The Boy in the Stationery Shop
Short aside ref. queuing – some time ago I came across a psychological study on ‘queuing in the UK’ – which, in the UK, can be quite different from other European countries – as many of us have found out on southern European holidays.
It was clear that our incorrect choice of queue was not proven by actually moving slower in our queue -but that our brain – processing multiple experiences – seemed to remember the wrong choice (slowest) far more than the right choice (fastest)
Which, like a lot of psychological studies -doesn’t help, one little bit.
Back to the queue.
I am in a large stationery shop in central Manchester – one of my favourite ‘having a mooch’ locations. I could spend an hour or two just looking around, without buying anything.
Always busy – I have a purchase or two and got to about, third in my queue – to a till that I had the oldest of the two assistants by – I guess, about twenty years – but she seemed to be getting on with it.
Now, I am second – a young man in front of me – I am not paying much attention – but am aware that she asks him, something. I hear his reply – “I’m sorry – what was that?”
She says, quiet loudly and with a distinct impatient tone – – ‘If you didn’t have that music in your ears – you would be able to hear me!’
I had noticed that he seemed to have two earpieces – and his response, was a killer’.
He says, quite clearly – ‘No – their hearing aids – I’m partially deaf’.
She, at least – got flustered and said a sort of ‘sorry’ – probably heard the little bursts of laughter behind me – but I had no real sympathy – even if the shop was busy and she was working hard –it was still a response that was unjustified and youthaphobic’ (think I have just invented a new word).
I hope she learnt her lesson.