RANT 'N' RAVE
Missing manners
I stood in the 7-11 waiting for the
melodic "Roppyaku-ni-ju en ni narimasu". I waited and looked at the
cashier-and she looked right back at me. The green display on the register read $6.20.
Then it all came flying back at me: I left Japan a week ago and I just spent six bucks on
non-edible American-style 7-11 grub. I knew I was in trouble.
The next thing I knew I was lost in a land of baby clothes in my local Wal-Mart. The
shelves of the baby section were chaotically and randomly stocked. Clothes on one shelf,
bottles on another, and boxes of underwear drifted over from the nearby men's department.
I was looking for a front-carrying baby sling. Pointing to an opened box, I said to the
salesperson, "Excuse me, ma'am, do you happen to have any more of these in the
back?" She looked at me, then at the box, and said, "Nah, whatever ya see is
it." Subseqently she went back to hanging up her size two infant socks.
Where were the managers? The apologies? The
let-me-check-with-the-person-who-is-supposed-to-know-more-than-me? I left the half-opened
box on the shelf and as I walked out the door, I noticed a lone corndog resting in its
steel prison in the Wal-Mart cafe. Omotesando was far, far, away. I was desperate for one
of those Japanese-service-with-smile-till-I-die gals.
So I went to the bank, in one last effort to scrape up some down home service. When I
walked into the bank, I immediately felt a missing presence. My heart sank when I realized
there was no ATM man to guide me through the corral or greet me at the door. I managed to
make it to the teller all by myself and said, "I'd like to make a deposit
please." I handed her my check (remember those?) and deposit slip with a big friendly
grin. She didn't say anything. She just ran it through her computer. I stared at the
reflection of the green computer screen on her eyes. A "hello" would have been
reasonable, and a "Kashikomarimashita" would have sent me over the
counter and onto her lap. All I got was a printout with my balance - and not even a thank
you. At this point, I went to the next teller, withdrew all my money, and went straight to
the travel agent next door to book the next flight back to Tokyo.
Many thanks to reader Jeff Levick for this Rant.
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