I went shopping at a few different stores today. I hate shopping. I do as much of it online as I can because doing it in person is nearly always an unpleasant experience. The constant Jesus drivel gets old, but the general lack of awareness with which many people operate is even worse. There's the moron who chats with the cashier after completing his purchase, oblivious to the fact that he's holding up the line. There's the cashier so stupid she's unable to return an item for another customer. There's the salesperson I ask for help who is incredibly rude and disinterested in assisting me even though no other customers are in his area. However, there are some things that are difficult to buy online or that I need right away, and so the frustration must be endured.After quite a bit of searching, I found one of the items I wanted to buy. Unfortunately, it was priced at least $100 more than I was expecting. The research I had done online said that the price I found was the highest one could expect and that I should have no trouble finding it for considerably less. But the salesperson at this store was so rude, I realized I could not remain civil and left.
Prices were better at the next place, but of course, they didn't have the item I was looking for. I did find a few things I needed, but none of the main reasons I went shopping in the first place. To my surprise, the third store did not even sell the sort of stuff I was looking for.
At this point, I realized I was screwed. There weren't any more stores in town that sold what I wanted. This is a small town with few options and little competition. The only other store that might have been relevant had gone out of business a few months ago. I'd either have to go back to the first store, deal with their attitude, and pay way more than I should have to, or I'd have to be willing to drive 90 miles each way to try my luck elsewhere. I went home.
I suppose I only have myself to blame. By shopping online, I have contributed to the demise of all but the massive chain stores with their high prices and poorly trained workers. I guess I saw it coming. Now I'll just have to live with it.