I’ve been a resident of Fairhaven for 34 years and have been a patron of the Fairhaven Convenience Store on Sconticut Neck all my life. For the past six years, I have been there every morning, Monday through Friday, before work to grab a protein bar and a bottle of juice.
I pay $3.49 for the protein bar and $2.00 for the juice. I can buy a box of 12 protein bars for $13.58 shipped to my door in two days and I can purchase a six-pack of the same juice at Market Basket for $4.49. But I prefer to support a local business thus supporting the workers, particularly “Bearma,” a kind and friendly West Island [resident] whom I have had the pleasure of becoming friends with. I looked forward to our one- minute chats each morning that always end with “love ya,” since I consider her an adopted grandmother.
On Thursday, 9/13/18, I entered the store wearing a hooded sweatshirt and had the hood on since it was down-pouring rain. There was a line of people at the register. One of the owners was working that morning instead of Bearma and he began loudly yelling at me to remove my hood. Now this guy knows me, by name in fact, as I have had many conversations with him since he has been owner of the store. He clearly recognized me and I initially thought he was joking. I nervously smiled at him and he became increasing outraged violently pointing his finger at me screaming for me to remove my hood stating that it “is against the law.”
I removed my hood and that’s when a woman in line stood up for me yelling back at the owner telling him that there is no reason for him to scream at me like that and that it is not against the law to wear a hood inside a store.
He continued to rant on and told me not to wear my bike helmet in the store either because I often stop there after a bike ride for another over-priced protein bar. I left in disbelief of the way I had just been treated thinking that he was a friend after all the years of support I have given to that store.
Do the math…$5.49 times five is $27.45 times 52 weeks is $1,427.40. And this doesn’t include all the stops for milk, bread and Powerball tickets.
Needless to say, I will never step foot back into that store even though it saddens me that I will miss my Bearma chats. He has lost my “buy local” way of living and I guess I will join the evil Amazon empire.
I hope the Fairhaven Convenience Store management smartens up and learns how to respectfully talk and treat people before they lose the few customers they have left.
Danny Silvia, Fairhaven
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