Barnes & Noble, you’re on notice!

The environment looks so inviting doesn’t it... it’s a lie


It’s early, I’m not tired and just wrapped up dinner with a friend. I don’t feel like going home but with gas prices and money being tight until my next paycheck, I don’t want to spend money. While this thought process is happening my eyes spot a Barnes & Noble. It’s literally down the street from where I live yet I’ve never been inside. I haven’t taken the time to enjoy this spot. They have a Starbucks, I have a Wi-Fi subscription there, so sweet. I also have a gift certificate so maybe I can buy a new fun summer book. Sounds great, let’s go for it.

As I walk in, I spot an AT&T logo in the corner of the window. I am reminded that this is a franchise Starbucks and therefore not contractually bound to providing Internet for Starbucks customers. No worries, I don’t have to be connected to the World Wide Web to enjoy a relaxing time in the bookstore. I continue through the café to the floor of the store. As I walk around looking for a comfy chair to inhabit I am getting dirty looks from everyone I pass. Remember that scene in Forrest Gump where he gets on the school bus and all the kids glare at him and say “this seats taken”, “can’t sit here”. I wish this story ended like the film where a cute sweet girl would invite me to sit next to her, it didn’t. It ended with me walking all over the store without finding a chair. Mind you there were plenty of chairs open but someone would always speak up and curtly say “taken”. Everyone conversed like they were in high school cliques. They all knew each other and didn’t like the looks of anyone new.

Half of them were reading books that they had no intention of purchasing. I loathe this. People consistently visit these stores, read the book they want, fold it up, fray the pages and then hide it somewhere in the store so they can grab it the next night. Not only are they rude to other customers, but in a sense they steal the books. I mentioned this epidemic to a friend and they said, it’s not stealing, they’re borrowing. There is a place where you borrow books; it’s a library. I don’t go to car dealerships and drive cars around the lot once a week, until the new car smell has faded and the seat has a Trent-shaped groove. Someone would see that and declare shenanigans. Well guess what folks; there is an equally unjust system and I DECLARE SHENANIGANS!!!! I wouldn’t even spend my gift certificate because I was too angry at the system.

I made my way back to the café so that I could blog about my bad experience, and sure enough the dynamics in here are gross. No one is friendly and people certainly don’t smile. They talk to the people they know and scowl at those they don’t. The only person I connected with was the special needs guy who was perusing a copy of “Combat Tactics”. Will and I shared a table and talked for a while and I learned he knew way too much about weapons. I told him that I’d give him a shout out on the blog, so I hope he’s reading.

I love a good chitchat with anyone but the idea that the only person who didn’t act like a jerk is the guy with an off chromosome count is sad for Barnes & Noble. I have sat in bookstores and coffee shops all over the greater Los Angeles area and enjoyed a much more friendly, inviting and positive environment elsewhere. This assures me that this phenomenon isn’t just an LA thing. So it’s either Barnes & Noble or Westlake. I am not done investigating this issue; Thoughts of Trent is on the case.