Wednesday, September 24, 2008

Welcome to Berkeley:Now please Stop Doing That!

The place on earth where you are least likely to find me.

7 comments:

Mom said...

Wait, I thought Californians were all, like, laid-back. But instead they are throwing bread at the customer service workers, fighting in the parking lot, and scolding other shoppers for buying the wrong cereal?

I think I'll stay in the cold and uptight North where people leave other people's shopping carts alone.

Laura said...

I thought hippies were NICE. And loved everyone and such.

Caleb said...

The whole "Californians are laid back" thing, in my experience, has seemed more to be: "Californians are really laid back about other people's problems, but every little thing that goes wrong in their life is The Big One, and you best take cover under a sturdy table." No offense to anyone from California, of course.

That said, the bay area is one of my favorite places, ever.

THAT said, this market sounds like the seventh level of hell to me. Ask Kate, I freak out when it's too crowded in Wegman's, or if we've been there for more than 20 minutes.

Mom said...

Hm, you got that freaking-in-Wegman's thing from your mother. Ask Laura about shopping with me in Wal-Mart.

Anonymous said...

I have to weigh in; I shop there all the time. But only in the mid morning, when it's actually possible to navigate the aisles.

The Berkeley Bowl is the best grocery store I've ever been to, as far as selection, quality, and price (cheaper than Safeway, and obviously a fraction of the price at yuppy places like Whole Foods). But yes, it's generally over-crowded. And yet in more than three years, I've only ever seen one customer grouch at an employee, and he stomped off while the employee and all the other customers blinked in shock. It actually doesn't happen as often as the article made it sound-- it's crowded, and people are in a hurry, but most people are courteous about it.

That said, I miss Wegmans: good selection, wider lanes.

Dad said...

Hi, Ruth, and thanks for the first hand account. Odd, though, considering the media never get anything wrong.

You're still not likely to find me there.

Hi to Andrew.

Mom said...

Hi, Ruth! Thanks for the perspective on the Berkeley Bowl. I was just thinking about Wegman's and wishing we had one here in Chenango County. It's reassuring, somehow, to hear that you miss it.