The Tales and Perils of Trader Joe's........
....so I walk to T Joe's from my office recently at lunch time. I am in a hurry - I have a list of only 12 things I need. I get a cart - I put about 8 things in it. I set my cart to the side as I make a dash for the usually crowded refrigerated area to grab my last few items. 60 seconds later I attempt to return to my cart - and it is missing in action. WTF?!?!?!
What to do? Go outside and get another cart and start all over or hunt down the culprit. I choose the latter. I walk around the store for about 2 mins until I am across the store in the wine area. I see my cart - now laden with about 6 bottles of wine and other items - and a short tiny woman, nicely dressed (this IS Glenview, you know) 55+ standing with the cart.
With my assorted dair y products in my arms I say to her - nicely - "Hi. I went to get some dairy items and I turned around and someone had taken my cart - and well, here it is!" She looked at me, smugly and snottily, "this is MY cart." I said "this cart - with the 2 lbs of butter, 1 box of TJoes Mixed Nut and Berry Granola, Jarlsberg cheese, roasted pepper hummus and the Seeded Semolina Filoni bread? These are YOUR items?"
She proceeds to touch all my items and say "Yes! This is mine and this is mine...!" I am incredulous - I cannot believe she will not surrender my cart! I just stared at her and finally said "You are mentally ill and need help." I was shaking I was so pissed, as I walk away and hear her do a cluck with her tongue. So I got outside, get a cart, retrace my steps and I try to calm down.
About 5 minutes later, a TJoe's employee comes up to me, seeing my astounded confused face and says "Can I help you?" I proceed to tell her what happened and she says "You know, for some reason, that happens all the time in this store." And suddenly out of the corner of my eye, I see the cart thief come up to me - sans cart - and say "Sorry about that - it IS your cart" and walk away. I look at her - say okay - and proceed to talk to the TJoe's employee.
This ranks as of one THE most bizarre incidents I have ever had.
Trader Joe's - love ya! And, even though you are famous for having a revolving door of items so we should not get too attached to anything, if you EVER get rid of the following items permanently, I will commit hari kari:
Your fab cheese selection
Your Vanilla sandwich creme cookies
Your roasted red pepper hummus
Your Seeded Semolina Sesame Filoni bread - TO DIE FOR
Your Orange Chicken or Sweet N Sour Chicken
Your basmati white and brown rice from the frozen food section
Your succotash
Your organic crunchy peanut butter read more