Sous pression

adv. – under pressure
Bavarder
v. – to chat
There is one rule I’ve learned when grocery shopping in Paris. Never be in a hurry until it’s time to check out. I say this because the other day as I was zooming through to pick up some items on the way home from work, I mistakenly bought a six pack of paper towels thinking it was toilet paper. It’s also best to take the cart or basket at the entrance even if you think you’re only going to pick up a couple of things because it never ends up being just a couple of things. Pretty soon your arms are full and you have to make the journey back to the front of the store for the basket after all. Keeping the purchases at a minimum is helpful though when you realize you still have to carry everything home.

The grocery clerks here have a very specific job description and that is to ring up your purchases in the cash register and accept payment…nothing more…nothing less. This is where the rushing part comes in handy because as soon as your things are priced, you better be ready on the receiving end of the clerk to put them into the shopping bag you’ve brought – that is if you are prepared and environmentally conscious. The second option for those doing things on the fly and who also may need something to put the garbage in later, is to use the plastic bags provided by the clerk (as an addendum to their job description).

Just because they don’t come to your aid with the packing of your purchases doesn’t mean the clerks aren’t engaging. In fact most store clerks regardless of the type of store are very chatty, which goes back to why you shouldn’t be in too much a rush when trying to make a purchase. Of course, if the supermarket clerks were busier packing your groceries, they may be less chatty, but then what would be the fun in that.