Reply #44: Thanks for these observations! I was reminded of some experiences too

[KansDem]

I live in a somewhat economically diverse area--as much as possible for NE Kansas. My home is in what I would call a solid middle-class neighborhood. However, around me are wealthier communities in a kind of pastiche arrangement. It's not unusual to drive through several communities and experience the gamut from small homes with single moms to large estates with huge lawns.

Anyway, this arrangement leads to a mixing of the economic factions at the local supermarkets:

Rich people steal things all the time--At one local supermarket there is a display of bulk coffee brands. One is an economical brand and another is an expensive "designer" brand. I saw a fashionably-dressed woman pick up a bag with the economic brand's label and fill it with beans from the expensive "designer" coffee bins. As I watched this I thought she had at first made a mistake, but it soon became apparent she wanted to buy the expensive coffee at the economical price. I happened to get behind her in the checkout line and noticed she paid with a Visa Gold card. I thought to myself, "So that's how you get those cards...!"

Rich people love to taunt you when they know you can't fight back--Recently I stopped by another supermarket to pay a bill. The customer-service counter will accept utility bill payments and I find it convenient to simply run by on my way to work (I work one evening a week and go in later that day) and pay the gas, electric, and phone bills. This one time I approached the desk and find I had to stand in line. No problem, there was only a couple people in front of me. I also noticed a shopping cart filled with groceries and a store employee standing idly by it. I thought this was odd but didn't think much of it until I realized the cart of groceries belonged to one of the customers standing in line at the customer-service counter. It appeared she had done her shopping, checked out, and either requested or had offered assistance with her cart. A young employee was pushing the cart to her car for her. She must have decided to do some business on the way out at the customer-service desk, so instead of thanking the employee and taking the cart herself, she stood in line and had the employee stand there with her (slightly back and off to one side). I thought, "How arrogant!" She appeared to be quite capable of taking her own cart of groceries out to the car, but her sense of entitlement ignored the worth of the employee, who certainly could have returned to his duties for the benefit of other customers. And she was there several minutes with the employee standing "dutifully" by... I spent this time watching other upscale customers and noticed they rarely, if ever, acknowledged the store employees. I did not hear "please, "thank you," or "Hello, how are you?" It was as if the employees were there merely to serve them, and were invisible when not needed. I felt sorry for the employees, especially those old enough to be grandparents getting the treatment from young, upscale 20-something customers.