Bed Bath and Beyond Stupid

I have a ringing in my ears from too much loud Rock n Roll. When I go to sleep I always have a fan on to drown out the noise in my ears as well as my noisy neighbors and the NYC street noise. My current fan is on it's way out. It makes a screeching sound and will wake me up in the middle of the night. I woke up today and decided I needed a new fan. I planned to replace my current $40 Vornado 3 speed fan with the exact same model.


I went to Bed Bath and Beyond in Tribeca. I like to walk around stores and search for things rather than ask an employee and get the wrong answer. I only ask when I am desperate and cannot find what I am looking for. Sometimes other things one needs (but has forgotton about) can be found just taking a stroll through a shop. After about 20 minutes of not finding any fans I decided to ask an employee. The employee was in her early 20's and had a walkie talkie so I figured she had half a brain and with skepticism I asked her where the fans were. She replied "Online only this time of year." I said " Oh, I get it, it's winter time so the fans are not in the store but online only?" She said "yes, only online." I said "if I told you exactly what I wanted would you be able to find it in the back room?" She said "No, we send them all back to the warehouse....you can find a fan online though." I said "DO ANY OF THE BED, BATH, AND BEYOND STORES IN MANHATTAN HAVE FANS FOR SALE ON THE SELLING FLOOR?" She said "No, they are all online". I thanked her and left.


I had a feeling she was INCORRECT about the other Bed Bath and Beyonds not having fans. I know because I worked at the Virgin Megastore in Union Square for 11 years and none of us knew what the fuck we had in stock and what the fuck we did not have in stock. (Especially the people I worked with).


I made my way to the subway thinking " I am going to the Bed Bath and Beyond in Chelsea to buy a fan".


I arrived at the Chelsea store and took a long walk around the store looking for fans. I FOUND THE FANS!! THAT'S RIGHT....I FOUND THE GODDAMN FUCKING FANS that the employee from the Tribeca store claimed were not available in stores but only online. I politely complained to a manager. I politely complained to another manager. And then I politely complained to another manager.


Why are people so fucking stupid? Why are people so misinformed? Why do people say shit that is not true? If that Tribeca employee did not know the answer she should have told me she did not know rather than the blanket statement that ALL MANHATTAN BED BATH AND BEYONDS DO NOT HAVE FANS ON THE FLOOR FOR SALE IN THE WINTER TIME.


You can't count on someone in retail. If they say "OUT OF STOCK" or "NOT THIS TIME OF YEAR" just keep looking ....I am sure you will find what you need.


Brother Mike Cohen February 16, 2011 NYC 5:59pm