I had to stop by JoAnn's Fabrics on Rainbow at Lake Mead in the PetSmart/Best Buy center yesterday with my girlfriend for some supplies: a yard of fabric, some buttons, and a Mother's Day card. My girlfriend wandered around the store while I grabbed the bolt of the fabric that I needed and headed to the cutting table.
For those of you not familiar with the process, you do not cut your own length of fabric but rather you take it to the cutting table where an employee of the store measures it and cuts it for you. In the case of a busy day like yesterday, you have to pull a paper ticket from a dispenser and then wait for your number to be called to approach the table.
So there I was, standing with a small crowd of do-it-yourselfers (mostly grandmotherly types and a couple of young girls), the only adult male and also the only person obviously exercising his 2nd Amendment rights (Kel-Tec P11 in black leather holster at 3:30 and ten round mag in matching snap holder at 8:30). Besides the gear I was also wearing a nice pair of jeans with a leather belt, walking shoes, and a long sleeved t-shirt tucked into the jeans.
Before my number could be called a male store employee walked up to me with a smile and said, "If you're ready I can take care of you up front." Thinking that he meant the front of the line I returned his smile and said, "Thank you." He then turned and began walking to the front of the store. I followed him and the two of us walked right past the half-dozen or so people already in line at the check out right up to an open cash register.
I handed him the bolt of fabric and said, "I only want one yard, but it looks like there is just a bit more than that left." He measured the remaining fabric and said, "It's just over a yard so I'll just give you what's left." I said thanks, and he said, "And I'll give it to you half off." Not knowing if there was a sale or if he was just being extra nice I again said thanks and he punched the numbers into the cash register and told me how much the charge was.
I blinked a couple of times and said, "I'm still shopping. I'm not ready to check out yet. I just needed the fabric cut.” He looked concerned (the only time that anything other than a smile crossed his face), and he said, "But it's already rung up."
I said, "No problem, I'll pay for it and then finish my shopping." He ran my card, stapled my bag closed with the receipt stapled to the outside of the bag (meanwhile punching the two staples through the fabric inside the bag - nervous much, buddy?), and I thanked him again and went back to grab the two items I still needed and find my girlfriend.
This time I waited with the rest of the folks at the check out line, paid what I owed, and headed out of the store. As we were walking out I told my girlfriend what had happened in her absence. She said, "Maybe he thought you were Metro and was trying to give you really good service." I laughed and said, "Sweetheart, you have a wonderfully optimistic way of looking at life."
For those of you not familiar with the process, you do not cut your own length of fabric but rather you take it to the cutting table where an employee of the store measures it and cuts it for you. In the case of a busy day like yesterday, you have to pull a paper ticket from a dispenser and then wait for your number to be called to approach the table.
So there I was, standing with a small crowd of do-it-yourselfers (mostly grandmotherly types and a couple of young girls), the only adult male and also the only person obviously exercising his 2nd Amendment rights (Kel-Tec P11 in black leather holster at 3:30 and ten round mag in matching snap holder at 8:30). Besides the gear I was also wearing a nice pair of jeans with a leather belt, walking shoes, and a long sleeved t-shirt tucked into the jeans.
Before my number could be called a male store employee walked up to me with a smile and said, "If you're ready I can take care of you up front." Thinking that he meant the front of the line I returned his smile and said, "Thank you." He then turned and began walking to the front of the store. I followed him and the two of us walked right past the half-dozen or so people already in line at the check out right up to an open cash register.
I handed him the bolt of fabric and said, "I only want one yard, but it looks like there is just a bit more than that left." He measured the remaining fabric and said, "It's just over a yard so I'll just give you what's left." I said thanks, and he said, "And I'll give it to you half off." Not knowing if there was a sale or if he was just being extra nice I again said thanks and he punched the numbers into the cash register and told me how much the charge was.
I blinked a couple of times and said, "I'm still shopping. I'm not ready to check out yet. I just needed the fabric cut.” He looked concerned (the only time that anything other than a smile crossed his face), and he said, "But it's already rung up."
I said, "No problem, I'll pay for it and then finish my shopping." He ran my card, stapled my bag closed with the receipt stapled to the outside of the bag (meanwhile punching the two staples through the fabric inside the bag - nervous much, buddy?), and I thanked him again and went back to grab the two items I still needed and find my girlfriend.
This time I waited with the rest of the folks at the check out line, paid what I owed, and headed out of the store. As we were walking out I told my girlfriend what had happened in her absence. She said, "Maybe he thought you were Metro and was trying to give you really good service." I laughed and said, "Sweetheart, you have a wonderfully optimistic way of looking at life."