Cash Or Card.

Yesterday was my day off, so I went to two of my favourite shops, both are called TKMaxx. They are about three miles apart.

I usually spend about two hours in each shop. This is my quality time, I don’t even need to buy anything, half the time looking is enough.

Yesterday was payday. So, if I see anything, it is ok. I always start downstairs, at the reduced sections, I try to steer away from the handbags, but it is futile! I give in and look, again in the reduced section, only.

After an hour or so, I go upstairs, I go straight to the flasks, to see if they have in little tiny ones, for my aim is to find the smallest leakproof flask for hot drinks in the world. I have a nice collection of flasks on my shelf, at home. I then enjoy looking around the rest of the store, putting gems into my basket.

Since covid, I use hand gel before I go into any shop, it is kept in the door of my car. When I return to my car, I put more hand gel on my hands.

Correction, I have always used hand sanitizers, for decades, and gave them to my children to take to school when they were four years old. When everyone started buying lots of them, because of covid, I had one in each of my many handbags and car. I remember, a young colleague saying to me, in the Summer, “Do not leave them in your car, they will catch fire.” I thought, they have been left in my car, before you were born.   

When I left the first TKMaxx, I decided to have a take away from a drive through at the huge complex. I usually use this one, either before I go home or before I go to the second TKMaxx.

I always use the drive through, but I wanted to wash my hands, so I parked the car and went inside. I went to the loo, and saw a male and female sign, I wasn’t sure, what to expect behind the door. I opened the door, and there was one loo, it looked like it had not been flushed, all day the basin was next to it. I didn’t want to spend another second in there, so I quickly came out.

I went to the counter and asked, “Can I have just fries and one chicken?” She said, “Yes, will you be paying by cash or card?” I said, “Card.”

She said, “Use the board over there.” I turned and looked at the large, complicated looking, dirty board, and thought, no way am I touching that!

I said, to the Cashier, “How much is it for one chicken portion and fries?” She replied, “£2.99 I looked in my purse to see if I had that much in change, and thankfully I did. I paid by cash.

I watched as the Cashier was busy with orders from the drive thru and for home delivery, as I could also see the driver too with his thermal large box bag. I always think, when I see those delivery boxes on bicycles, why do they always put the large bottles of ice-cold pop next to the fresh piping hot food? You would think today, they would have a separate compartment but they don’t!

I went and sat down by the window, and found my tiny Body Shop grapefruit hand sanitizer that was in my small handbag. I put a generous amount on my hands, but my hands still didn’t feel clean, but it was better than nothing. I had to remove from my mind that I had touched the loo door to go inside the loo, and didn’t wash my hands.

I enjoyed my meal, and as I ate it slowly, I thought I would have like to have gone to the loo before I left for my next destination. I was thinking of letting the Staff know, after all they should have checked on it, but they clearly hadn’t. I didn’t bother, I’d be ok.

I remember when they used to have little scented lemon paper wipes but they don’t now, so I wiped my hands on a paper napkin, and went to my car.

I always clear away my table, the bins inside were full to over flowing, maybe they are short staffed.

I drove to the other TKMaxx and had a lovely time there too.

Today at work I told them about the board. A work colleague told me, “I never use them, they did a swab test of them and they have poo on them!” She went on, “I tell them, I don’t want to use that board, it is dirty!” She said, “The Staff don’t argue with me, they say nothing and let me pay at the counter.”

I did see an older couple while I ate, they too didn’t want to use the complicated looking board, so they too paid cash instead of card.

Personally, I think we should not be forced to pay by card via the board! In a different take away/eat in store, where they had one of those electronic boards, I never ever once used it, I always paid by card at the till, after I had given my order to the Cashier.

I know times, they are changing and people have to move on with the times, but not every older person can use those electronic complicated boards, I am one of those people.

The next time I go to the first TKMaxx, I will do what I usually do, and that is use the drive thru, for all I have to do then is use my card, at the one counter and collect my food at the next.

Hand sanitizers would have already been used before and after the transaction.