An Aldi customer’s shocking interaction with a fellow shopper left her utterly dumbfounded.
Sharayah Domerese, who goes by It’s Ray (@heyyyyitsray) on TikTok, recalled the exchange in a viral story time video. It racked up over 432,000 views and thousands of comments as of this writing.
The woman shared the encounter while sitting in her car. By the end of the tale, she could not stop laughing about the outrageous experience.
‘Pay-it-forward’ moment gone wrong
The exchange was supposed to be a feel-good moment.
After getting a cart that already had a quarter inserted, the TikToker thought she would leave it there for the next shopper after she finished getting her own groceries.
“So this really sweet-looking old lady comes up and I said, ‘Hey, do you need a cart?'” the TikToker explained.
The older woman happily accepted the offer.
However, after the TikToker rejected the older woman’s quarter, things took a surprising turn.
“She goes to hand me a quarter and I said, ‘No, that’s OK. Keep your quarter and pay it forward,'” the shopper explained.
“OK, you [expletive] socialist,” the old woman responded.
Her response left Domerese in shock. After laughing until tears streamed down her cheeks, she finally concluded her video.
“I was just trying to be nice,” she said. “And I got called a [expletive] socialist.”
In a message to the Daily Dot, Domerese said, “In the club we were indeed not all Fam. Sometimes you just have to laugh in life and choose to find the humor in things.”
America’s new hateful normal
According to a recent Gallup study, a “record-high” number of Americans (80%) believe the country is extremely divided on crucial political issues.
Partisan hostility is also at an all-time high.
A 2022 Pew Research Center study found that many registered Democrats and Republicans use words like “immoral,” “dishonest,” and “unintelligent” to describe those on the other side of the political aisle.
Some believe this increase in hate has a negative impact on the country’s democratic institutions and their ability to successfully govern its citizens.
@heyyyyitsray Well, That’s a first 🫠😬 #grocery #market #shopping #fyp #fyyyppppppppp #social #aldi #aldifinds #recipes #storytime #story #viralvideo ♬ original sound – ✨It’s Ray ✨
Viewers respond
In the video’s comments section, many were surprised by the woman’s response to the kind gesture.
“Confusing kindness for political ideology says a lot about people,” user James said.
“This just in: Kindness = Socialism,” user Drew Gonzalez wrote.
“This is why one side is exponentially kinder…… and has a better sense of humor. Your paying it forward is all that matters,” another viewer said.
Others were surprised that Aldi carts require shoppers to insert a quarter.
“Wait you pay for your shopping carts???? Never here in Washington state,” user TheUnusualPenny commented.
While Aldi carts require shoppers to insert a quarter, shoppers receive the quarter back upon returning the cart.
The Daily Dot reached out to Aldi via email for comment.
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The post ‘I was just trying to be nice’: Aldi customer tries to pay her cart quarter forward. She can’t believe this customer’s response appeared first on The Daily Dot.