It frustrates me that I'm so affected by guilt when walking in to little shops. Especially those strange, badly situated, badly stocked and ludicrously overpriced little shops. The shop is always empty except for you and the shopkeeper, and maybe a smelly old dog or cat asleep on the floor. Everything in the shop, including the shopkeeper and now you, is covered in a fine layer of dust and animal hair. You suddenly feel the need to itch. There is complete silence. You may be the first customer here since the early 90's.But this is not my problem! Why do I feel guilty that I don't want to buy your horrible old half rotten capsicum? Why can't I just leave, without hanging my head in shame? You're the one with the horrible shop. You're the one with with rubbish products.
But alas, I can't shake the guilt, and am prone to buy out of charity. I did come here looking for a loaf of bread, but since that is only $11, sure, I'll buy your old crusty two pack of light globes for $9 as well. Then it's an even $20.
6 comments:
My husband is exactly the same! He gets anxious, guilty and annoyed whenever a less-than-impressive small business opens near us. They are clearly doomed to failure! What are they thinking? And they probably have a young family to support.... Just having coffee at a cafe with only a few customers can set him off...
Have you seen the Seinfeld episode on this phenomenon? (Seinfeld steps in to assist a Pakistani restaurant owner). It suggests the worst thing you can do is try to help....
Hi Joanna- Yeah I remember that episode, it's hilarious. 'Veddy veddi bad man'.
Your husband sounds like a top bloke with his head screwed on to me..
Oh yeah, nothing worse than one of those shops opening close to home, then you REALLY feel obligated to keep them afloat.
There's a corner store in summer hill that is so low in stock that there is about 20cm gap between each bag of potato chips...and about 2cm of dust sitting on it. It's been there for ages and I don't know how they manage to pay the rent...
AY
Yeah, that's what amazes me-- how on earth do these places survive?
what about the ghost place on Parramatta Road in Annandale?! Seriously time-warped from the 50's.
Michael went in one day (brave man!) and bought a chocolate bar, which was years out of date.
I don't know that shop, Bonnie but have seen several similar ones along Parra rd. I like that Micheal had the guts to buy a chocolate bar from there. Well aged chocolate is an aquired taste though.
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