The price of candy bars at the Metro convenience store near my work went from .79 cents to $1.09 sometime in the past two weeeks. Yes, the Metro imposed its own 40% fat tax on the candy counter to help customers lose that extra weight in their wallets.
At first I thought that the clerk rung in a jumbo-sized candy bar instead of a regular-sized candy bar. An understandable mistake, since the clerk appeared to be an immigrant from Southeast Asia, and in his native country a pack of regular-sized Almond M&Ms must look like an obscene amount of candy.
“Is that right?” I asked, gesturing to the price on the cash register’s digital display.
“Yes, one dollar nine.” He glanced at me rather fiercely. I sensed that this man had attained a more distinguished profession in his native country than convenience store clerk, like a doctor, lawyer, or member of a military junta.
I fished a dime out of my wallet and dropped it in his hand, slapped a dollar bill on the counter, then grabbed my candy and fled before he handed me the penny, an exchange that would lower both our dignities.
$1.09 for roughly 15 mass-produced chocolate-coated almonds! Mercy. I can remember when a candy bar cost 50 cents. Gee, that must have been way back in 2006.
