Tesco is a UK supermarket, and I believe is the third largest supermarket in the world, it's certainly the largest in the UK, has a presence absolutely everywhere and is popularly believed to be almost single handedly responsible for the decline of high streets throughout the UK. They certainly make plenty money. A large company like this is often a target for dissatisfied members of the public.
A protest sign on Blaikie's Hill, Galashiels
© Copyright Walter Baxter and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence.
The farmer who erected this Tesco Sucks sign put it up because Tesco pulled down a beautiful 19th century red sandstone building to build their hideous excrescence and despite it being part of their planning permission that they rebuild it, after over 2 years of trading they haven't shown any sign of replacing it. He says they have ruined his view of the town and when you look below - you can see his point.
Galashiels Town Centre Redevelopment
© Copyright Walter Baxter and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence.
The white splodge centre right is a massive three storey white block and it looks just as obtrusive close up. The slightly lower white splodge at the bottom left is another supermarket that opened at the same time as Tesco but it is an unashamed white shed, single storey and doesn't pretend to be anything else than a white shed, and it was built on the site of a former railway station so is no real loss. (If anyone's interested the long building 2/3 of the way up the right of the picture is my old school and until Gala became supermarket central I think it was the biggest building in Gala.) So that's why Tom Douglas thinks Tesco Sucks - but why do I agree with him?
My husband recently had a major operation and has been left rather weak, and lacking in the energy to trochle all the way around a huge supermarket. Today we decided to visit Tesco for a change, and I tried to get a key for a scooter.... After waiting at the customer service desk for the lone woman to deal with 2 customer complaints I asked for a key for a scooter, she grabbed one, glanced around and collared a security guard some way away, he said he would help once he had finished fiddling with something at his desk.... after a short period steam started coming out my ears and I grabbed my husband and plonked him on a chair in a display of patio furniture thinking to myself "these bloody scooters are for people who aren't able to stand around waiting for your convenience!" but being stoic and British I bit my tongue for a minute or two. Next thing I saw Mr Security Guard helping some other person with something or other, I watched in horror as he made a phone call and chatted away to the customer, then once he had finished with the call I walked up to him and said incredulously "Shall I take the key and just get it myself?" he said to me nicely "Oh that would be really helpful" and I stormed up the shop thinking "I'm the customer, you're supposed to be the helpful one!" Being such a disabled friendly store, Tesco keeps its scooters at the other end of the shop from the disabled lifts, and entrance. (I thought the days of hiding disabled people away were over but obviously not in Tesco-land) Having reached the 3 scooters I picked one, switched it on and nothing happened, I grabbed another tried it but it was obviously needing charged, I tried the third one thinking I was losing my mind and again not a sausage. I made my way back to the customer service desk, and told the girl I couldn't get it to work. She looked around in an anguished way but Mr Security Guard was deep in conversation with his customer who by this time was obviously his pal because they were chatting away like old buddies. He was far too busy blethering to help. She asked another 4 members of staff but none knew how to work the scooters although one did say she would come and try, having had comprehensive instructions from Ms Customer Services. Put the key in, turn it and press the lever. I told Ms Checkout Girl I had already tried that. The two of us spent several minutes fiddling about with the scooters and guess what? Nothing worked. Then another checkout operator who also had no idea how to work it came over and couldn't get any of them to go. By this time I noticed the time and realised my husband had been sitting like a lemon in the patio furniture display for over 15 minutes and my blood pressure was going through the roof. I stomped off in disgust leaving the girls to it and would like to say that I left the shop without buying anything but we had come for something that couldn't be got anywhere else. We did however, for the first time in recorded history buy only the items we came for and made not a single impulse purchase. I think if I had followed my impulses at the time I would have left the shop on a policeman's arm, not my husbands!
So yes, I fully agree with Tom Douglas, more power to your elbow Tom - Tesco definitely Sucks, and so does Scottish Borders Council for trying to get you to take your Tesco Sucks sign down.
