I’m sure you’ve heard all the stories of stores being more vigilant with their customers because of an increase in shoplifting, right? Because the economy’s in the dumps and people don’t have as much disposable income anymore, they’re starting to shoplift more. I remember hearing a few weeks ago about a security guard that was shot (or was it stabbed?) by a shoplifter as he ran out of the store with baby food. (Apparently there’s a big black market in baby products right now). Any ways, this week I ran into an interesting situation that I think is a reaction to this increase of shoplifting.
The Hiding of the Cheese.
“What the hell are you talking about Jb?” you’re asking yourself. Patience my dear readers, patience.
This week I needed to get another piece of parmesan cheese, as I’m almost done mine. Parmesan cheese, real parmesan cheese (parmiggiano reggiano, for those of you in the know) costs a lot of money. It’s one of my concessions in my kitchen. I can cut back on the amount of meat I buy, on the amount of fresh fruit I buy, but don’t take away my parmiggiano. That’s a must. So this week I was wandering around the store looking for it. But do you think I could find it?
Hells no. Was it next to the brie and camembert? Nope.
Was it next to the packages of feta? Not at all.
I suddenly started to get worried, as I was wondering if I would be able to find it at all. I ambled up to the deli counter to ask the clerk, and she replied “Oh yes, we have it here behind the counter.”
Huh? I stared at her blankly for a few seconds and didn’t even notice that she’d started to walk over to the other side of the counter. It’s behind the counter? What the hell was I buying pseudo-ephendrine? Had I suddenly walked into a pharmacy?
“It’s over on this side,” the clerk repeated when she saw I hadn’t followed her.
I made sure she grabbed a piece of parmiggiano reggiano, not the padano (again, for you cheese snobs like me, you’ll know why I was keen on the reggiano and not the padano), said thanks, and went on my merry way. But this whole incident got me thinking. Why the hell would they put it behind the counter? Is it because the reggiano is expensive? Like over $10 a wedge expensive? Have people been shoplifting the parmiggiano reggiano? I don’t know, but that’s the only thing I can think of as to why the parmiggiano reggiano was hidden behind the deli counter. There’s no other reason because it’s already pre-packaged and wrapped up.
At any rate, I got my cheese, so I was happy. 
