PrintPark Slope Food Co-op Exile Speaks Out
[Photo: NYT]
The dirty little not-so-secret of the Park Slope Food Coop: you may get cheap veggies, but you'll pay in time, labor, and public humiliation. Alana Joblin Ain at the Times tells of her coop delinquency and the indignities heaped upon others:
One recent morning, I went to the co-op office to check my status. A fellow member-worker pulled my file: a collection of index cards that highlighted every job and misstep since my initiation into the club. Next to me, an elderly woman was being grilled: "Did you tell your squad leader that you had a medical emergency?"
Another time, I watched a woman hold her forehead, her children clinging to her skirt, while a worker at the register called out over the intercom, "Does anyone know how to process food stamps?"
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5 Comments:
Before we got married my husband was a member. He's now 5+ years delinquent. I keep meaning to remind him to go to the membership office and claim his refundable investment. They must make a fortune off people who drop out and forget they can reclaim their $100 co-op investment.
BrooklynBrownie at 3:52PM on 10/24/09
I joined this winter and elected a food processing shift to stay out of the line of fire upstairs.
Anasp75 at 5:30PM on 10/24/09
Isn't that Peter Berley in blue unloading that U-boat?
I love that people of all walks of life can come together and get the store in shopping order for the day. I say if you don't have time for the work requirement then don't bother and don't bitch.
yuriwebboy at 8:30PM on 10/24/09
Right after I moved to Park Slope, I went to the co-op to see what it was all about and maybe even join. The minute I walked in, I was confronted by some militant member telling me that if I'm not a member I can't enter and she escorted me out. I didn't even get a "may I help you" or information on what I needed to do get an orientation or something. That pretty much but me off from that place.
A friend of mine who was a member basically had to take a leave because he was going through a divorce and he got drilled and lectured about delinquency and the time he could and could not take off. Even if I did have the time to put in, I would never want to subject myself to their standards.
thinkbliss at 3:36PM on 10/25/09
I've been a coop member for about four years. I've definitely seen a few incidents where members or prospective members were treated poorly. In many cases, the problem was inexperienced members being put in positions where they did not know or had forgotten what to do. Basically hostility used to mask uncertainty. @thinkbliss, the entrance desk worker should have known to offer you the pamphlet for prospective members and a guided tour if anyone was available to show you around. Unfortunately, due to serious shoplifting and vandalism problems in the past, non-members are not allowed into the store unescorted.
There are also some "old school" members who have an overly self-righteous attitude, and go out of their way to assert their authority. This and inexperienced workers who react inappropriately are both legitimate issues, and I wish the coop took more steps to address the idea that everyone is a potential member, and anyone who shops there also works there, and we should all treat each other with respect. It is supposed to be a "cooperative" after all... On the other hand, I shop at the coop every week and can't remember the last time that I had a problem with anyone, so these issues aren't that prevalent.
My girlfriend and I both work full time and have a social life, take vacations, etc. While managing to fit those 3 hours a month in to our schedule does take some thought and planning, it has never really been a giant issue. We've both fallen behind at times, but making up an extra shift was doable within the grace period. And the other side of the coin, not mentioned in the article, is that it is more difficult to do your job when someone who is scheduled to work with you does not show up!
So anyway, I guess my takeaway is, the PS food coop is just as good as its 15,000 members. That includes some real jerks, some decent people having a bad day, some of the nicest people you'll ever meet, and everyone else just trying to get through the day. It ain't perfect, but it is so much better than any other grocery store I've ever shopped at.
edanderson at 10:31AM on 10/26/09