LITTLE ROCK — Just ahead in the meat aisle, at least nine metal shopping carts had achieved full gridlock. The shoppers, their carts brimming over, had managed to completely block the aisle. Everybody stood there staring at everybody else, raising their eyebrows in disdain at the traffic jam. Several of the children caught in the trap edged closer to mama or daddy.
One impatient woman turns hard left, managing to bump into a cart being tended by an older man. Then she turns back. But by then another shopper had rushed in to fill the void. All was immobile confusion.
At that point, the shoppers paused in place for a long moment, uncertain of their next move, or anybody else's.When in doubt, just freeze until Somebody does Something.
Finally, an exasperated woman at the rear of the logjam backed up and headed in the opposite direction. Which allowed the little lady trapped beside the cooler to slip and slide a bit and follow her out.
And so the knot unraveled, one cart at a time. The shoppers either shook their heads with a laugh-at-themselves smile, or looked disgusted at their own stubbornness.
It was another Saturday afternoon at the Wal-Mart Superstore in west Fayetteville.
The good news: There wasn't a hint of the recession. Well, not in the meat aisle anyway.
Editorial, Pages 16 on 09/25/2009