While writing about wine over the past 13 years I seldom went really negative. I wrote a few harsh restaurant reviews. I tasted some bad wine and said so. But more often than  not I wouldn’t go out of my way to trash anyone.

A typical aisle’s floor in Store #2 Not an example but nearly every aisle.

But, I got mad yesterday. Here we are in middle of a pandemic when face masks, gloves and disinfectant are a big part of our lives. Cleanliness and respecting others’ space is an expectation.

With very few businesses open it seems to me, and  I’d like to think others, that these places would be bending over backwards to earn their customers trust and continued support.

So okay, here we go. I live on Indy’s eastside near Little Flower and Irvington. It’s not the best side of town by most standards. The area certainly struggles with crime and violent crime. But there has been a big change the past few years. New retail businesses are popping up and doing well. The problem is the old standbys are letting us down.

Honestly, one of the less-cluttered aisles.

I needed a small electrical connection that I thought would be easy to find. I visited two general merchandise stores which feature a wide variety of goods at low prices. You know these places. And in economically depressed areas they flourish. Need a better hint? I went to two and they both have the word “Dollar” in their name.

The newest store,  less than a year old, was filthy with merchandise scattered around the floor. That building was completely redone to accommodate the current business. I was was seriously shocked at the mess. A little internet search showed Indiana has 428 of these stores. The second wasn’t quite as messy, though not orderly, but was even dirtier than the first. Using the net, I learned there are 48 of these stores in Indiana and 8,000 nationwide.

Photos don’t lie, these were taken about 10:30 a.m.  yesterday.

These places are probably slammed with business. I suspect they have a hard time hiring and keeping employees. But it’s hard to understand running a commercial business without daily upkeep. Both of these general merchandise stores are large corporations. How about hiring a part-time worker or two in every store to keep things clean and organized? You can provide a job or two for people who are out of work and maybe show a little respect for the community you serve.

Customers are shopping the shelves clean, there has to be profit. It’s time for these places to provide the dignity of a clean, safe shopping environment.