Is our local grocery store now run by aliens?

Last night Caleb my son said “Dad, get the green peppers. They’re only 99 cents per pound.”

“No, that can’t be right,” I retorted. “They’re supposed to be 99 cents each.”

“Well, the cardboard sign above says 99 cents per pound, even though the plastic sign on the rack says 99 cents each, so get ‘em,” Caleb insisted.

I looked at him and smiled. We had a situation similar to this with Wheaties a year ago (See my blog “How to Leverage Wheaties”). So I let him get a bag full.

We went to the self checkout where you can have the most fun, because people don’t expect you to move fast, have a clue what you are doing, or put 19 dollars worth of nickels in the “Money Sucker” machine.

When the computer rang up 99 cents each, I brought it to the attendant’s attention. She said “They’re 99 cents each.”

“The sign on the produce rack says 99 cents per pound,” I responded innocently.

She called for a “price check” and after a bit of discussion, the guy came back with “They’re 99 cents each.”

With feigned disgust (I was beginning to have fun playing with the system) I insisted that he accompany me to the produce rack where I pointed to the sign that said 99 cents per pound.

“I was going by this,” he said, as he pointed to the tiny 1 inch sign on the produce rack at the bottom.

“I was going by this,” I said as I pointed to the 8X10 inch colored sign above the produce.

The “price checker” guy told the attendant to give us the cheaper of the two prices. After whispered exchanges between employees, frustrated looks, and an apology or two, City Market in Carbondale gave us the peppers for free. They didn’t have a store manager who could override the computer. A wise choice on their part.

“Shrink” comes in all forms at a grocery store. The one that apparently isn’t  addressed at all is “stupidity.”

They should’ve hired me last year when I applied for the manager position in the produce department.