Walking to the Grocery Store

by PkWynn on April 7, 2010

Walking to the grocery store in California is a big change in comparison to Portland, Oregon. The environment is already shady itself but every time I go to the grocery store I usually get haggled by questionable characters. I can easily walk away but what’s the fun in that?

Underage Skater Boys: Hey, can you buy us beer?

Me: No.

Underage Skater Boys: I’ll give you $2 dollars if you buy us a bottle?

Me: For reals? $2 dollars? Which one you want?

Underage Skater Boys: I’ll show you, you just have to buy it.

Ah, California liquor laws…

I took their money and bought them (3) Cookie and Cream Hersey’s bar, (2) 2-liter of Cherry 7-Up, a small pack of red licorice, and a bag of Lay’s Sour Cream and Onion chips. All on sale of course!

Underage Skater Boys: Dude ! What the Fu*&!.

I guess there’s scams going around. I see an older man, well dressed and knows how to talk.

Well Dressed Scamsman: Hey son, want to make a few thousand dollars?

Me: Enlighten me.

Well Dressed Scamsman: I have this investment partner that has an inside track on some stocks.

Me: So what do I do?

Well Dressed Scamsman: Give me a thousand dollars and in 3 days I’ll bring you five thousand.

Me: What can ten dollars do?

Well Dressed Scamsman: Not much but I can take that too.

Of course…

A guy is walking around with his kid and by no means he looks like a peddler but he has the peddler symptoms.

Peddling for Groceries: Say man, I need some money to feed my kid, can you spot me some change?

Me: How much you need?

Peddling for Groceries: At least 5 bucks man.

Me: I saw you get a couple bucks from a lady. What you need to buy?

Peddling for Groceries: Man, anything. I’m trying to come out with at least a cartful of groceries.

I look at his shoes, his $130 dollar shoes.

Me: You have Jordans on! Your kid has Jordans on!

Peddling for Groceries: Uhh… it’s fake man. Bootleg stuff.

Me: Can you get me some Jordans for cheap?

Peddling for Groceries: Nah, man. These are $130 bucks.

Me: I thought they were fake?

Peddling for Groceries: Man, my kid gotta eat!

Jordan 300x214 Walking to the Grocery Store


Anyone has stories walking to the store? Please share!

  • http://www.secretstorytime.blogspot.com Secretia

    I hate the damn scammers in the parking lot who ask for gas money etc.

  • http://baconismylover.blogspot.com Aunt Juicebox

    So how much did you make with your ten dollars? ;)

  • http://suzicate.wordpress.com suzicate

    On a daily basis? That would creep me out! I’m glad you have such a good sense of humor about it and you’re quite street wise in knowing how to handle them.

  • http://youthinkyoucanblog.wordpress.com Angelia Sims

    Hilarious!! How do they come up with this stuff?

    I can’t think of anything that happened….I do see a lot of bums with signs smoking cigs. I always wonder how do they afford to smoke???

    Stopping by from Peg’s place! Thanks for the laugh. :-)

  • http://pegbur7.wordpress.com Peg

    Living outside Atlanta, you get it every day. I particularly hate the ones that accost you in your car at red lights!

  • Margaret

    So was the Well Dressed Scamsman operating a pyramid scheme where you would actually get the $5000 back? Probably not; he would have been happy to take your $1000 (or $10, as the case may be) and that would be the end of it. I wonder if he thought anyone would fall for it?

  • http://minyards7.blogspot.com Alicia

    LOL, yah, people are pretty bold in CA!!

    I read this last night, but got distracted to comment!

    I don’t think I’ve ever walked to the grocery store before!

  • http://www.phoenixism.net Phoenixism

    Wow you walk to the grocery store in SoCal!?

    You’re a good man, Paul! People around here drive for everything, even if it’s down to the corner.

  • http://danisletters.blogspot.com/ Danielle

    Amazing what some people will say and do for money! I wouldn’t trust those people-they make me uncomfortable just reading about them!

  • http://www.supermarket-directory.info/?p=171 Walking to the Grocery Store « Supermarket Directory

    [...] to the grocery store in California gets more and more interesting. In this episode, some guys were trying to sell electronic equipment and household products from the [...]

Previous post:

Next post:

UA-10430543-1