Grocery store

Maybe I'm just getting old and cranky, but grocery stores really irritate me.

I know they're trying to get you to spend money, but why does that require them to lay the store out in the most inconvenient way imaginable?

I generally do my shopping at a Kroger that is very near my house. However, I find that Kroger seems to intentionally make shopping there an ordeal. I've lived in four separate locations now that were near a Kroger. Only one of those four had a parking lot that wasn't laid out so as to maximize your chances at a collision with another car or a carelessly placed shopping cart. Inside, the aisles are so narrow you practically have to lift your cart to get past another shopper.

I will admit that I find the self-checkout to be one of life's greater inventions. I no longer have to wait while some bored teenager decides to stop talking to her friend and scan my groceries so I can leave. And no more waiting for some little old man to count out his pennies because he's probably not willing to tackle the U-Scan machine.

Unfortunately, "my" Kroger is one of the neglected one and it seems that there U-Scan machine is not quite properly maintained. It takes six tries to get anything to scan and every third item it flashes "please wait for cashier assistance." Unfortunately, the bored teenager is now in charge of eight U-Scan machines, instead of one register, and she's not paying attention to any of them. You have to perfect some sort of impatient dance to get any attention and move on with your order.

All this so I can buy some yogurt.