I went to the downtown Regina Shoppers Drug Mart late the other night (yes, a questionable choice). While I was in line, the cashier was talking to her friend (yes, talking to her friend while customers waited. This happens in the downtown drugstore, late at night.)
The cashier was saying, “When Cheryl was on shift this afternoon someone returned a used pregnancy test.” What??, I thought. That’s disgusting.
But then I kept thinking.
We’re overwhelmed with faulty products. Poor value. Store clerks that don’t care about your experience. How often do people just throw away something that doesn’t work rather than return it, because they didn’t keep the receipt, or didn’t think the seven dollar item was worth a trip back to the store, or didn’t want to have to explain how they broke it? If we all keep doing that, all the time, we carry on rewarding companies that provide us with faulty, cheap products. Why would they stop? They’re getting rich; we’re filling up the landfill, emptying our wallets.
We need to take action! Everyone should be vigilant about returning faulty products. Consumer action could change the world! Or at least the shelves at WalMart.
But just when I was about to start singing “Solidarity Forever” and rally the rest of the late-night line to join with me in refusing to take this anymore, the cashier went on.
“The girl told Cheryl she couldn’t get a result. But I’m going to take it out of the box. I bet I can figure it out.” Oh boy. Hang on. This is something someone peed on. I hope you’re planning to wear gloves.
Next time, I’m doing my drugstore shopping in the daylight. In the suburbs.
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