Two questions I ponder over and over on my visits to COSTCO. These are serious questions!
The doors to the store/warehouse open at 10:00am each morning and people (I think they're people) are lined up to get in as soon as the gate is lifted. What's interesting is that as they are lined up, it's as if they are in a trance. Blank void looks cover their faces and when the gate lifts, they start marching in as if they have no control in doing so.
I chuckle at this scenario because it reminds of of the Eloi in H. G. Wells 1960 movie "The Time Machine" that depicts them entering to the underground caverns where the Morlocks live. The latter provide all the food and shelter the Eloi require, while secretly harvesting them to be devoured (as in eaten). At a certain time each day, a loud siren overtakes the ears of the Eloi and they become zombies with no mind control. Once they enter the Morlocks cavern, and it's obviously determined enough Eloi have entered, the cavern door is dropped. Those Eloi are never heard from ever again.
Now back to COSTCO. Once in the store, people grab shopping carts and that is when the loss of any logic or mind control takes place. They push there carts in every imaginable direction, as if the cart is in control. Logic would declare that as it is on the roadways, carts going in opposite directions would be on the right and the left. But alas logic is not master here, because these carts are are all but smashing in to each other. They are going sideways, they are stopping in the middle of the isles, and sometimes just left unattended. Some of the carts appear to not be able to move forward and many folks are hunkered over them as if they are Walkers to help them navigate through the store.
These observations are the reason I ask the two questions above. I'm fully convinced that the majority of these people honestly have no idea how they got in the store or why they're even there. I'm not sure where they come from because it seems many of them have a deer in the headlights look, as if they really don't know they are there.
And that second question, "What makes them so clueless?", is the toughest one for me to calculate. I mean, how do supposedly normal intelligent people, find themselves in this wonderment of a warehouse with no knowledge of how they got there or what they are there for?
Now hold one, you may think that by me being there, that I must be "one of them", well that would be wrong. I go in with a purpose (i.e. what I'm there to buy), I grab a cart, I push it in a straight line, I move to my destination, grab the items I'm there for and I head to the checkout counter.
I'm admittedly not their favorite customer, because I can't (and am not) swayed to take any detours in the store. When I'm done checking out, I head to the exit and in to the parking lot. I say a pray that God walks with me to my car, as the parking lot is a continuation of the goings on in the store. Cars coming at me from all directions, making me consider that I might not make it home ever again. Alas, I make it to my car, take a huge breath that I'm safe, and then quickly promise myself I won't do this again anytime soon.
And now, I'm going to enjoy a couple of the Turkey Roll-ups I bought at COSTCO and watch The Time Machine.
How many Turkey Rolls did you have to buy George? I’ve only been to Costco once with my daughter. It seemed that you had to buy everything in enormous quantities. Did I really need to stock up on 120 rolls of toilet paper. Maybe a bit of an exaggeration, but yet, I have never been back. Yes, I do remember the mindless masses both in the store and driving in the parking lot. Interesting Coffee Talk, George.
How many Turkey Rolls did you have to buy George? I’ve only been to Costco once with my daughter. It seemed that you had to buy everything in enormous quantities. Did I really need to stock up on 120 rolls of toilet paper. Maybe a bit of an exaggeration, but yet, I have never been back. Yes, I do remember the mindless masses both in the store and driving in the parking lot. Interesting Coffee Talk, George.
We did buy Turkey Rolls on our way out. We went there for paper plates, napkins, and plastic utensils for our granddaughters graduation party. When you have to buy in bulk, COSTCO is good for that. But we were in and out within 20 minutes. The experience endured aside from what we bought was free.
What scares me is that these mindless people also drive cars.
We agree on that. Getting in and out of the COSTCO parking lot, is like driving in a demolition derby. I often wonder if those parking lots weren't designed by some folks on a serious dose of mushrooms. They are interesting to say the least.
Interesting observation George. Where I live there is a Costco and a Sam's Club literally next door to one another. They both sell essentially the same things, and the prices are comparable, yet the Costco parking lot is full, with cars circling for a parking place, while the parking lot at Sam's is only half full. Just prior to the ten o'clock opening Costco shoppers are lined up with their carts as you noted, but at Sam's there is no line, and the warehouse opens up two hour earlier for those with Plus memberships. Inside Costco, people push shopping carts with reckless abandon trying to out-maneuver each other, while in Sam's shopping is leisurely and even-paced. My only conclusion for these discrepancies is that Costco gives out more and better food samples.
Interesting observation George. Where I live there is a Costco and a Sam's Club literally next door to one another. They both sell essentially the same things, and the prices are comparable, yet the Costco parking lot is full, with cars circling for a parking place, while the parking lot at Sam's is only half full. Just prior to the ten o'clock opening Costco shoppers are lined up with their carts as you noted, but at Sam's there is no line, and the warehouse opens up two hour earlier for those with Plus memberships. Inside Costco, people push shopping carts with reckless abandon trying to out-maneuver each other, while in Sam's shopping is leisurely and even-paced. My only conclusion for these discrepancies is that Costco gives out more and better food samples.
There's a Sam's & Costco in Torrance, CA together like that !!!!
I stopped in to check their Maisto selections. Costco had a much better and newer selection whilst Sam's seemed to have last year's leftovers.
And George, DON'T ever come to the Costco here in Garden Grove... You'll flip out with all the crazy stuff going on here.
Sometimes I like to get a hotdog 'n coke, sit outside and watch the crazy-ass antics going on in the parking lot. Here in SoCal there's a Costco about every 10-15mins drive-time apart.
What I personally find interesting is the number of people that are returning items... what the hell...??????
You spent how much time in a line to buy that, and now you're in a line of 15-20 customers to return it !?!?
Are you stupid ???
Were you born stupid or did you just wake up stupid today...??
