On Sat, 10 Mar 2012 00:50:05 -0500, wrote:

Last couple times I visited rat shop before they vanished:

- I needed a small soldering iron in a bit of a rush so went in,
picked up the item and stood in front of the sales terminal. The only
other person in the store was fiddling with something near the
entrance, after several minutes I asked "do you work here?", the reply
"I am figuring out how to program this new cell phone", my response
"well if that is more important than accepting payment for
merchandise, I will take the item as a gift and leave" - "Hang on a
minute and I will get to you" Being slightly honest I waited.

I might have ripped the package tag off the top, left it with the cash
on the counter, and walked out. If I'd stayed, I'd have noted his
name and mentioned the incident to the manager so the little punk
would be reprimanded.


- I needed some batteries so went there because they were close. As I
entered the lone staff (not the same one) greeted me " good evening
sir, may I help you?", " yes, I need a couple of double A NiCads",
"What are those?" I found what I needed, paid and left.

Shortly after, all Rat Shops became "The Source" then most closed, I
think there is one left somewhere in town.

I suppose it's tough getting help with an IQ above a cool room temp
nowadays. Kids all go for the money rather than the wonderfully
interesting blue and white collar stuff of science and tech.

I only go to RatSnack if I need something TODAY and have the extra
money to pay their treble rates. Most everything in there is from
China these days, but they really run up the prices, unlike Amazon and
eBay dealers. I was surprised to find a RatSnack here in GP, then
unpleasantly surprised to find the same type of punk working there as
you first met.

--
Inside every older person is a younger person wondering WTF happened.