Yesterday I went to Safeway to pick up three or four things. While in the produce section I was waylaid by a bin of peaches saying seductively “Me! You want me!” So I pulled one of the little clear plastic sacks off the dispenser and picked up three of the stone fruits.

I got to the register, plopped my purchases down on the belt, watched as they were rung up, paid for them in the usual manner and picked them up. They made up three bags (the local Safeway is downright profligate with its sacks; all of this would have easily fit in one bag).

I got home and put stuff away. Then about two hours later I thought “Did I see the peaches?” I went to the fridge to check and didn’t see them. Looked in the countertop fruit basket. Nope, not there either. Checked the fridge again. Still not there. Thought to myself, “Maybe you changed your mind and put them back down in the bin?” Went back to the receipt. Nope, bought 0.88 lbs of white peaches @ $1.99/lb. I reluctantly came to the conclusion that I’d left them on the cashier’s table at the store.

Today I went back to Safeway but I forgot to bring the receipt along. I went to the Customer Service desk and explained what had happened and that I forgot the charge slip. “Not a problem. I can pull it up,” said the cheerful Safeway worker. I grant that I’m in there about every day and they know my name, but still, she pulled up the data and printed it out in about two minutes flat. There it was: a record of all those items from yesterday. Peaches, Cinnamon Rolls, a papaya, a cross-rib boneless beef roast and a package of mini-peppers, all there, along with my Safeway Club Card number and my credit card info.

I got my replacement peaches, but I also got a queasy feeling in my stomach. Look at how fast and easy a clerk at a grocery store could get my data!