Picture the scene. A small crowd gathering. Faces of
desperation as limbs flail and food is grabbed. No regard for broken nails.
They say ‘every man for himself’, and this scene is truly a testament to that philosophy.
So you've conjured up the image. Let me guess, you’re thinking sand between the
toes of shoe-less refugees as they fight for the handouts from the back of a
long awaited Red Cross lorry.
Think again, this my friend was actually the scene witnessed
in Aisle 3, as I too clutched my basket in the crowds, fighting for the end of
the day rejects. The unwanted, droopy Little Gem is now a bargaining chip in
the fight for a cheap dinner.
Along with countless others, as the clock creeps to 5.55pm
we await in earnest to see what goodies are on offer for tonight’s meal. The
assistant braces himself as he wheels the trolley of manna to the appointed
fridge. Like a moth to a flame customers as far away as the household aisle
drop their half price Windowlean and dash across the store for a slice of the
action. Flashbacks of the nineties occur as ‘Supermarket Sweep’ becomes a
chilling reality.
Now don’t get me wrong, I like a bargain as much as the next
person. In fact, scratch that. I like a bargain more than the next person;
spending many a happy Saturday afternoon with my nose in the Bric-a-brac shelf
of the local Oxfam. But is this one step too far? Should we really be
witnessing a tug of war over a nine pence cucumber? Is this a sign of the times?
Are the days of waiting 4 deep at the bar being replaced with waiting 4 deep at
the fridge?
Pickings were slim tonight but I walked away with a family
sized quiche Loraine bought with change found in my sofa. Let’s see what
tomorrow brings and if I again will manage to walk away unscathed.
