Does anyone remember the Alpha Beta supermarket chain? They were around when I was a kid, and are now defunct, but for some reason the company crossed my mind today. And for some really crazy, weird, totally inexplicable reason, I remember their slogan, "Tell a Friend." By the way, what does this memory say about the magnitude of wasted space in my brain?
Apparently, the gimmick behind the Alpha Beta chain was that they alphabetized all the groceries in their stores. So does that mean that grapes were next to granola? I'm not sure. It sounds very complicated, yet also, paradoxically, like a quaint notion from a bygone era.... As does their "Tell a Friend" slogan, which to me, is like saying, "Do our advertising work for us." Although, there is something very compelling about being told to tell a friend. You almost feel obligated to listen.
Speaking of which, the other day, I was in a cafe restroom that had a sign above the toilet seat, imploring, "PLEASE DO NOT PEE ON THE SEAT." Now, gentlemen may not know this, but us ladies pee on the seat too sometimes, especially those of us who hover a few inches above the seat in the name of hygiene. I'm telling you this because I want you to understand that I took this mandate in the restroom to heart. I was seriously concerned that if I accidentally got a bit of wee-wee on the seat, an alarm might go off alerting the proprietor along with all patrons that I had done the big no-no. Fortunately, that did not happen. But who knows what would have transpired, had I taken the non-compliance route?
I guess, to me, this fear of peeing on the seat after being told not to represents a bigger psychological phenomenon--beyond your garden variety "psychology of fear"--which I can't exactly put my finger on... But I'll bet if Stanley Milgram or Ivan Pavlov or one of those dudes was around today, they'd have a better idea about it.
2 comments:
alpha beta would "tell a friend" , a REAL friend
not to wee wee on the seat. think it would be
wise to have those disposable toilet covers for
guests at home... you never know who may take
a whiz on your floor, nevermind the seat.
I think I vaguely remember this chain. It looks/sounds familiar. But it's barely more than a flicker in the memory banks at this point, as I would have been very young before this chain met it's demise. It does, however, remind me of Alpha Bits cereal, which I loved. Rejoice!
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