Yes, I am a Grinch

[Slave to the Phone]

When I walk into stores that have all of those motioned activated noise makers, I shut them off. I only have to listen to them for a minute or so, but the cashiers have to listen to them all day long and can't shut them off. I'm a customer, and the customer is always right!

Today, I was shutting a whole shelf of those annoying things off and another customer came over and asked me why I was shutting them off. I explained that it was to save the cashiers' sanity and she told me that the cashiers liked them and that I must hate Christmas.

[Aislin]

Lying b'tch. We do hate them. Thank you on behalf of those of us who have been hearing those things since day after Halloween.

[Slave to the Phone]

Do you know...I have my little crusade going about them. I tell my friends to shut them off. I write letters to corp about how annoying they are and how they mess up my shopping experience. It doesn't seem to make a difference.

Only since Halloween? I started shutting the Halloween things off in August.

[fireheart]

Trust me, I'm sure the cashiers will LOVE you for turning off those annoying things.

It also freaks me out whenever I walk into the store and something goes off randomly.

[Pixilated]

I'm not sure what you're referring to ... but I've often wondered if those "Press Here" dancing trees/snowmen/whatever don't have much the same effect on the staff (possibly also musical cards ...) Because after half a dozen customers try them out, the staff has gotta want to throw them all through the nearest window.

[TheSHAD0W]

Gah.

Not the same holiday-themed noisemaker but based on the same principle, I had to pick up some items at Bed Bath & Beyond and discovered they have video advertisements that start up based on a motion sensor. Startled me a bit, and I'm sure some people would have nasty reactions to them.

[raudf]

As a former cashier, I thank you! As a customer, I prefer the "push to hear," over the ones that automatically go off when you move. Even in toys, I hate those stupid baby dolls that as you pass by them all go, "Mama!" at the same time. EVERY FREAKING ONE OF THEM.

And now I have a horrible idea for a haunted house....

That aside, I do occasionally push the button to see what an item does. However, if possible, I also push it again to turn it off or loudly curse (not actually curse words) about the inability of manufacturers to provide shut offs for things if I can't. And I won't buy the ones I can't shut back off.

Plus, I think this is another reason why so many of us hate "Rocking Around the Christmas Tree."

[Gerrinson]

The last time I worked as a cashier, I was assigned to the register next to the Wizard of Oz display. It played the movie 24/7. I worked next to it 8 hours a day for 10 out of 14 days.

I never dreamed it was possible to so desperately want to punch a Munchkin in the face for singing about their damned Lollipop Guild.

[Ironclad Alibi]

The last time I worked as a cashier, I was assigned to the register next to the Wizard of Oz display. It played the movie 24/7. I worked next to it 8 hours a day for 10 out of 14 days.

I never dreamed it was possible to so desperately want to punch a Munchkin in the face for singing about their damned Lollipop Guild.

That's terrible. I came to hate it after having to watch it three years in a row as a kid.

[Pagan]

I'm not sure what you're referring to ... but I've often wondered if those "Press Here" dancing trees/snowmen/whatever don't have much the same effect on the staff (possibly also musical cards ...) Because after half a dozen customers try them out, the staff has gotta want to throw them all through the nearest window.

That's exactly what the OP is talking about.

One place I worked at, at one point we had singing tunas, bass (Sang "toss me in the river". We wanted to drop-kick it down the escalator.), turkeys, and Santas (And do those things look obscene from the back. Also ruined "Blue Christmas" for me.). Had a few jackasses walk through the department and damned if they didn't push every last button on those displays.

We always got inordinately happy when the batteries would die. We would see how long we could get away with not replacing the batteries, too.

[dalesys]

I still remember chunks (as in blowing) of the TRS-80 Model I Voice Synthesizer accessory demon-stration spiel. Imagine a profoundly deaf harelip speaking with a monotone heavy German accent...

But it could swear pretty well...

[MoonCat]

A couple of years ago, someone had a trailer full of those singing Christmas trees here. It caught fire. I laughed.

[Slave to the Phone]

I'm not sure what you're referring to ... but I've often wondered if those "Press Here" dancing trees/snowmen/whatever don't have much the same effect on the staff (possibly also musical cards ...) Because after half a dozen customers try them out, the staff has gotta want to throw them all through the nearest window.

The ones I'm talking about don't have a button, they just go off whenever someone is close. So when you get close to the check out stations, they go off. "I wish you a Merry Christmas...Silent Night...HoHoHo..ect..." All going off at once, all the flipping time.

A couple of years ago, someone had a trailer full of those singing Christmas trees here. It caught fire. I laughed.

I would have paid good money to see that.

[wolfie]

One place I worked at, at one point we had singing tunas, bass (Sang "toss me in the river". We wanted to drop-kick it down the escalator.)

I'd have been tempted to give (as the title of a thread on a now-defunct board called it) That Damn Singing Fish (was it "Big Mouth Billy Bass"?) what it wanted - toss it in the river and short out the electronics.

[gremcint]

the year of the chicken dancing elmos...

Ok I was a little sucky here but it just sort of happened.

Me and my sister go into zellers and see an entire wall of chick dancing elmos on a shelf.

I start pressing the button on them all in a row.

They all start dancing... and falling off the shelves.

We run.