seriously. I could hear her breathing the entire time and had I turned quickly, we may have bumped boobs. That close. Unnerved, I walked several aisles and looked at many products and she continued to shadow me without ever saying another word.

It made me nervous, and I began to wonder what questions I had just answered.

"Do you find me seriously desirable?" Yes!
"Do you think you can forget me after this encounter?" No!

"Are you planning to shoplift while in my store?" Yes!
"Can you pull it off without my assistance?" No!

"Are you certifiably crazy?" Yes!
"Did you take your meds today?" No!

I felt so guilty about what I might have admitted to that I ended up buying a hundred dollars worth of things from her.

What do YOU suppose she was asking me?


20 comments:

Nancy said...

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Nancy
www.findingblessingisneverydaylife.blogspot.com

Lora said...

lol! that would make me nervous enough that i would drive to the NEXT drugstore...but there's one on every corner around here, sometimes 2 per corner :)

Tanyia said...

lol...I wonder what she asked you, indeed! '

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Lucy and Ethel said...

I dunno, but do you dare go back and try it again?!?!?

'Lucy'

Mental P Mama said...

That is just plain creepy. I would have walked up to the pharmacy and asked them to get her off my back!

I Am Woody said...

Are you my mother?
Can I have $20 for gas?

Cranberry Morning said...

Oh my, that was a good laugh to start my week! :-) It might be good to learn how to look clueless and shrug your shoulders in several different languages, just in case this type of thing ever happens again. ;-)

Busy Bee Suz said...

"If I follow you, will you buy me nice things?" YES
"Do you want me to stop following you??" NO




I am laughing at the entire scenario.

Brenda Susan said...

Yikes, creepy, now it will drive me crazy wondering about it! thanx!

One Photo said...

I think she must have said:

"Do you need help with your shopping today?" YES
"Do you mind if I am the one to help you as if you buy more than $100 worth of things you don't intend on buying I get a nice bonus" NO

claudia said...

Do you want me to act like a puppy dog?
Do you want save money?

betty said...

Clueless what she could have been asking, but I'm hoping it didn't have anything to do with promising one of your children to marry one of her children. Because I deal a lot with English as second language physicians with the work I do, I'm pretty good deciphering what they say if I can hear it. next time you shop there (yeah right), hide a microphone on you and record her, then I'll be able to help you figure out what she said.

Actually the whole encounter would have made me a bit nervous and wanting out of there sooner than later.

betty

Martha said...

LOL, as a Walgreens employee I can't imagine what she would have asked, and why she would have followed. We do have this area called the "red zone" - aka aisles 1-3 cosmetics, skin care, etc where we are always to greet the customer and ask if there is anything we can help with... we are also supposed to direct them to pay for purchases of said products at the register in that area - it's a Walgreens thing... we actually get measured on. We however are NOT directed to stalk customers! As an employee I get asked questions by some ESL customers and I really have no idea what they are asking me for!!! Sorry you had an unsettling experience!

Michelle said...

Hmmm now I truly am curious why she did ask you. Me, I have no issues in simply saying sorry, can't understand - although living in Chicago it's very rare that I can't follow an accent anymore! :)

imbeingheldhostage said...

Can you go back and ask her please? I'm going to lose sleep over this one.

We face language barriers over here everyday.
It's really insane when I'm trying to order from our local chippie (fish and chip shop) and the guy behind the counter is Middle Eastern who is trying to speak British English and I'm an American who is slightly hard of hearing. Not good. Last night he gave me a free liter of coke (out of sympathy for the crazy woman who had such a big order that she had to dig change out of the car seats), but the child I took with me is convinced that the man put the soda up on the counter and said it was for the guy standing by the door. I've worried about that for a full 24 hours now. Can you imagine the conversation after we left if he wasn't really giving it to me???

Prairiemaid said...

You know, I think I would call the store manager and ask what their questions where and why they were taking a survey.

I mean, you were probably there best customer that evening! They should at least talk to you!

Blessings,
Cheryl

Sketches by Mary said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Lawyer Mom said...

"Do you need any help?" Yes!

"Do you know what you are looking for?" No!
_________________

Do you have some weed for me? Yes!

When can I have it? No!
_________________

Pam said...

That is so funny. I would have been so unnerved I would have left. I'm returning your follow from The Thrifty Things. I'm really behind this week!

Kristin - The Goat said...

Your questions were so funny that I can't come up with anything. I find it interesting that instead of leaving you purchased! Whatever their new sales tactic is, I guess it's working. LOL

Kristin _ The Goat