Mother's Day behind the counter

Now did you all remember your mums?

You'd think half the population of the county didn't, judging by the crowd of last-minute shoppers and gift-card buyers. Well, I suppose a gift card to Wal-Mart is useful, if not the most inventive.

What I dislike is the gruding way some people went about it.

This was a fairly typical conversation:

HIM: Can I check out here? (brandished a greeting card)
ME: Yes, sir.
HIM: And I want a gift card.
ME: Did you have a particular design in mind sir? Is it for Mother's Day?
HIM: Mother's Day.
ME: I show him the cards and he picks one with flowers. How much sir?
HIM: (and this is the really good bit) HE GRIMACES, HEMHAWS AND GOES "Well, I guess you'd better make it fifty."
ME: It was all I could do not to stare. This man was not only picking out a card and too thoughtless to buy a gift, but he was begrudging the woman who raised his thankless self $50. And before you ask, he was well-dress, reasonably well-spoken and paid with a gold AmEx card. No, he wasn't poor.

The poor people, I understand that you do what you can. One girl came up and asked for scissors. She proceeded to cut out a picture of her daughter (the mom's granddaughter I assume) she'd had enlarged back in photo, put it in a frame and wrap it in tissue paper and put it in a gift bag. That was nice. She didn't have to make the mess she did though and tie up counter space for 15 minutes. She didn't ask either, just started cutting, wrapping and decorating.

The photo thing was thoughtful. "Well, I guess you'd better make it $50" wasn't. And trust me dude. Even if you gave her $500, she'd never know a true son's love!