Shopping Etiquette 101: Why You Should Take Cinnamon Shopping With You

I guess you could call me the 'moral compass police.'  Many of my pet peeves have to do with rudeness and being inconsiderate. I try to hold my tongue, but not this time.

Yesterday, I had to buy some jeans and tops, so I headed two blocks down from the station to Boscovs. It is convenient to have the store so close!

I grabbed the jeans for my husband on the first floor and went to the second to pick out tops. As I walked past the checkout desk, I noticed a woman digging through her large purse. I figured she'd be rung out by the time I got there. So I picked out two shirts and walked to the desk (I never try anything on!).

The customer was still there and digging through her bag; the cashier patiently waiting. The blonde, 40ish, Dallas Cowboy hoodie wearing customer looked up and said "I'm still looking for my card."

The cashier waived me to the other side so she could ring me up while the pursuit of the card continued.  Just then, Blondie found the card. Eight minutes. It took EIGHT minutes to find this card!

I watched the interaction that followed with disgust.  Blondie was quite rude.  She demanded to have the black hangers her clothes came on and when the cashier explained that Boscovs keeps those but gives customers clear ones, Blondie said "I just paid three hundred dollars to you. I deserve service!"

Between the drippingly nasty "really" comments and looking at me then saying "some people need to wait" I fought to keep from decking this witch. Her attitude explained why she bought all black clothing!

All the while, the very professional cashier tried to please Blondie. First, by offering to hang the clothes and put them in a garment bag, then by asking if she was fine with how the bagging was done.  Class act all the way, this cashier.

Blondie however, continued her snide comments and rude stares at the cashier and me.  Then, she made a call on her cell and talked loudly. Do I care if she has to tell her Mother she is on the way? I don't think so.

When Blondie the witch finally left, the cashier was very apologetic for my wait. I told her that she handled the situation well and waiting was fine.  She rang me up quickly and smoothly and off I went.

I have no tolerance for the display that Blondie put on.  I don't care how much money you spend.  You never have the right to be so vile.  She may be an entitled, self-serving witch but who cares?

If it weren't for the fact that I didn't want to jeopardize the cashier's job, I would have gone ballistic on Blondie. Unlike her, however, I know my etiquette rules. I also know about karma.....which I hope bites her big time!

Now what about the cinnamon you are wondering? Well, if the people at Cinnabon are to be believed, Blondie wouldn't have been so horrible if I had waived a stick of it around. They did a study and found that shoppers are much more polite when the scent of cinnamon is in the air. Rumor has it, they did the study because rude shoppers are becoming a deterrent for other shoppers.

Since holiday shopping time is almost here, these are two lessons to take from today's blog: being rude only makes you look stupid and always take cinnamon sticks shopping.