Asked to leave a supermarket!

Lady Isabella Boo is on Facebook!

Have you ever been asked to leave a supermarket? I have. It happened yesterday in a local Sainsburys. My crime? I was carrying 2½ pounds of Chorkie. She wasn't doing anything naughty, she wasn't making a noise, she wasn't dirty, infact she was not on the floor or in contact with anything but me. I was out with my 6 year old and needed a couple of groceries. I could have popped home and dropped her off, but that would have wasted half and hour.

As I passed the supermarket door I was complimented on my tiny puppy by a lady wearing the supermarket uniform. I looked wistfully at the supermarket door and mentioned that I needed to buy a few things, shame I could not go in. "Of course you can" she said, "You are ok so long as you don't put her on the floor." "Really" I said! So off I toddled, small puppy tucked firmly into the crook of my arm.

Well I had not got far when a very officious security guard pointed out that I should not be in there. I explained that a member of staff had already oked my visit. "OK, just this time, but not next time now that you know!" he said. Off I toddled, only to be accosted round the other side of the soap powder counter by an identically looking security guard. "Dogs not allowed" he stated aggressively. "Haven't we just spoken?". I replied. Clearly we hadn't as I was expected to leave NOW. I handed him my shopping basket of items and left with my tail between my legs, but in truth what nonsense! OK I know we cannot have supermarkets full of huge beasts, crapping and piddling on floors, but a hand held cannot really do much harm. If they carry germs, well we were already contaminated, are we going to have to start scrubbing up with bacterial gel next...

Aren't local supermarkets supposed to be convenient. Could I have left a dinky 2½ pound puppy tied up to a lamp post outside and have expected to find her there again 15 minutes later? I think not. Should I have left my 6 year old son outside the supermarket unattended but looking after a tiny puppy? Had I done so, I could have expected to return to find myself questioned by social services!

Last week, when I found myself in similar circumstances, in a Tesco, I popped in quickly, again puppy tucked firmly into my overcoat, the security guards very sensibly ignored me, and walked away when I got close, choosing not to see my offence.

Anyhow, now much to my displeasure, a Tesco local with it's own tiny rear car park with very obvious security cameras will be getting my custom, for all those last minute emergencies, I can leave them both locked into the car safely under the watchful eye of Tesco security. I never thought I would find myself feeling so thankful to those 'nice people at Tesco' after all it is Tesco who have fiddled us out of our lovely old Streatham Ice Rink.... But that is another story.....