Thursday 19 June 2014

Shop Assistants

Do you remember not so long ago when a Swiss shop assistant refused to sell Oprah Winfrey a handbag? Well, a similar thing happened to me last year at the El Cortes Ingles department store in Santa Cruz, Tenerife. I was in menswear, admiring their fine array of V neck jumpers, I picked one I liked in charcoal grey. I was just checking the label for size and making sure that it wasn't made in China, when a hand belonging to the most snootiest looking shop assistant I've ever seen snatched the jumper from my grasp, folded it up and then placed it back on the shelf. As I reached for another jumper she wagged her finger under my nose saying "ah! ah!" and showed me the 90 euro price tag! After a few choice words to the "Shop Girl!" I left the store feeling a bit like Edna The Inebriate Woman. I'm sure Oprah must have felt that way too.


10 comments:

  1. Under the circumstances, I'm thinking it would have been justifiable to send Carmen back to the shop for little "five-finger discount."

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    1. Apologies LX you escaped my radar. I wouldn't unleash Carmen on anyone it would mean taking her muzzle off.

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  2. Darling Mitzi,

    This incident with the jumper defies all understanding. We are absolutely sure that you will have walked into the store looking like a million dollars and, certainly, looking as if you have plenty of millions of dollars to spend. Why you were denied the purchase of said V neck is quite beyond us.

    However, could it have been the charcoal grey rather than the price tag that the assistant was warning you from? We know that this season this particular shade is supposed to be the 'new black' but, rather in the way that Hastings is meant to be the new Brighton and is not, nor ever will be, so we wonder whether you were well advised to steer clear of that dowdy shade of grey. Now......if it had been in pink......!

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    1. A million dollars all in loose change!

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  3. I find that a smart smack across the skag's face can do wonders in incidents like this.

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    1. I've experienced racism before in Spain, I was stood in a queue at the bakery cum cafe in Sitges the two women who were serving behind the counter totally blanked me and started to serve the customers behind. I shouted at them "Am I fucking invisible?" They asked me what I wanted I told her a large wholemeal baguette with no thumb, she wrapped it in paper and as she was about to hand it to me I said "Now stick that up your fucking arse!" That told her.

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  4. Did Divine David ever work on the Clinique counter?
    Sx

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  5. The miracle is that you managed to find something not made in China.

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