Grocery Store Floor Zambonis
Date: October 16, 2005
I have learned that the best time to go to the grocery store (if you don't want to get stuck in ridiculously long lines, run into by shopping carts with unlicensed drivers, etc.), the best time is, if you're a night person, late at night, and if you're like me, a phsychotically early morning person, early in the morning.
I have also learned that the way grocery stores get their sparkling floors is by having them waxed and buffed nightly. This process starts around midnight and ends, roughly around 6AM...supposedly. As a long time figure skater (retired at the moment), these machines resemble a small Zamboni. For those of you who don't know what a Zamboni is, it refers to the large machine that is driven around an ice rink to resurface the ice. It's sort of like "Xerox" in the copier world; Zamboni was the original one but there are many makes and models that are not necessarily Zamboni manufactured, but do the same thing.
Anyhow...
I have come to fear these Grocery Store Floor Zambonis and their operators. Last week's early morning Sunday experience clinched it. I typically go in early and one or two of these are being pushed around the store. Most of the time the operators are polite but not today.
I was going down an aisle and heard the dreaded roar of the Floor Zamboni, and then it was coming at me at a pretty good clip--THE DRIVER HAD HIS EYES CLOSED! I was backing away and noticed he had his eyes closed, sleep walking or somehting and I had to holler, lest I get run over by this thing. So he saw me but I still had to step off to the side! SHEESH.
I had another run-in at the opposite end of the store and again, I had to get out of HIS way. RUDE. I reported it to the store manager and told him to beware of Floor Zambonis...