You Know You Are Old When

[MossRoad]

I like to make a shopping list and add the isle and shelf numbers to my list but I often have to ask someone where isle _ _ is.

One thing at Lowe's is if you look something up on line, it tells you if it's in stock, what isle and what bin. Most times it's there, and that's helpful, but many times it's not there. So you get someone and they say "yep, it's not there". A few times, someone has gone to the effort to dig through the upper shelves and find it for me. So, it's hit and miss. I'd give it about 80%.

 

[ultrarunner]

In my impending geezerdom I find I dislike being greeted every time I walk into a business, It throws my thought processes off.

I'm trying to remember what I'm there for, what she asked me to get and if the dogs need anything.

When suddenly some stranger calls out to me which forces my attention away from what I'm pondering.

I'm not a fan of this greet everyone that enters policy, and it seems to have spread everywhere. Even the Harbor Freight cashiers yell at you when you enter the place.

Many find it reassuring in that they are where they need to be… kind of like checking in at the airport…

Lobby doors open at 5:30 but often Surgery patients arrive earlier, standing outside the closed doors…

I always let patients in and it’s always appreciated… contemplating surgery is enough to think about and reassurance they are where they need to be lowers stress and the lobby is warm and we have bathrooms!

 

[JethroB]

One thing at Lowe's is if you look something up on line, it tells you if it's in stock, what isle and what bin. Most times it's there, and that's helpful, but many times it's not there. So you get someone and they say "yep, it's not there". A few times, someone has gone to the effort to dig through the upper shelves and find it for me. So, it's hit and miss. I'd give it about 80%.

I asked a Home Depot employee recently where the home thermostats were located. He looked it up and said isle FW. What’s that? Front Wall. With the assistance of a second employee we finally found them, locked up in a cage.

 

[ultrarunner]

Nearby there is a local ACE hardware opened in 1927…

It’s always well staffed both on the floor and cashiers.

It’s becoming my goto if I just need a few things on the fly…

As a side note, I’ve had my truck door window popped twice at big box stores… so far ok at ACE.

 

[Jstpssng]

The irony in that is that those times I DO need help finding something, you can't find anyone

Too often when I ask somebody for help, they lead me to the aisle which I just left and start looking for it, the same as I just did. It's like going through Dell's self help checklist with no results so when you call they send you through the exact same process again.
That may have changed, I haven't bought my own computer in 20 years.

 

[MossRoad]

I asked a Home Depot employee recently where the home thermostats were located. He looked it up and said isle FW. What’s that? Front Wall. With the assistance of a second employee we finally found them, locked up in a cage.

Well.... I cursed myself! Looked something up on Home Depot, went there, none in stock. Have to order on line.

Went to Menards, they had it.

So Home Depot lost $156 in sales today. Seeing as their 2025 total sales was about $159,000,000,000.00.....

That'll teach 'em!!!

 

[Oaktree]

Well.... I cursed myself! Looked something up on Home Depot, went there, none in stock. Have to order on line.

Went to Menards, they had it.

I'm sure just as often the reverse it true.
Nearest Menard's is maybe 1000 mi away, so not really an option but I've found Lowes will have something that HD doesn't and vice versa in about equal amounts.

Too often when I ask somebody for help, they lead me to the aisle which I just left and start looking for it, the same as I just did.

To be fair, you can't expect every employee to know where every single item in a store that big is located. Usually, I don't have any trouble finding the stuff that's in an obvious place, it's the oddball items that can be difficult to find.

One thing at Lowe's is if you look something up on line, it tells you if it's in stock, what isle and what bin. Most times it's there, and that's helpful, but many times it's not there. So you get someone and they say "yep, it's not there". A few times, someone has gone to the effort to dig through the upper shelves and find it for me. So, it's hit and miss. I'd give it about 80%.

Yeah, Lowes is pretty good in that regard as is HD. Most other stores, not so much.
As much as Walmart hypes online ordering/pick up at store, their website is inconsistent about what a local store has in stock, and is rife with items that for some reason cannot be shipped to store. WTF? You'd think a chain as ubiquitous as WM would have that down by now and make the most of it.

 

[ultrarunner]

You know you are old if you remember entering Home Depot and as far as you could see a line of cash registers.

I think I counted over 20 before…

 

[LouNY]

You know you are old if you remember entering Home Depot and as far as you could see a line of cash registers.

I think I counted over 20 before…

And they actually had cashiers.
I have gotten to the point unless it is absolutely necessary I will not go in any of the "big box" stores. I'll order on line and do the curb side pickup. No cashiers or if your lucky one and then a manager and a staff member standing around at the self check out, screw that.

 

[MossRoad]

You know you're old when you look in the mirror and your dad's looking back at you.

Fortunately, dad was pretty handsome.

 

[WinterDeere]

You know you're old when you look in the mirror and your dad's looking back at you.

.. or when you’re older than your dad ever lived to be.

 

[rontaki]

You know you're old when you look in the mirror and your dad's looking back at you.

Fortunately, dad was pretty handsome.

You know you're dead when you look in the mirror and there's no one looking back at you.

 

[Jstpssng]

You know you're dead when you look in the mirror and there's no one looking back at you.

Or that you're a vampire.

 

[lman]

One thing at Lowe's is if you look something up on line, it tells you if it's in stock, what isle and what bin. Most times it's there, and that's helpful, but many times it's not there. So you get someone and they say "yep, it's not there". A few times, someone has gone to the effort to dig through the upper shelves and find it for me. So, it's hit and miss. I'd give it about 80%.

I do the same thing at Menards if I have a question where an item is. Everything is on their app with a map. That's usually quicker than finding an employee.

 

[Fuddyduddy1952]

You know you're old when you look in the mirror and your dad's looking back at you.

Fortunately, dad was pretty handsome.

Or you're adept at scrying.

 

[Oaktree]

You know you are old if you remember entering Home Depot and as far as you could see a line of cash registers.

I think I counted over 20 before…

That's nothing, back in the 80s I was on a business trip somewhere in Ohio, went into a store called Meijer (sp?) and there were 100 registers (they were numbered)!! Maybe 10 were open the time I was there. This was way before self-checkout.
It was a HUGE store.

 

[Fuddyduddy1952]

You know you're old when a REALLY cute young lady smiles at you...you suck in your belly, smile back only to realize she's younger than your granddaughter.

 

[MossRoad]

That's nothing, back in the 80s I was on a business trip somewhere in Ohio, went into a store called Meijer (sp?) and there were 100 registers (they were numbered)!! Maybe 10 were open the time I was there. This was way before self-checkout.
It was a HUGE store.

Meijer switched to mostly self check a couple years ago. Now there are maybe 6 manned checkouts on each end and usually only 1 or 2 open. We are there about once a week.

 

[WinterDeere]

You know you're old when a REALLY cute young lady smiles at you...you suck in your belly, smile back only to realize she's younger than your granddaughter.

One day at our country club, one of the older wives had one of the cute college-aged female employees running back and forth past the group of husbands, fetching one thing and then another. At some point, she finally admitted she was just doing it for the amusement of watching all the old husbands suck in their guts, each time the girl would walk by their group.

 

[ultrarunner]

That's nothing, back in the 80s I was on a business trip somewhere in Ohio, went into a store called Meijer (sp?) and there were 100 registers (they were numbered)!! Maybe 10 were open the time I was there. This was way before self-checkout.
It was a HUGE store.

The local Home Depot had a single cashier register open tonight… guess the plywood and joists can’t fit through the self check maze?