The Cesar Chavez Aisle

I was at the self checkout at QFC the other day when I overheard a customer loudly and heatedly dealing with one of the kids who works there. The first thing that caught my attention:

"I want to see a sign up there that reads, 'Cesar Chavez Aisle'," the customer said.

I looked over to see what was going on. The customer, a wirey, bald middle-aged man who looked like he spent all his time relaxing in the sun, was pointing at the aisle containing "ethnic foods." The poor kid who worked there looked like he was out of his element.

"I mean this is inexcusable," the customer went on. "How can you not have black beans? You HAVE to have black beans. It's a disgrace."

"Yes sir, I'll put in a suggestion with my manager," the employee said, calmly.

I tried to comprehend what was happening. The customer hadn't been able to find black beans in the ethnic food aisle, so now he wanted to rename the aisle the "Cesar Chavez Aisle?" I guess he was viewing this as some kind of social injustice? Like it was a political statement that QFC wasn't carrying black beans? Meanwhile I'm pretty sure I've bought black beans at QFC before, so if they weren't there it was either because they just didn't happen to be in stock that day or the guy didn't look carefully enough.

"You know they're gonna rename Broadway Cesar Chavez Boulevard, don't you?" the customer continued.

"I hadn't heard that," the employee said.

"Yeah, as soon as they can get together the $175,000 it takes to rename the street," the customer said.

The employee wasn't sure what to say to that.

"Remember when they changed all the school signs?" the customer asked.

"No," the employee said, poor kid.

"It cost $175,000 to change all the school signs, then they didn't make any sense so it took $175,000 to change them back!" the customer ranted. "That's your tax dollars at work for you."

"Okay. . . "

"So," the customer said, as if to summarize, "There better be black beans in that aisle by tomorrow! And next time I come in here I better see a sign that says 'Cesar Chavez Aisle!'"

"Okay, sir, I'll be sure to talk to my managers," the employee said.

The customer went back and forth a few times, making the same points, with the employee doing his best to act like he was listening attentively and would do something about this terrible tragedy. Then, he stormed out and got into his gigantic, shiny pick up truck.

The employee came back to his post at the self check out section. As I walked out, I made eye contact with the employee and rolled my eyes, silently saying, "Sorry you had to put up with that."

He smiled back, silently saying, "Thanks."

"Have a good evening," I said out loud.

"You, too," the employee said.