Last Sunday my wife and I took our two sons to the local grammatically-incorrect baby superstore to pick up some items for our 9-month-old.
As we strolled through the store, I saw a few examples of merchandise that was either poorly displayed or inadequately assembled. One such item was a baby swing on an elevated endcap shelf. The frame of the swing was upright, but the seat was turned to a 90-degree angle, making it impossible to sit a child in it.
Curious to see what the swing looked like when it was displayed correctly, I reached up and turned the seat to its proper position. It was then that the whole thing fell from the shelf in a cacophony of bangs and clatters. Customers all around the store popped their heads up like a giant whack-a-mole game to see what had happened.
Fortunately, despite being parked in the shopping cart next to the display, my son was unhurt. The swing didn't hit anything or anyone in its downward trajectory, and the only thing bruised was my ego. I quickly picked up the pieces and set them on the shelf, and moved away from the scene of the crime.
It took over four minutes (I timed it) for an employee to approach and inquire about everyone's condition. Her first words: "Is anything broken?" I assumed by the way she was studying the merchandise and not us that she was referring to product, not people. Her second question: "Does anything need to be cleaned up?" I held my tongue for my family's sake. My wife explained what had happened. The employee (not a manager) said "Oh, that's the second time today that's happened."
No apology, no concern. I wondered if she had come over on her own, or if another customer had said something to her. Regardless, it seemed that our little accident had interrupted her day and possibly delayed her cigarette break. My family walked out of the store without buying anything.
And here's the ironic part: The very next day's mail brought us a circular from that particular retailer. The theme of the "sale", plastered all over the front of the flier? "Think Safety!"
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