I only needed a few basic items and to look at LED/LCD tvs so I'd plenty of time to people watch and oh my is Walmart a good place to people watch.
The thing is, as well as watching FOR people, you also have to watch OUT for people as so many whiz around the store in scooters that it's like doing your shopping on the M25. Both the people and their scooters should carry a government health warning, although sadly that warning may be too little and too late for most of them.
These were taken with my camera phone and as I'm still not totally paparazzi accredited, I feel a bit like a voyeur taking these shots so the quality isn't great. On their feet, I guess the people couldn't exactly chase me down the aisles but on their scooters, they could run over me before I'd have time to shout 'glazed donut cleanup on aisle 6.' Therefore I had to be furtive.
The best one was this combo scooter display team with the lead man/lady (who knows !!) directing things and reading from the tiniest of lists while his/her friend came along behind with a basket attached scooter. As this didn't provide nearly enough storage space, this friend was actually towing a cart behind and they all moved smoothly up and down the aisles in a sort of synchronised convoy that was amazing to behold. You gotta admire the organisation that goes into such shopping trips even if it means slow moving seniors and parents with young kids have to jump out of the way or risk serious injury if mown down by this example of mobile obesity.
As you can see from the next photo, the convoy did break formation at times and this image clearly shows that they did put some thought into making themselves highly visible in case, God forbid, they ever got separated. Most likely along the candy aisle.
On the way home, we stopped off to have a look around the new ALDI store which only opened here a few weeks ago. It was reassuring to spot the next generation of "the scooter people" coming along nicely as this young fella was probably a pre teen but was showing all the signs that he'll be a fully blown Walmart scooter person within the next decade or so.
On the other hand, as his mother was spending most of her time trying to keep him from climbing into the refrigerated food cabinets, over eating may be the least of his problems. Clearly he couldn't wait to get to the frozen profiteroles and didn't see a need to bother with the defrosting process.
Mind you, the store did sell Jaffa Cakes so in moments of weakness, I may be in no position to criticise these people.
But if you ever see me in a shopping cart convoy, please take me outside and shoot me.
These were taken with my camera phone and as I'm still not totally paparazzi accredited, I feel a bit like a voyeur taking these shots so the quality isn't great. On their feet, I guess the people couldn't exactly chase me down the aisles but on their scooters, they could run over me before I'd have time to shout 'glazed donut cleanup on aisle 6.' Therefore I had to be furtive.
The best one was this combo scooter display team with the lead man/lady (who knows !!) directing things and reading from the tiniest of lists while his/her friend came along behind with a basket attached scooter. As this didn't provide nearly enough storage space, this friend was actually towing a cart behind and they all moved smoothly up and down the aisles in a sort of synchronised convoy that was amazing to behold. You gotta admire the organisation that goes into such shopping trips even if it means slow moving seniors and parents with young kids have to jump out of the way or risk serious injury if mown down by this example of mobile obesity.
As you can see from the next photo, the convoy did break formation at times and this image clearly shows that they did put some thought into making themselves highly visible in case, God forbid, they ever got separated. Most likely along the candy aisle.
On the way home, we stopped off to have a look around the new ALDI store which only opened here a few weeks ago. It was reassuring to spot the next generation of "the scooter people" coming along nicely as this young fella was probably a pre teen but was showing all the signs that he'll be a fully blown Walmart scooter person within the next decade or so.
On the other hand, as his mother was spending most of her time trying to keep him from climbing into the refrigerated food cabinets, over eating may be the least of his problems. Clearly he couldn't wait to get to the frozen profiteroles and didn't see a need to bother with the defrosting process.
Mind you, the store did sell Jaffa Cakes so in moments of weakness, I may be in no position to criticise these people.
But if you ever see me in a shopping cart convoy, please take me outside and shoot me.
Can't stop laughing. You have such a way with words.
ReplyDeleteHow sad that it it is OK for obese people to be labeled disabled. I know a lot of other health problems can be added on but ya gotta think losing a lil weight wouldn't hurt right?
ReplyDeleteI particularly enjoyed "glazed donut cleanup on aisle 6"!
ReplyDeleteIt's unfair that you found a store that sells Jaffa Cakes. :(
ReplyDelete'Glazed donut cleanup...' They certainly know how to live over there! Seriously though, it is sad and not a little worrying to see people in that state, especially youngsters. You have to wonder what quality of life they can look forward to if they keep on as they are.
ReplyDeleteNot too many jaffa cakes, now!
@Jennyta: :They certainly know how to live over there..."
ReplyDeleteThe obesity epidemic in the US is without a doubt disgusting and depressing, but we're hardly that different from the UK. Plenty of fatties on your fair aisle. The us is first in obesity, but the UK is 5th...just a few percentage points behind.
oops..."isle". Got confused with all the Walmart pics.
ReplyDeleteYou get here and immediately start maligning our protein-challenged citizens. Okay, so maybe they are the teensiest bit overweight. If you prick them, do they not bleed? If you tickle them, do they not laugh? If you poison them, do they not die?
ReplyDeleteOMG, frightening!! Thought you'd found this pics on the internet until you said you'd snapped them yourself at the local store.
ReplyDeleteWe do have an obesity issue here but not on the scale of the US.