Kroger owns QFC, Fred Meyer, Fry’s, and a few other formerly good grocery store chains on the West Coast. They tried to buy Albertsons, which also owns Safeway. Had that gone through, only the IGAs in small towns would be non-Kroger. Yes, they are just as annoying as you describe.
They own more traditional grocery stores than anyone else, and yet I seldom shop there unless I want one of their “buy three six packs of soda and get three free” sales, which I do not. If you want enough soda to destroy your stomach lining, they are really the best game in town.
I’m lucky enough to live on an island where the only grocery store is independent. The islands don’t really take well to chains. It not without minor inconveniences, though.
The math department at my old college had a big display screen outside the chair's office. It was a vehicle for math propaganda. I learned, for example, that actress Teri Hatcher had been a math major, a tidbit somewhat undermined by my having read an interview in which Ms. Hatcher said that if she had to do college over again, she would major in literature because she enjoyed reading. The fact that Ms. Hatcher became an actress tended to undermine the value of the tidbit further. In the four and half years I spent trying to pass calculus, I encountered many problems of the type, "If two trains pass each other in the dead of night with train A carrying five hundred thousand Jello pudding pops and train B leaving at midnight, what color shoes was the dispatcher wearing?" I don't have an acting related factoid to plug in here to complete my point, because in four and half years of calculus, I never encountered a problem remotely related to acting and know nothing about it otherwise. It seems dubious to try to associate Ms. Hatcher's success as an actress with her having majored in math in college.
Perhaps, aside from enjoying reading, the allure of being a person who could "think well," as one of my English professors characterized English majors, would have drawn Ms. Hatcher back to school. Unfortunately, the Big Display Screen of Math Propaganda struck again. One of the most frequently displayed items was a table listing scores on the Law School Admission Test, by major, from high to low. Math majors, of course, scored at the top. English majors second from the bottom. Contrary to the English professor's opinion, it seems that English majors think badly, if we take the word of Big Math's propaganda machine. However, I have allowed Big Math's assertion to go unchallenged. This same English professor had some rather strong opinions about why military service was difficult for me, none of which reflected my actual experience of having lived through it. When I contradicted her, she said, "What would you know?" What would I know about experiences for which I was present and she was not? What, indeed. And, in the afterglow of a Big Display Screen, another dream died.
Your math department's screen has probably been updated to include Pope Leo. He and I graduated with bachelor's degrees in math the same year. I'm guessing he took different electives than I did.
Kroger owns King Soopers here in Colorado and their machines are as annoying as you describe but calling their pharmacy (not the people but the getting through to a person) is more annoying.
I was advised to try one of two things to reach a human.
1. Stay silent. The machine puts you through to a human as a proscribed period of time passes without interaction.
2. Say banana. Yes really. Say banana. The machine does not know what to do with a nonsensical response and puts you through to a human. I did this just yesterday. Worked like a charm!
As long as it’s a human in the pharmacy and not the produce section, that’s fantastic. I kid, of course. You can’t teach someone from the produce section, unless you say banana and someone from the pharmacy runs and gets them.
Who is voting for the first two options? Who considers bugs to be their friends? Is a bug going to lend you money? Help you move? Pick you up from the airport? Of course not. Not that any of my friends do those things, but my point remains valid. The only thing I have in common with those folks who voted for the first two option is that we both need better friends.
In every retail job I’ve worked, you not only get yelled at when you sign in more than 10 minutes early or sign out five minutes late, you get nicked in your paycheck. And a minute late isn’t even counted.
I especially liked the comic that starts "There are more renovations, of course" because you maintain 2 subtexts, both the sign and the machine. A twofer! You must have been in top form that day.
Kroger owns QFC, Fred Meyer, Fry’s, and a few other formerly good grocery store chains on the West Coast. They tried to buy Albertsons, which also owns Safeway. Had that gone through, only the IGAs in small towns would be non-Kroger. Yes, they are just as annoying as you describe.
They own more traditional grocery stores than anyone else, and yet I seldom shop there unless I want one of their “buy three six packs of soda and get three free” sales, which I do not. If you want enough soda to destroy your stomach lining, they are really the best game in town.
I’m lucky enough to live on an island where the only grocery store is independent. The islands don’t really take well to chains. It not without minor inconveniences, though.
The math department at my old college had a big display screen outside the chair's office. It was a vehicle for math propaganda. I learned, for example, that actress Teri Hatcher had been a math major, a tidbit somewhat undermined by my having read an interview in which Ms. Hatcher said that if she had to do college over again, she would major in literature because she enjoyed reading. The fact that Ms. Hatcher became an actress tended to undermine the value of the tidbit further. In the four and half years I spent trying to pass calculus, I encountered many problems of the type, "If two trains pass each other in the dead of night with train A carrying five hundred thousand Jello pudding pops and train B leaving at midnight, what color shoes was the dispatcher wearing?" I don't have an acting related factoid to plug in here to complete my point, because in four and half years of calculus, I never encountered a problem remotely related to acting and know nothing about it otherwise. It seems dubious to try to associate Ms. Hatcher's success as an actress with her having majored in math in college.
Perhaps, aside from enjoying reading, the allure of being a person who could "think well," as one of my English professors characterized English majors, would have drawn Ms. Hatcher back to school. Unfortunately, the Big Display Screen of Math Propaganda struck again. One of the most frequently displayed items was a table listing scores on the Law School Admission Test, by major, from high to low. Math majors, of course, scored at the top. English majors second from the bottom. Contrary to the English professor's opinion, it seems that English majors think badly, if we take the word of Big Math's propaganda machine. However, I have allowed Big Math's assertion to go unchallenged. This same English professor had some rather strong opinions about why military service was difficult for me, none of which reflected my actual experience of having lived through it. When I contradicted her, she said, "What would you know?" What would I know about experiences for which I was present and she was not? What, indeed. And, in the afterglow of a Big Display Screen, another dream died.
Your math department's screen has probably been updated to include Pope Leo. He and I graduated with bachelor's degrees in math the same year. I'm guessing he took different electives than I did.
Kroger owns King Soopers here in Colorado and their machines are as annoying as you describe but calling their pharmacy (not the people but the getting through to a person) is more annoying.
I was advised to try one of two things to reach a human.
1. Stay silent. The machine puts you through to a human as a proscribed period of time passes without interaction.
2. Say banana. Yes really. Say banana. The machine does not know what to do with a nonsensical response and puts you through to a human. I did this just yesterday. Worked like a charm!
As long as it’s a human in the pharmacy and not the produce section, that’s fantastic. I kid, of course. You can’t teach someone from the produce section, unless you say banana and someone from the pharmacy runs and gets them.
Yes, you'd have to go with Goofy on those giant video screens - Bugs Bunny would be way too subversive!
You should definitely buy a puppy.
Puppies are awesome, but imho grown up doggoes are just as good (if not better). It's the gift that keeps on giving.
Who is voting for the first two options? Who considers bugs to be their friends? Is a bug going to lend you money? Help you move? Pick you up from the airport? Of course not. Not that any of my friends do those things, but my point remains valid. The only thing I have in common with those folks who voted for the first two option is that we both need better friends.
I think bugs are trying to loan me money at very high interest rates. I get a lot of emails from them, at least.
I love your cartoons/comics! Thank you!
Wellll, thank YOU.
In every retail job I’ve worked, you not only get yelled at when you sign in more than 10 minutes early or sign out five minutes late, you get nicked in your paycheck. And a minute late isn’t even counted.
As I write this, I am currently scratching 11 mosquito bites. Bugs are the offspring of Satan (look up Beezlebub sometime).
You have my sincere sympathy. Just know that revenge is not possible. They outnumber us.
I especially liked the comic that starts "There are more renovations, of course" because you maintain 2 subtexts, both the sign and the machine. A twofer! You must have been in top form that day.
Thank you, those are always fun to write.