Dollar Stores are everywhere—out in the country, and all over town. During this pandemic they’ve become a good place to shop for basics while getting in and out quickly. Some are classier than others, although none of them really fit that description. I’m most apt to stop at the one near the public library on my way home. Compared to other Dollar Stores, It’s pretty much down to the nitty gritty. Because of shoplifting, many products are either locked up or in short supply. They have a steady stream of customers in this low income neighborhood. Yesterday, I noticed more people maxing out at the Dollar Store.
It didn’t seem very crowded at first. But after I’d picked up my vitamins, I noticed the checkout line was backed up, and moving slower than usual. The bottle neck was a woman who couldn’t seem to get her credit card to work. She made several attempts to key in various numbers, with no luck. The clerk was kindly, trying to help. I contemplated offering to pay her bill, until I noticed her cart was filled with soda pop and salty snacks. The dietitian in me just couldn’t deal with that. If you’re almost broke, shouldn’t you buy something healthy? Not for me to judge. She finally found a card that worked, so that ended my moral dilemma.
It’s not unusual to see someone on the edge at that Dollar Store. But it didn’t used to happen very often. However, the next person in line had a similar problem. Since her credit card seemed to be maxed out, her companion pulled some coins and a few wrinkled bills from his pocket, and they made it through. I looked at the customers lined up behind me. They seemed tired and worried. One woman took some items from her cart and put them back on the shelf. The parking lot was full of dented cars and rusty trucks.
As I drove out of the parking lot, I felt something coming on; restless as a hurricane. Is this a portent of things to come? I would guess that many of the customers in that store are unskilled folks who work in restaurants or other places where more educated people don’t want to work.. Because of the covid’19 pandemic, their low paying jobs have dried up. They went through their unemployment pay and stimulus money in July. What will happen next? Are we headed for a deeper recession?