Last weekend I was also one of those Dutch people who still had an Intertoys gift card. So we headed to the Intertoys store.
I wasn't the only one who had come up with that great idea I heard later. We were able to redeem it after some difficulty. After all, there was a glitch the girl at the cash register told us. 'Takes up to ten minutes per card sometimes,' she explained
Fortunately, it worked out and we left the store with a game.
I later read on the news that small riots had broken out in Intertoys stores in some places. You also saw long lines in front of the checkout, because they too were dealing with that same glitch, only with those people not grabbing the coupon....
Then again, if you are already frustrated as an adult because your favorite toy store is out of business, you need to show your children how to deal with those frustrations, of course.
So spitting and swearing it becomes then. Preferably slapping as well, but what about knocking the light out of the eyes of that 16-year-old adolescent girl behind the cash register? Then you know for sure that the ten euro voucher will not be redeemed.
Then again, you don't want that.
That's how it was done in Amstelveen. Then again, if you live there too, I can understand that. A bit of the sleeping city of North Holland, more elderly people live there on average than any other city and the place is slowly being taken over by Japanese who are settling there. There are many Japanese companies there.
So yes, when then that cute little elephant disappears from the streetscape and you've lost all your Blokker and also your V&D, it just becomes too much. You just can't handle all that change anymore and then something snaps at that age.
Suddenly, then, you are no longer neighbors, acquaintances or even friends. No, then it's every man for himself. It's not about the coupon, because you had forgotten about it. You found it somewhere in a kitchen drawer and what does it actually say?
No idea.
But of course, that's not what it's about at all. It's about your rights, and you defend them. You also show your children to stand up for their rights.
That you, as an Amstelvener, won't let them walk all over you. That business may be out of business and those people may well be their last day of work, but that's not what it's all about.
It's all about the principle!
Which I don't think you even had before that....
Anyway, it's Monday. Intertoys is gone. You showed the kids that you don't just let them walk all over you. You turn around delightfully and wait for the next opportunity to show your teeth. Because real teeth you probably won't have.
Great week 😊
