The wheels on the bus go round and round...
London, ON, April 2007 [Click to enlarge]
The big yellow grocery store that opened near our house last year continues to be a great place to bring a camera. While picking up some milk, I thought I'd take another run at the grocery carts parked outside. There's a neat pattern to them when they're all stacked up, and they seemed to be asking for a shot (please click here for my first, much earlier attempt at grocery buggy photography.)
So I crouched down on the sidewalk and snapped away. No sooner had I racked off my first shot, I heard a voice behind me.
"I just have to ask why you're so interested in my buggies."
I spun around and saw a very official-looking man wearing a windbreaker with the store's logo on it. The owner. I was either busted or vindicated. I explained that I loved the aesthetic of the yellow. He and I bantered about what a cool store he had and how much I loved to shoot interesting pictures. He thought it was neat that I'd find stuff like that worth shooting. We parted with smiles on our faces.
Something tells me I'll be returning to this store. To shop AND to shoot pictures.
Your turn: The difference between a mediocre moment and one that inspires can be small indeed. This time out, the store owner kept an open mind, and I think I made his day. He sure made mine, and in doing so, he earned my future business. Got a similarly uplifting business story from your own experience?
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20 comments:
I don't have a story coming to mind but I love your extrospective view on life through a lens and hadn't realised how much I had missed it not blogging or stopping by yours or Michele's thanks for the Kind words from both and its sometimes the smallest things that help in the biggest ways ;)
thank god the owner has business savvy. usually thay shoot themselves in the foot with a heavy handed 'i'm going to have to ask you to leave' remark. this usually sours the client - causing them never to return.
off the top of my head, i can only think of the guy who owns the supermarket we hang out at after hockey. they have a coffee shop inside, where the blowhards like to go to re-cap the morning's events. every once in a while the bagels and coffee are 'on the house'. it's nice to know that our business is truly appreciated. that's why we always go back. i've been going to his other supermarket too, even though it's out of the way.
happy shopping - here via michele.
p
A woman in my office, a nerd girl like me, stuck up for the summer student to another manager, the mean girl (yes, it's an awful lot like high school). She was direct without being mean. Met nastiness with evidence and she didn't back down. I want to be her if I grow up.
Great shot, by the way.
Hello, my friend. What a fabulous picture! Here's hoping the nice owner doesn't mind you revisiting with your camera.
You won the caption contest last week - I thought your caption summed up their doomed relationship :-)
Another one is up today :-)
cq
Thanks so much Carmi for your nice words on my blog! I appreciate it!
Have a good weekend!
I have no story of my own...but I did hear that in Paris, a blogging photographer got escorted out of the shoe store for trying to get photos. Apparently, the owner felt the photographer was there for a competitor.
Michele said to say hi........
A most recent uplifting experience was just a couple of days back when we arrived at our anniversary hotel to be told we had been upgraded to the bridal suite. Of course I will be writing about it later!
Michele says hi!
This past winter, the local health food store where I shop ran out of these turkey pot pies I like. I asked when they'd be getting them in (several times), and they asked for my phone number. Two days later, they called to tell me the pot pies were in, and how many should they put aside?
I felt ridiculous to have someone call me saying, "Ma'am, your pot pies are in." But I also thought it was really sweet of them. (And these are whole wheat, healthy-ish pot-pies). I talk up their business all the time--good prices, great service--important, now that there's a gourmet shop only a few doors away.
Those shopping carts look awesome. Please steal one, disassemble it, and send it to New Jersey.
I'm here again from Michele's because we double jumped - if you see what I mean. It occurred to me that the super market trolleys are very much sturdier than ours. Sometimes its impossible to wheel them straight and one has to zig-zag. Fortunately my husband likes shopping - food that is - so he can get all the naughties I would ignore :)
you should print that out and make it a thank you note...I am sure he would love it.
I can understand why you wnated to take the pic - it really does look great with all those wheeled lined up and the yellow colour really lifts the shot.
He sounds like a business man AND a human being with his head screwed on to me. Sadly customer service is largely lacking in the UK in my experience so I can't radily think of a similar experience.
LOVE the picture Carmi...I thought at first it was the wheels of a BIG TRUCK! (lol)...How nice that the owner was pleased!
I think you were lucky and that store-owner was nice to ask you why you were there and listen to your answer. Most of them suspect espionage (or weirdness) and tell you to leave. Michele sent me today.
why would that ONE wheel not touch the ground??
I used to frequent a dry cleaners shop that had a very friendly owner. She would always greet me and my daughter when we dropped off or picked up clothing. She once lost a pair of my pants, and of course, offered to reimburse me for the cost of a new pair.
Ownership changed recently, and the new one was not as friendly. He lost a dress shirt of mine, and at first made excuses about its whereabouts. After over a week, when it was obvious it was lost, he offered to reimburse me for the cost of the dry cleaning (I had paid for cleaning of that shirt when I picked up the other clothes dropped off with it). I had to ask him for reimbursement of a replacement shirt. I found a different dry cleaner.
The picture is great; I like it better than the earlier one. That's why I keep coming back here - the eye candy and the stories.
Interesting photo and story to go along with it. I live in a very small area in the middle of the Chesapeake Bay and there are only 2 video rental stores...I stupidly returned a movie to the wrong one! When I realized my mistake I stopped by to pick it up and was told that an employee dropped it off for me on her way home. What a gal.
Michelle sent me.
My youngest daughter would love this shot Carmi. She's totally mad for all things yellow. She says the colour makes her feel warm and happy.
Thanks as always for sharing.
Here via Michele today.
Michele sent me back again!
I love how you call them buggies as in the UK they are trolleys. Can't wait to see what you photograph next at the store!
Hi...thanks for stopping over at my blog...thought I'd drop by and check your blog out!!!
Love the fact that the store owner was smart enough to recognize the value of what you were doing!
BTW, I love the photo...and I'll be checking back here often.
You ENJOY your camera. We have a daughter that does as well.
One of my first thoughts on this page was that you are a very kind young man. Saw the advertisement for some medicine for colic. Now WHO would post something like that but a "sweetie Dad?" Not good English, but you get the idea. :)
You have a good command of the language, a good imagination, have FUN with what you do very well.
I'm the queen of run on sentences and enjoy something well written. LOL
Enjoy your new supermarket, and have FUN taking your daughter on a ride on one of those YELLOW carts....if she still fits into one.
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