Grim Meathook Present

[substitute]

I've been to the pharmacy twice in the last two days, once to leave off a prescription and once to pick one up. Both days the line has been at least 15 people long to pick up and about half that to drop off. This is maybe 3 times as long as usual.

The employees said "sorry, our hours are cut." When I came in today I turned around and walked out because I didn't have an hour free to wait. Fortunately I didn't need the prescription right away.

If upper middle class people with good benefits in a resort town in Southern California are now waiting an hour to get their prescriptions, because the drugstore chain has cut hours way down, what's it like right now in Wal-Mart land? My guess: not so great.

I've also noticed discounters like Target carrying less inventory and less variety. If I don't get to Target before noon on a Saturday the chance of finding the lightbulb I need is halved.

Something went down at the bank in the same shopping center the other day and they have an armed security guard now. That's new.

It's not the end of the world, especially here. But if I can notice the quality of everyday life slipping here? It must be getting really special in poorer bits.

Comments

Live From WalMart Land

[rum-holiday.livejournal.com]

I have no frame of reference for what it was like down here where I am in rural Alabama because it was already economically depressed and I only got here 3 months ago, but I haven't noticed any specific declines in goods or services. As a matter of fact, an actual decent natural foods restaurant recently opened in the next town, but the chef owns the building, the store and the farm where a good chunk of his product comes from, so I am hoping that is going to be enough to keep him in business.

I know a big complaint of the bartenders and servers around here is that people have stopped tipping though.