EDITOR:
For most people, the prices for everything are way beyond minimum wages, pension, welfare or employment insurance. After over-charging for everything in the store, they wanted me to apply for their store credit card. After making hundreds of dollars at the checkout, they ask me for a donation for someone or something. I know the clerks are forced to ask and knowing that, I am irritated more with corporations.
Many seniors in a line-up feel they are humiliated into donating. Then there are the teenagers packing my groceries but asking for donations for some sports trip off Island. Many senior Islanders do not have cars and if they did, they could not afford gasoline to go to Tignish. Off-Island for sports?
I could go through a check-out 10 times on the same day and be asked for a donation every time. After robbing me blind, the big stores and pharmacies want to show/force me to use the self-check-out. Even when I said no, the clerk said, “I can show you.” If I wanted to know I would ask.
There are thousands of seniors in my area who are not interested in self-check-outs. Seniors and many low-income people are not interested in lectures on self-check-out technology, Donations to anything and everything or the feelings of harassment makes us hate shopping. Seniors just want to pay at the cash and go home.
Most of us are under enough pressure trying to get by, without this type of hassle every day, everywhere.
Flora Jean Thompson,
Charlottetown
