The Convenience Store - the corner shop. Everyone's got one, quite local to them, usually on the corner of the road. Always there, always open, except when you run out of milk at 2am or the cat's just come in and wants feeding, then they're closed. We take them for granted, and then moan when they close down because the new supermarket that opened recently that's about 2 miles away, has taken all the custom, and they can't afford to compete and stay open.
It's not easy to run a little corner shop - ask anyone who's tried it, and they'll tell you all about it. I know, I manage one. Let me give you an example of a typical working day. Do I hear you say "That's boring"? Not likely. Just try this for size.
The shop opens from 7am until 10pm at night, every day, seven days a week, all year round. There's no rest for the wicked - just that I'd like the opportunity to be wicked once in a while. :-)
I must have been wicked once since someone seems to want revenge at the moment.
It was just one of those days, sun shining, kids on school holidays, shop nicely busy, and we were short staffed, due to holidays, etc. What could go wrong on such a pleasant day? My assistant manager and I were taking three hour shifts turn and turn about, as we had a cashier on holiday, and I had just started my first shift. It was the middle of the morning, the chilled delivery had just arrived and she was putting the products on the shelves, and at the same time, the bread man arrived. I had no customers to serve, so it was suggested that I take the bread returns, already on the bread tray, out to the bread van to save time. No problem - that's been done a thousand times before. I made my way through the shop with a fully laden bread tray and out to the van parked outside the shop. He normally parks at the rear of the shop in the car park to off-load, but sometimes there is no space due to cars, so the second choice is the road outside the shop front.
He was in the back of the van making up our order, and missed all the action. As I made my way to the tail gate of the van, I couldn't see the edge of the path due to the width of the bread tray, and fell down it. The bread went flying onto the road, and the bread tray landed on top of me up side down. I just sat and laughed - until I tried to stand up, that is. I must somehow have landed on my left foot as I fell and the pain was excruciating. I'm trying not to re-cycle my breakfast as I stand up, and pick up the bread from the floor onto the bread tray again. It was easier to pick up the tray, slide that onto the van floor, then pick up the bread. The bread man, having missed it all, couldn't understand why I was trying to give him an empty tray and kept pushing it off the back as I'm bending down picking up the bread from the road. Thankfully, a couple of regular customers came to my assistance, explaining the events on my behalf as I hobbled back inside. A queue had developed, so I quickly went to serve. I thought they would never go. All the time, my foot was throbbing and swelling up. After ten minutes, the shop is empty once more, and I can grab a bag of frozen peas to slap on my aching foot. By then, of course, the bread man has returned with the order, and enlightened my assistant manager to my plight. On further investigation, we decide that a trip to the hospital might not be a bad idea, just in case anything is broken, as I can't move my toes. A further member of staff is summoned in on her day off to take over and help with the main delivery which is on it's way to the store. A taxi is called and I am whisked off to casualty.
After an X-ray and examination, it's decided that my foot has suffered nothing more serious than severe bruising. "Take pain killers and it'll be fine in a day or so." Back to work I go. I arrive just as the main delivery is being off loaded. Now it's some-one else's turn. At his first store, the lorry driver had just wheeled in the first two trolleys and was returning for some more, when he noticed movement in the back of his lorry. Knowing that he had no "live" cargo, he went to investigate. He was confronted with a person with a knife, who was passing bags of cigarettes to another person. He was threatened with the knife before they jumped into a car and sped off. Taking the vehicle's registration number, he phoned the police, who arrived very quickly, but the car turned out to be stolen.
After an hour and a half of questioning, he was allowed to continue, but every store he visited had had their cigarettes missing from their order. Ours was no exception, although we did have some left. Not many, and certainly not enough to last over the weekend. After much arguing with the warehouse, it was decided they would send the missing packs the next day.
Two of us not having the most brilliant day - what else could go wrong?
After taking in the delivery, I decide I would be of more use serving than putting out the delivery, and allowing the other fitter girls to attend to stocking the shelves. The following day, my foot had turned black and blue, and although very painful, it did not stop me working. Over the week, my left foot turned many different colours, but eventually the swelling went down and it became less painful.
The next week, I dropped a box of toffee bars from the trolley. I caught it on my knee, and never gave it a second thought until I climbed into bed that night. There on my left knee was the biggest bruise covering my kneecap. It caused much concern to my other half, who came to bed much later after returning home late, and who did not know the story. I woke to find him trying to find other marks consistent with an accident! He was relieved, although still concerned when I enlightened him.
Just to cap it all, just as those bruises were reducing, I moved a box in the warehouse, only to have a bag of beer cans fall. Thinking they were empty ones being saved for a display, I made no effort to avoid them, and was unpleasantly surprised to find them full and landing heavily on my left foot - again. More bruises. You need a full suit of armour in this job for safety!
Finally, I'll leave you with a true tale which proves it can only happen to us.
A note appeared on my desk this morning, informing me that I may like to view the previous night's CCTV video around 9.30 pm as they had encountered "some weird men" near closing time. Due to this, they had closed early for their safety.
Curious, I did just that. The store had been busy, as it usually is in the last half hour before closing. The cashier was enjoying a joke with two regular customers, and the supervisor was undertaking the shut down routine - newspaper returns, store and shelf tidying and such like, when several people entered the store. Two of them were known addicts looking for items to thieve and were to be followed around before being evicted. Two were regular customers coming to buy beer, pop, crisps and cigarettes for the rest of the night, and two were unknown to anyone. They were acting a little strangely, so the supervisor went to offer assistance, while she's chasing the addicts around the store, to find one of the "strange" men dropping his trousers! Too intent on evicting the addicts, she had little time to react until she'd locked the addicts out of the shop. By this time, the man had pulled up his trousers and the two men became very agitated about being locked in the shop, paid for their goods and left, only to sit and wait outside in their car for some time.
The note to me was hurriedly written and they finished the close down procedure. When they were convinced the car had gone, they were able to lock up and leave for home.
On watching the video footage, I became concerned and phoned the police. Explaining the events was not easy and the conversation went as follows:
Me : "I wish to report a strange incident which happened last night in my store"
Police: "How strange?"
Me : "Two men came in and one dropped his trousers. I have video evidence"
Police: "Pardon? He dropped his trousers? Why should he do that?"
Me : "I have no idea. It shocked the staff on duty at the time, and when the men left, they waited for some time outside in their car. The staff had to wait until they had gone before they could go home."
Police : "It would have been useful if you could have phoned last night"
Me : "Probably, but I only heard about it this morning. Mr X and his friend were also in having a 'free shop' at the time."
Police : "I can get an officer to view the video. Where did you say you were? Where did it happen?"
Me : "In the shop. By the crisp dump bin"
By now the woman on the phone is trying to suppress laughter.
Police : "I see. Will the supervisor be able to identify the man who dropped his trousers?"
Me : "Before or after the incident?"
By this time, two fellow workers with me are in hysterics, muttering things about "mooning" and further derogatory remarks regarding such behaviour.
Police (after much giggling) : "I think I'll re-phrase that.*nbsp; Could she describe both men at the time they entered the shop?"
Me : "She will probably be able to. She'll be at work tomorrow morning."
Now I'm trying to smother a laugh as one of the others sings "I saw the crevice, but she saw the whole of the moon"!!!!
Police : "Good. What's her name?"
Me (in between howls of laughter): "Ramsbottom. No. Honestly - that's her name! This is a farce - it can only be happening here"
Further mutterings of "Farce? No, it was an ARSE" coming from the other staff.
Police : "We'll try to get an officer there in the morning. Is there any other time she will be available?"
Me : "Erm - no. Tomorrow's her last day for 6 months. She's pregnant and is on maternity leave."
More howls of laughter, both on the phone and from the other two. Further mutterings of "He only dropped his trousers - now see what he's done." and "That's quick work"
I had to end the conversation before it developed any further and it became impossible to speak for laughing.
I'll see how we get on with the visit from the boys in blue tomorrow. We'll have to see how seriously they take it! I should image this video will be copied many times for police entertainment.
