Yesterday, I was in line behind what must have been a grandma taking care of her 7-year-old grandson. They were buying a bag of cheesy Doritos, a couple of packs of Oreos, a 12-pack of Pepsi, a bag of candy, and an energy drink -- which I actually didn't think anything of until the cashier went to run the grandma's debit card and I realized she was buying all of this with Food Stamps. I didn't know much about Food Stamps or WIC Programs until moving here, and now I've actually seen them in action. I once asked the cashier at my grocery store what their busiest day was, and she replied, "the day people get their Food Stamps money." (Which, I learned, is an amount capped at $200 awarded once monthly.)Trips to the grocery store in New York can be very confusing or very enlightening: they offer an informal education on everything from supply and demand to national finance to cultural identities. These trips have even managed to give me an idea of what my New American Rules would be if I ever were elected President. I'll get to those in a minute, but first -- some vignettes that I'll call: "Grocery Store Episodes from The Borough of Brooklyn".
In BedStuy, my roommates and I would shop at SuperFoodTown, a grocery store so self-impressed, it couldn't settle on a shorter name. It was here that I learned that customer service codes of conduct are NOT the same nationwide. I had grown up assuming that an employee, in order to keep their job, would do their best to offer great customer service with eye-contact and a smile, plus a helpful attitude. At SuperFoodTown (and in many New York establishments, to be fair) I was taught otherwise. Cashiers at this grocery store would regularly avoid all eye-contact with you, the customer, while either texting or having loud, work-inappropriate conversations with their fellow cashiers as you waited patiently in line for them to swipe your snacks and set you free. There were even times when the cashier would walk away from their post mid-payment without explanation and return several minutes later with a Pepsi. This is why, standing in the checkout line at SuperFoodTown, you often had to be ready to cancel or delay plans with friends since the vortex of customer disservice would most certainly derail your day.
Other fun vignettes from SuperFoodTown:
-Hearing all of the lyrics (un-bleeped) to a number of explicit songs playing casually over the speakers
-Being charged a bottle-deposit for purchases that were stored in a recyclable container. The trick was, you had to bring the container back to the grocery store to get your money refunded, and then the store would recycle it and make their money back.
-One day, it was announced with a Big Yellow Sign that WIRED energy drink was now approved for WIC (special Food Stamps for women and children)! I was absolutely horrified, since WIRED, like all of those chemical concoctions, has absolutely no nutritional value. Go figure!
-If you bring your own reusable grocery bag shopping (which is recommended since cashiers double-bag single items here, therefore being extremely wasteful) you will be sneered at, laughed about, and marked. You'll be remembered the next time you come shopping, and eyes will roll as you pull your greenbag out of your purse. But eventually, the staff will get used to it. If the cashiers start bagging your items before you have a chance to whip out your reusable, they will throw a minor tantrum when you return their plastic sacks because in a small way, they feel they've been personally rejected. Try to be upfront about your greenbag use, try to let them know it's coming.
-The first time I entered the fringe of the produce section at SuperFoodTown, I didn't know to have my guard up in healthy anticipation of the FishInABarrel segment of the store. This FIAB zone smells of death, is a feature of many Brooklyn supermarkets (I've come to learn), and involves fish stuck in a variety of gelatinous substances suspended in clear bins and/or dried, smelly fish in a barrel, with plenty of flies keeping company. Just be warned.
---------- more on this tangent....
In East Williamsburg, where I now shop for my food, I've been exposed to many edibles I wouldn't have thought edible before! Our grocery store, FoodBAZAAR, is part of a chain that customizes its offerings based on the neighborhood demographic it serves. In my neighborhood, that includes a lot of items popular amongst the Latino community, specifically Puerto Rican, as well as some Chinese food basics.
-Did you know?
- Chicken feet come in a 10-pack, sealed and wrapped and in the refrigerated meat section. I think I'll pass, but it's quite a sight.
- Quail Eggs are tiny and very pretty to look at, and are available around Easter time.
- There is such a thing as a Goat's Milk lollipop. Again, I think I'll pass but I'm sure it's flavorful.
- Cactus leaves are next to the palm fronds and tomatillos. Maybe someday I'll brave this one....
By my reasoning, there are some slightly questionable practices taking place at this grocery store. I once shopped for 'fresh' fish and found that all of the filets were sitting in open air trays and there were no gloves supplied, but rather, customers were expected to just grab a styrofoam container and "hand pick" their raw fishbits. Fingers|ON|Raw Fish|In NYC. Talk about taking the Coastal Highway to the Dangerzone.
Additionally, stocking of shelves can sometimes seem very inconsistent and illogical. Tahini, an ingredient in Hummus that's comprised of ground sesame seeds, was wedged between marshmallow fluff in the snacks aisle. When I tried to find corned beef for St. Patty's Day, it was with the pork products, and don't even TRY to find Sauerkraut in this neighborhood. My parents can testify to that.
If you've made it this far into my post, I'll wrap everything up with my Presidential Platform's New American Rules:
As President of the USA, I would require school fieldtrips for kids in which they could learn:
- where their food comes from
- what's in it, actually,
- where their garbage/waste ends up
Living on my own (and shopping for food) in the cheapest areas of such an expensive city has been incredibly informative about how people survive. I knew how people like myself survived growing up in Montana, but I had never really comprehended the drastic differences people elsewhere in the U.S. experienced day-to-day, down to their food choices. It's not a generalization to say that I know any item on sale will contain corn syrup as its second ingredient as well as a laundry list of strange chemistry. I see moms feeding their kids happy-meals at midnight, washed down with a strange blue drink that can't be from a fruit on this planet. And, I don't think kids should miss out on the wonder of Oreos, but I feel conflicted when I see such snacks being purchased with Food Stamps because I worry about whether there is enough money left at the end of the month to spend on nutritious food for the kids.
I know I only recently gained an awareness of these complicated systems and I think it would be great for Americans to have an early education about all of it so they could actively participate in choosing what sources they get their food from (or which to support) and have a greater understanding that everything they consume has impacts before and after it enters their life for a short period of time. In my mind, to be a responsible citizen means to be as informed as possible and to act on information. (Though I realize, not everyone will choose a can of beans over the chips every time...)
Finally, I would pass a law requiring stores to charge for plastic bags, therefore creating an incentive for people to invest in reusable sacks to carry their goodies in. This might sound like tough love, but I've seen it in action in Europe and I've read about the positive impact policies like this have on reducing waste. While we're at it, how about more bulk offerings, a general barring of styrofoam for carrying anything other than transplant organs (you hear me, take-out restaurants?) and service with a smile? I don't think that's too much to ask.
This is what the grocery store taught me.
(Cue the tumble-trash in the aisle and the tripping over a parked baby stroller. Cleanup Aisle 9!)
Finally, I would pass a law requiring stores to charge for plastic bags, therefore creating an incentive for people to invest in reusable sacks to carry their goodies in. This might sound like tough love, but I've seen it in action in Europe and I've read about the positive impact policies like this have on reducing waste. While we're at it, how about more bulk offerings, a general barring of styrofoam for carrying anything other than transplant organs (you hear me, take-out restaurants?) and service with a smile? I don't think that's too much to ask.
This is what the grocery store taught me.
(Cue the tumble-trash in the aisle and the tripping over a parked baby stroller. Cleanup Aisle 9!)
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