BUT THE SIGN SAYS!!!! (WIC rant)

[groceryslave]

I think the wic program is a good program in some ways, but there has to be a better way than all of the stupid individual checks. About half of the people that come shopping at my work on WIC know what they are doing, others are so stupid it makes me wonder how in the heck they were able to find the store if they can't even read the freaking check!!!

So this lady comes through my line at @10 pm with 8 different checks. She managed to get the juices, the beans and the peanut butters correct. The MILK EGG AND CHEESE one, she couldn't get any of it right. First she comes through with 2 doz. organic eggs, 2 gal. organic milk, and 2lbs. cheese food individually wrapped. The max amount on this check is @ $24. Her organic food and fake cheese food comes to over $32. I tell her for 1, she can't get the cheese food, only REAL CHEESE can be purchased (says it right on the check)

HER "But there was a WIC sign in front of the cheese"
ME "I'm sorry, but your check stated american, swiss, etc, CHeese Food is not an option" (cheese like food is really what it is called YUCK)
HER "But it is american cheese
Me "No, It says right on the package AMERICAN FLAVORED CHEESE FOOD"
HER"But the sign says"
me "And the check says no individually wrapped slices"
HER "FINE, GET ME SHARP CHEESE THAN"
ME" ok maam, sorry about that. Also you can't get all of this organic..
(She cut me off screaming, YES I CAN GET ORGANIC FOOD! MY CHILDREN NEED ORGANIC FOOD. IT"S BETTER FOR THEM!(me thinking If you want organic food get a job. My husband and I both work and we can't afford to buy all this organic food for our kids. Also with WIC they get the expensive formula, which still pisses me off considering when both of my kids transitioned from breastfeeding to formula, I bought them Store brand formula. And they turned out perfectly healty and smart! Also, If organic food is SO IMPORTANT to you, why would you buy them CHEESE LIKE FOOD? Anyway...
ME "what I was going to say is that you can get organic as long as you don't go over your max amount.
HER "FINE! THAN SINCE YOUR SO MUCH SMARTER THAN ME, YOU GO PICK OUT THE ITEMS FOR THIS CHECK!"
me"UM, OK?(thinking I already knew I was smarter than you
so I do this, and she bitc@@S me out for getting the Wrong brand of milk. I told her she either has to get the Dairy Glen so she can keep her precious organic eggs, or go with the expensive non organic milk and get regular eggs. I finally finish
"Have a nice night
HER "SCREW YOU, A computer could do your job better than you!
I was thinking A wild animal could do YOUR JOB which is reproduce and not have the means to take care of them, but instead, I faked sincerity and sweetly asked if she needed service out and appologized about all the inconvience. It took her off guard and she said No, I got it.

WHAT IS THIS WORLD COMING TO???

[stickycoins]

My store doesn't take WIC/EBT/Foodstamps. At least twice a night I get someone who brings soda/chips/junk to the counter and tries to use them. I don't have a problem with the programs for those that need them, and a treat now and then is no big deal. But when you see the same people over and over again trying to buy pure junk instead of real food for their family it just makes me wonder. Not only is junk more expensive, it has very little nutritional value. For that bottle of soda, you could have bought some pasta, sauce, and some veggies and had a meal. These are the same people that come in my store and use change to buy blunts and beer.

[batmoody]

My store doesn't take WIC/EBT/Foodstamps. At least twice a night I get someone who brings soda/chips/junk to the counter and tries to use them. I don't have a problem with the programs for those that need them, and a treat now and then is no big deal. But when you see the same people over and over again trying to buy pure junk instead of real food for their family it just makes me wonder. Not only is junk more expensive, it has very little nutritional value. For that bottle of soda, you could have bought some pasta, sauce, and some veggies and had a meal. These are the same people that come in my store and use change to buy blunts and beer.

We had a guy who would buy our store brand cases of soda on foodstamps (EBT), dump it on the side of the store, redeem the empty cans for their deposit and buy 40 ozers of beer. Yes, for some ridiculous reason, soda deposits are covered under foodstamps, redeemable for cash.

As for WIC, my biggest peeve is when they have those 8 vouchers and set everything on the belt in one big pile. I make them seperate it by voucher, otherwise, when I get to the end, something is always off because I missed something.

I would say 8 times out of 10 though, people don't get the WIC stuff right. I know that when those things are mailed out there is a very expansive list of what is and isn't eligible, even in spanish. C'mon, Cocoa Pebbles on WIC? Hmmm....let me get you some Cheerios.

[Battyone]

Depends on the state, in Maryland you apparently [and this was a shock to me] can get flavored/name brand cereals under WIC. Personally I believe the WIC program is a great thing for one reason alone: Formula.

That stuff is EXPENSIVE! When I was cashiering back in NJ the 10-can checks would total around $90! Insane.

My sister is a mother of 3, and was young when she had her 1st. If it was not for WIC then they would have never been able to afford rent, the kid stuff, and etc and still be able to be around the kid. [Both parents have full time jobs, and now I am helping contribute money to them too...kids are expensive]

[Lace Neil Singer]

Don't think we have that over here, cept for milk tokens. I've only ever had trouble with them once, when this woman bought 4 tins of formula and expected to be able to get them with a milk token. Milk tokens only cover 7 pints of liquid milk; nothing else. Of course, she wouldn't believe me EVEN THO IT'S PRINTED ON THE DAMN TOKEN and I had to get a supervisor over to tell her so.

[Crow The Robot]

good god

It's people like that who give WIC a bad name, being rude asshats & trying to scam sh-t, I understand that WIC is a good program, maybe there could be some way of monitoring the program, via computers and such, to tell when people are abusing the system.

[RecoveringKinkoid]

Well, if there's anything good that can be said of this, we can say at least this woman was interested in healthy food for her kids. I realize the cheese food stuff does not fall into that category, but she's right, about organic being better, especially the milk.

However, you are right that organic food is a luxury many cannot afford, but that is just a sad fact of reality. Sure her kids deserve good food...all kids deserve it. But her reality is that she is raising her kid on the dole, and as such, she must be happy with whatever handout she gets. You are right, if she wants better quality, she should pay for it herself.

[cpux]

Wow, your program's pretty easygoing. Here in NJ, absolutely nothing on WIC can be organic. As far as cheese, the customers can get individually sliced American instead of block cheese, as long as it's 16 oz. However, this causes confusion, since the 16 oz packages have 24 slices, and the 12 oz packages have 16 slices, and you can imply what's more prominently shown.

HER "SCREW YOU, A computer could do your job better than you!

Seeing firsthand the interactions between morons and computers, I don't think she'd like to deal with a computer any better.

[Coconut]

It's people like that who give WIC a bad name, being rude asshats & trying to scam sh-t, I understand that WIC is a good program, maybe there could be some way of monitoring the program, via computers and such, to tell when people are abusing the system.

I agree. I've known very honest, hard working people on WIC. Then again I heard about a woman who got caught getting WIC and selling in it a grocery store parking lot

[El Barto]

I had someone try to pay with foodstamps the other day.(or the New York version, credit card type thing with the cardholders picture on it). I dont even know if CVS take food stamps, our registers have a foodstamps button, but that doesnt mean anything were I work, we also have a Foreign Currency button, which we cant use, and a Price Verify button, which we cant use (I dont feel like explaingin corprates reasoning behind that one). Since I wasnt sure (and because there was nobody to ask, I was MOD that night) I tried to ring her up using the foodstamps card. Nothing we tried would work, swiping on the customer keypad, swiping it in the one built into the register, keying it in manually. I knew why it wouldnt work (and it has nothing to do with the register or the company accepting foodstamps or not), but I wasnt mean enough to say: "You can't buy CANDY with foodstamps you moron."

[Lehk]

groceryslave

when I was on foodstamps (15 years ago, when they were still paper coupons) I would get snarky attitude from cashiers when I bought fresh strawberries on sale, or any fresh fruit or veggies. there's no winning the 'hey judge my groceries' game.

god forbid poor people buy fresh healthy fruit

[Becks]

ME "I'm sorry, but your check stated american, swiss, etc, CHeese Food is not an option" (cheese like food is really what it is called YUCK)

Oh, don't get me started on my feelings about "cheese food".

That woman was a !!!!!!!!!!!

[QA Queen]

Down here, we have WIC warehouses. You go to the warehouse once a month to pick up your allotment. At least you get to deal with people who understand your situation...

One exception to that rule. I was working full time, and sometimes my husband would go get the allotment for the month. They were surprised almost every time that the actual father of the children was involved, and he was actually married to the children's mother!

[Crazyredhead]

Do you have the WIC list that comes out every year. It should be available in the WIC office. If you have it, you could show it to the hardheaded customers that insist that they can get something.

[stickycoins]

Soda here costs $2.00(2 liter). pasta sauce .99c/p, pasta .89c/p. I can make a meal of that.