Never go into a Barnes and Noble store when it's getting close to quittin' time. In my experience, the associates there tend to be snobs to begin with and look down their noses at your gauche purchases as they ring them up. Excuse me for wanting to read local authors. I'm sorry if it's not Chomsky.
If you make the mistake of resting your pile of selections on a table while examining another book, at least don't turn your back: you'll find that a little book elf has come by and snatched away your carefully-selected stack to return them to their homes.
I also always enjoy how I never get asked if I'd like to become a "Preferred Reader." They always ask if I have a card, and say that "Without a Preferred Reader card, your total will be...", but they never specifically ask if I want to sign up. Never. Oddly enough, Scott was in the line right behind me last night with a larger purchase. The same cashier gave him a high-pressure sales pitch about being a Preferred Reader and lauded the program's great savings.
Bitch. I stood there by the door and watched her check him out, making it perfectly obvious that, Hey, I'm with him.
I like my book shopping experience to include people who circle around the store offering tips and saying "Hey, I've read that! It's pretty good!" not corralling themselves behind one counter to look things up on a computer.
Sometimes mass marketing sucks.
Posted by Tiffany at February 6, 2005 12:10 PMAh, you've just encompassed the whole B&N experience I've come to loathe and despise. LOL @ the book elf...I wondered who kept snatching up my magazines!
Posted by: karsh at February 6, 2005 02:01 PMAmen, Tiffany. I *hate* large bookstores with a passion, and B&N is the worst offender. I remember the small, neighborhood bookstores of my early adulthood. They were as much places to socialize and talk about books as they were places to buy books. It's ironic that in spite of the coffee shops in most of the bigger bookstores, they haven't been able to capture that spirit of camaraderie.
Posted by: Kathleen at February 6, 2005 02:20 PM