Lost it in the supermarket !!

[abby054]

I found that two proprietors, actually corporations, shared the same large shop space. They chose to have one of them solely on one half, disjoint from the other?s territory. The painted line and the hovering security reminded me of a dysfunctional relationship or marriage, but with customers dragged into the mix. This was my first visit to the UK, so I wanted no trouble. They had their rules. I have traveled enough to observe how many local cultures can be about rules. The security guard was a particularly dour fellow. A reply worthy of a stroppy blond would not likely have ended well.

The incident happened during of one of those overpriced guided tours of the country. Such tours are usually well organized, their predictability providing nervous tourists like my wife with a security blanket of sorts. Not this one. It was one disaster after another. I admit the hoosegow did cross my mind. It would have fit the pattern of bad luck.

[Teresa]

Abby,
I'm sorry you experienced that but then in a foreign country many of us are a little more wary of the locals but I've never experienced it in the UK .

[Deborah G]

I experienced the split shop space here in the US. It was a shop in a "touristy" town in Texas. I went in to buy some shoes I saw in the window, but then began browsing thru the store. I picked up items on both sides and went to the nearest cashier and was told "You pay for the shoes here, and the sweater over there. Don't you see the line on the floor?" Sure enough, there was a black line that separated the store down the middle. They were nice about it, as I'm sure it happens often. But never experienced that previously. Live and Learn!

[BobbiKay]

The only places I have noticed this phenomenon have been truck stops that have a fast-food franchise in the same building. "No, you pay for your McNuggets over here, and your coffee over there" kind of thing.

I see that $MajorGroceryChain has jewelry boutiques in some of their larger stores, so maybe you have to pay for the bling in the boutique rather than take it to the self-scan registers. But I'm not much for bling, so I haven't the experience.

[Teresa]

My local out of town store is actually two stores in one , as you enter the building it's furnishings , floor coverings and white goods , passing through an arch is the other store selling clothing shoes handbags , with a coffee shop . Upstairs returns to the original store selling clothing , bedding , drapery and household / kitchenware with it's own cafeteria . There must be security staff but I've never witnessed any altercations with shoppers getting confused with taking items to the wrong checkouts . The only thing that confuses some people is when they try and use their discount cards in the wrong store , I made that mistake thinking I was going to get up to 70% off my lounge furniture !!