The Daily Rant

I actually had a good experience at the grocery store today, which is very uncommon for me. People were actually moving out of my way and being polite today!

Normally, though, people seem to act their worst in grocery stores, and in stores in general, really. And (surprise, surprise) I have a theory about this!

The problem with stores is that it generates a conflict between a person's public and private life. A person is forced to make their private items and possessions known to the public. Anyone around them can see what brands of products they prefer, what foods they eat, etc. These can be quite personal things, yet their displayed in public, and I think this conflict creates some animosity in consumers.

Case in point, in the last few years supermarkets have begun giving out cards and memberships for the store's "special club" that entitles the member to special deals and discounts. The membership (in most cases) is free, and the only catch is that marketing companies (and others, perhaps) are privy to information on the purchases made by the customer. I have personally known some people who were outraged at this idea. I believe I even saw a program on the news about it, and how it is "an invasion of privacy." People were shocked to learn that their purchases were known to others, in exchange for the discount they received. It's the mix of private and public life that disturbed them so, and in my opinion, this explains the common grouchiness of the average customer.







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