Sir, - One afternoon recently I stood behind a young woman at an express checkout in Tesco's Drogheda branch. She had a few items in her basket which amounted to a little over £3. She tried to pay the cashier (a lady of mature years) with small change of varying amounts, but was immediately and not very gently told she could not do so. Clearly upset, she gestured with open hands that it was all she had but the cashier began to raise her voice and then called to another cashier who said the manager would not permit the transaction to take place.
I offered to count the change for the cashier and began to do so but was told to desist as the transaction had now been cancelled. Seeing the young woman's obvious embarrassment and distress, another young woman customer offered to pay for her few items but was told this was not possible as other customers were waiting to be served. Empty handed, the young woman hurriedly left the shop in humiliation. She was colourfully dressed, probably of eastern European origin, and wheeling a small child in a pram. I asked the cashier if an Irishwoman would have been treated in the same way and was told that she would.
I asked to see the manager, Mr Sean Doyle. His initial response was that Tesco was not obliged to accept the small change, but on hearing that the amount was so small he rapidly apologised for what had happened and said that he would look after the young woman if she ever returned to the shop. The apology was obviously wasted on me and I feel that it is quite unlikely the young foreigner will return to hear it.
It was a warm Saturday afternoon, the shop was crowded, and the cashier obviously tired and irate. It would be nice to think that this was an isolated incident but the chain of events is disturbing to me. Little people with their small change don't matter any more, it seems.
It's not so very long ago - and I'm sure within the memory of that rude cashier as much as my own - that many Irish people paid for their goods with whatever sort of cash they had to hand, including halfpennies. Have those on the back of the tiger grown completely scornful and arrogant in their prosperity? How worthwhile is our growing national prosperity if we are losing our Irish soul with its mark of welcome and generosity in the process? - Yours, etc.
Fr Paul Claytonlea, St Patrick's Grammar School, Armagh.