TRADER JOES TRANQUILITY TRAUMATIZED!
Generally, I go off-peak to this store, and now I know the fringe benefits of this, such as lower concentration of Psycho, Demented, or Annoying co-shoppers.
Just the other day, after work, I tried to check out the Cheese/Meat/Prepared Food section and there were two fools there who appeared to think that CHEESE SELECTION EITHER INVOLVED A PUBLIC DISCUSSION WITH WHOMEVER PASSED BY AND/OR WAS MORE COMPLEX THAN A MIDDLE EAST PEACE TREATY. Since I was wearing my Beaver Fur "Russian" Hat and looked even more Psycho than they were, they did not speak to me...but still were in my way. Therefore, I looked at stuff on either side of them until they eventually left.
Later, while I was looking for the freshest and cheapest jumbo Yogurt, some demented lady, who looked 90 billion years older than I did, started to yell at some poor middle-aged guy there with his Elderly Father, who could barely walk, because of stroke (and was equally old), over a damned parking spot, that he allegedly "stole" from her outside. The Demented lady also could barely walk, but still looked like she was ready to bite or fight someone. Since I used to work in Nursing Homes, you have to be ready with meds, soft restraints, and keep you limbs from their mouths. SHE LOOKED RABIDLY DEMENTED AND I PRAYED THAT THIS WOULD BLOW OVER TOO. Thank god it did!
After I finished shopping, I was checking out at the cashier and thought I was home free. TO MY SHOCK, THERE WAS NOW A YOUNG FOOL COMPLETELY PUNKED OUT (WEIRD HAIR, NOSE RING) WITH AN ATTITUDE ABOUT MY COFFEE BEHIND ME. "Are those 6 cans of Coffee all yours"? she asked like if I was a caffeine fiend. I stated that I liked to stock up for a few months (obviously to avoid Psycho's like you). She obviously had a problem with this and said, "Well you can get coffee a lot cheaper at Shop & Save". SINCE THIS APPEARED TO BE A LOUD PUBLIC DISCUSSION ABOUT MY FRIGGING COFFEE, I stated calmly," Well I really love their Dark coffee from Sumatra, that they got here" (e.g.- for only $4.99 a whole bean can).
God all mighty, I was so glad to get out of there the other day, and learned never to go there straight from work. It is best to go there about 7-8:30 pm, after the Psycho-rush has passed. I used to work as an Ice-cream store manager, and these rushes can be very unpredictable at times, but you still try your best to ride them out.
Here is the stuff that I like at Trader Joes with a Crappola scale (1=horrible to 10=great) IMHO, after each one:
Yogurt tubs=9; Cheese wedges=8 (slices=rip-off$); Sausages=7; Coffee/Sumatra=9-10; Coffee/Expresso=9; Almond/Flax seed butter=9; Maple Syrup=8; Olive oil/Balsamic Vinegar=7 (TJMaxx has better); Eggs=9; Milk=8; Butter=8; Fresh Carrot/OJ=5 (rip-off$); Fresh Veges=5-6 (too small & rip-offs$, O'briens or Farmer's Market better); Breads=6; Cake/Pie=5 (rip-off$); Wine=7-9 (German whites/Muscat are great buys, Costco can be better for others, 2buck chuck is OK for parties I guess); Organic soaps/vitamins=6; Organic candles/toilet paper=2 (you are shitting me right, ripoff$$$$$); Chocolate Huge Bars=10; Fancy Cookies/Sweets=6-8 (fun, but pricey); Nuts=8; Cereal=7; Canned/Bottled Stuff=6-8 (good fish, soups, sauces but pricy); Boxed Soup=7; Bagged Chip-like stuff=5-6 (popcorn=ripoff, rest is pricey); Bottled Fruit Juices=2-5 (really big ripoffs here with only minimal fresh quality juice in mixes) ; Big Prepared Dinner pack=8-9; Small prepared food/salads=5 (ripoff pricing). Oh, and cute little x-mas trees,plants=8-9.
JUST LIKE ALMOST EVERYWHERE ELSE, THEY HAVE STARTED TO REALLY CHEAPEN MANY THINGS IN THE STORE, WHERE THEY CAN GET AWAY WITH IT, WITHOUT MOST PEOPLE KNOWING. I hardly see anyone actually read the ingredients or look at the nutritional label. I still love going there for select items that cannot be found elsewhere or close by.
LET THE BUYER BEWARE!
BEWARE OF RUSH HOUR HOLIDAY PSYCHO-SHOPPERS! read more