I was quite surprised and amused to learn that this is an attempt by the store to deter the drug dealers / others who loiter in the foyer and outside! Apparently it worked quite well initially, however, some seem to have adapted to it and have come back. I will have to look for these characters! I had been wondering why the foyer of Northmart, another grocery store seemed to be the "local loitering post" and what fun it could possibly be for young guys to hang about there. I initially suspected they'd be asking for food or panhandling, but it seems these are the instead the town's suppliers of illicit substances.
My room mate seemed surprised that I had never been asked if I was interested... however I have experienced being "discriminated against" in this manner in other countries as well... I seem not to have the right "look" or something... (??) I am simply never offered! At the very least they could give me the opportunity to say "no thank you", no? (I say this jokingly, however I really am perplexed!)
In other news, I no longer have to worry about my food disappearing and can go grocery shopping agin... for a number of reasons (this being one of them) that room mate (aka temporary squatter) was asked to leave. It seems this was a case of taking advantage of my other room mate's generosity and enough was enough. So it wasn't a strange food sharing custom I didn't understand!
Update - they've changed the music to some kind of Indian stuff... not the hindi pop, the more traditional kind with the high pitched singing. I wonder which is more effective? Perhaps the loiterers will start to like it and perhaps it will influence musical artists of the future?
ReplyDeleteFood for thought :)