Post-Literate World

I realize this is kind of small, but please, take a good look at the front page of our flyer this week. May I direct your attention specifically to the bottom third of the page--the part where it says "3 DAY SALE".

Now--I'd ask you what item is referred to there, but since you're reading this blog, you already know. If you squint a little, or if you have a dead-tree version of this flyer, you can even clearly spot the THIS ITEM ONLY right below THREE DAY SALE.

I shit you not, nearly a dozen people accosted me today at various times wondering why my milk was $4.29 when it was so clearly shown on the front page of the flyer at $1.99. 

See, this kind of thing perplexes me. Not that people are stupid--indeed, I'm amazed these days whenever somebody shows intelligence--but that people are so far gone they don't care who notices. Me, I'm paranoid about appearing stupid...so I'd probably, oh, I don't know, look really closely at a flyer before I approached a stranger and asked them why milk wasn't on sale at a price last seen, what, 30 years ago? 

I see this kind of thing over and over. At least once a week and sometimes once a day, a cashier will page me and say "I've got a customer here that says the Black Diamond cheese bars are $2.99."

In a world-weary tone I will tell the cashier what she already knows but the customer refuses to believe--that the cheese bars are $7.89 but the little Compliments cheese sticks above them are $2.99. Both items are, of course, clearly tagged.

This morning a customer came in livid because we charged her $4.29 for some Polar Pops when the sign said $1.99. There was a sign for $1.99--referring to the ice cream cones on top of the bunker. That sign was a good deal smaller than the huge $4.29 sign I put in before I even filled the bunker (because this is far from the first time we've had this problem). The pops are on sale today for $2.49--and still the customer insisted there'd been a sign for $1.99 yesterday. 

I could go on, and on, and on...but you get the picture. People will not read. As a person who reads any words in sight almost instinctively, I find that beyond odd.

(Oh, and yeah, after Sunday I will guarantee a steady stream of people will come in looking for the bacon at $1.99. Some of them will even grab a flyer and brandish it in our direction. "It says right here..."

that you're a dumbass.)