I tend to have unusual encounters with strangers while grocery shopping. I blogged about this once before and only made a brief mention of the experience that scarred me for life. Long story short, I was around 21 years old and a much older black dude kept pursuing me at a Schnucks in St. Louis. Didn’t matter that I was married, he followed me around the store and kept inviting me over for dinner. I was terrified and was shaking by the time I got home to Jeremy that night.
Today I’m much more amused than shaken, but kind of perplexed as well. Now 29 years old, with obvious wedding bands on the ring finger of my left hand, I was approached by yet another much older man. He flattered me, and oh so kindly offered to help my poor confused self find the groceries I was looking for. I told him I didn’t think my husband would appreciate that. He dropped some more flattery and said he didn’t want to be creepy, then walked away. We saw each other twice more in the store, and I was fully prepared to be direct in the rudest way possible if he bugged me again.
Picking up chicks in Walmart? For real, people. Match.com or something, but just leave me alone in the canned veggie aisle!
My one exception to this rule to is Dennis Haysbert. If he wants to help me locate diced olives, I suppose I’d let him.
7 Comments
jared May 22, 2007 1:03 PM
what is match.com? i thought walmart was a great place. no wonder im still single.
;)
RT May 22, 2007 1:27 PM
Jared. Dude. Walmart is THE place to be.
andrew May 23, 2007 6:29 PM
It’s very sad that people try to pick up girls inside of a Walmart. I’ve always picked up the real hotties hanging out in the parking lot with a ’82 Datsun or at the employee entrance on a smoke break. That’s how we do in north Georgia!
Lindsey May 24, 2007 12:45 PM
Yeah … I’ve had a similar experience at Wal-Mart. Always fun. However the worst was probably when I was leaving IGA and this guy kept insisting on carrying my groceries. I finally let him carry a bag since he wouldn’t leave me alone, and then realized that he was a bagger and that was a part of IGA customer service. Oops.
jason May 25, 2007 7:24 AM
Schnuck’s could be creepy, especially the ones over near 170. Especially at night. But I’m pretty sure no one would approach my dear wife. That’s not that she’s not worthy of the attention, but the four children scare most people away. If a woman can handle four kids, she can take on about anything!
Jason
RT May 25, 2007 10:21 AM
You know what? I just now recalled that it wasn’t a Schnucks… It was a Dierberg’s (sp?) on Olive, not too far from the seminary. St. Louis street names and locations are really fading from my mind now — it’s been 6 years since we left. The strange thing about that encounter was that I was in a really nice store in an upscale part of town!
Kids definitely scare dudes away. LOL. I was wishing I had Liv with me at Walmart…
jason May 25, 2007 1:13 PM
Yes, that is odd. The oddest, albeit safe thing I remember from grocery shopping was at the Schnuck’s on Page, just west of I-170. I walked in with a gentleman who was whistling “Acknowledgment” by Coletrane from “A Love Supreme”. Not often anymore do you find someone in a grocery store who knows classic jazz. Refreshing!
And 6 years. Wow! Time flies. Forgot how much longer we stayed. We’ve been out 4, I think. Time’s getting a bit fuzzy.
Jason