BillCo: I have solved this problem. My kids are old enough that what they want most for Christmas is small, green and highly portable. I get them a few smaller things and I'm done.

1) Trip to bank. Big present problem done.
2) Amazon.com. Just wait for the package to arrive.
3) Walmart at 3:00 a.m. (works on my schedule quite nicely) to pick up a few odds and ends.

I actually went to the mall last weekend to see the chaos. Left after about 15 minutes.

Lies. It would've taken at least an hour to get out of the parking lot.

Don't these people have the internet?

Sounds like these folks need really broadband. One of the attractions of Costco, wide aisles. Wide enough from two super-sized carts and a herd of super-sized shoppers.

Wide people be shoppin' like this |O|

Skinny people be shoppin' like this | | |

The grocery store I got to puts wire baskets with things like Jello or Hob Nobs in them. You can barely get the trolly through the aisle with those baskets in there.

Britney Spear's Speculum: Wide people be shoppin' like this |O|

Skinny people be shoppin' like this | | |

For some reason all I could think of is your handle when I saw those, before and after theme.

On a side note, internet shopping reigned supreme with a belated '... the fark you mean it won't be delivered til Jan 15?!' moment.

The problem with wider isles is dumb shiats then like to put their cart on one side while they stand on the other side completely blocking the isle. They get irritated if you politely ask them to move, or move their cart aside. I really hate women with kids, because not only do they block the whole isle they some how always manage to stay ahead of me.

This is why I usually only shop between 1 - 5 A.M. when I can almost have the whole store to myself. The 24 hour store is one of the greatest retail inventions ever.

I agree with this article. I tried shopping at Walmart the other day and left the store without a purchase after being fed up trying to navigate through the store due to the merchandise in the main aisles. The aisles were crammed with so many products that I could not get through with the cart and I am not a large person. My rule of thumb is if I knock something off the shelf or rack in a department I will pick it up. If I knock something on the floor that is on a pallet in the main aisles, it stays on the floor and I move on. The aisles are for walking not storing more merchandise. I always wonder how the stores get away with loading up the aisles and not be in violation of the fire codes.

I ended up purchasing the item online from Amazon.com

Add this to one of several reasons why people shop on the internet.

ZAZ: I gave up going to stores near Christmas years ago.

THIS!

Wife and I are tired of the holiday crowds, the short tempers, and uber crappy driving by seasoned folk. So tired of it we opted to do the majority (~90%) of our holiday shopping at Amazon.com. The other 10% were stocking stuffers that we picked up during the week.
We enjoy being able to shop from the comfort of our living room with a game or movie on and enjoying a pint of our favorite micro brew.
Dont' miss the crowds on damn bit

There's some sort of phenomenon I've witnessed that causes the dimmest amongst us to swing the cart outwards in the opposite direction of what they are looking at. They look to the right, the cart swings out to the left for some reason.

BillCo: I have solved this problem. My kids are old enough that what they want most for Christmas is small, green and highly portable. I get them a few smaller things and I'm done.

1) Trip to bank. Big present problem done.
2) Amazon.com. Just wait for the package to arrive.
3) Walmart at 3:00 a.m. (works on my schedule quite nicely) to pick up a few odds and ends.

I actually went to the mall last weekend to see the chaos. Left after about 15 minutes.

I bought some stuff at Sears online. They have merchandize pickup that is fast. Why? Because they have a program called ready in 5 minutes or you get $5 off. You go in and scan your order, the people inside bust their ass and get the shiat to you within five minutes and you're out of there with your stuff in no time. Additionally, you can park right in front of the pickup area which is at the back of Sears mall front where there's hardly anybody around.
Thank you Sears for that.

Compare that to the buying at the register. Either their register island is empty and you have to go find somebody or there's a long line and you wait at least 10 minutes.

Also been buying at Staples online. They get their stuff to you the next day. Buying at Newegg and BestBuy online also and I've got some great deals there.

I haven't bough anything at Amazon this year. Amazon seems to be focusing on selling kindles, video games and blu-rays and not other stuff. They constantly seem to be fluctuating prices and playing weird games.

As for Walmart, Meijer etc they all seem hellbent on selling chips, cookies, frozen foods, canned foods and other infinite shelf life items only. I buy all my groceries at the local store run by some middle eastern people. Prices are dirt cheap for produce and their version of the deli with kabobs and felafels are much better than rotisserie chickens and sliced meat.

I finished all my Xmas shopping (90% of it online) by the middle of November, so I'm getting a kick...

Fuggin Bizzy: whizbangthedirtfarmer: There's some sort of phenomenon I've witnessed that causes the dimmest amongst us to swing the cart outwards in the opposite direction of what they are looking at. They look to the right, the cart swings out to the left for some reason.

I usually park my cart on the opposite side of the aisle from what I'm looking at. I can't see the merchandise very well if I'm standing right smack dab in front of it. I need a little room. Maybe that's what you're seeing.

As soon as you see someone coming, be sure to step up to the shelf opposite your cart and examine a box for 20 or 30 seconds.

I still have liquor shopping to do. Not many fat people in liquor stores.

as a narrow-ass in a world of wide bodies, I'm enjoying this thread etc etc

/has good genes
//looks good in jeans
///501 slashies!

NetstarGT: I agree with this article. I tried shopping at Walmart the other day and left the store without a purchase after being fed up trying to navigate through the store due to the merchandise in the main aisles. The aisles were crammed with so many products that I could not get through with the cart and I am not a large person. My rule of thumb is if I knock something off the shelf or rack in a department I will pick it up. If I knock something on the floor that is on a pallet in the main aisles, it stays on the floor and I move on. The aisles are for walking not storing more merchandise. I always wonder how the stores get away with loading up the aisles and not be in violation of the fire codes.

I ended up purchasing the item online from Amazon.com

Add this to one of several reasons why people shop on the internet.

Wife and I went to Toys R Us last weekend, and every last spot was stuffed with merchandise. They literately had it down to a single cart wide on each side of the aisle. So of course if someone was going the wrong way, someone had to back up and go around. Or if someone wanted to stop and look at something, no one could get by. So of course everyone was cranky and impatient. If I'm going to buy your crap, I don't want to feel cramped, rushed, and frustrated.

BillCo: My kids are old enough that what they want most for Christmas is small, green and highly portable.

I'm all for legalization, but you might want to not advertise that you let your kids buy it.

As a skinny person in a wheelchair, I'm not getting a kick... ever. But I find the easiest solution for me is to just start knocking/running shiat over. Sales people will come running over to move their precious crap out of your way. The isle width regulations do not have a "seasonal merchandise" exemption.

ZAZ: andychrist420

Doesn't the ADA allow 36 inch chokepoints? Plenty narrow enough for a cart and a fatty to block.

If there's a fatty in the way, I just run over their foot/hoof. I usually try to avoid the candy isle anyway.

How about the parking spots that are wide enough for a mini, but not wide enough or long enough for a full size truck.

These people roll down the deep-fat fried butter aisle at Wal-Mart, and look at me as if to say, "get out of the way".



FARKer, I was here first, beeyotch.


Reward the fail everyone.

An aisle should be wide enough for two people (with carts if provided) to pass each way.

I don't mind the occasional brush or bump.

I mind the chuckefarks who decide that stopping in the middle of said aisle is a great place to chit-chat, weigh the pros/cons of two virtually identical products, or otherwise idle their fat asses in the way of everyone else trying to get their shiat done.

"Men do not like being bumped into by ugly women they don't know,"

fixed it