Email Address By Force

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‘We don’t have your e-mail address,’ said the cashier accusingly.

‘No, you don’t.’
Ah! Ah!  Is it by force? She wasn’t impressed when I confirmed that it was not an oversight.  I don’t give it out because we have a short-term relationship which is detrimental to my bank balance, that is already leaking. 

I buy the merchandise that is on sale, pay for it and we part company.  Demand for my email presupposes that we are friends like Gayle King and Oprah Winfrey, or business partners developing software that detects hackers and sends a RETURN TO SENDER virus to cripple them.
It is not in the Canadian constitution that I give my personal details to shop keepers.  They have an ulterior motive which is blowing up my inbox with sales and buy two, get the third one free offers.  She looks hurt when I say I keep my email close to my chest because I don’t want junk mail. 

She reassures me that it is not.  It’s a heads up from them to tell me about the latest shipment from China, marketed as made in Italy.  I will be one of the first customers to get the alert if they have my email.
She rings the sale, and shows me an important message on the receipt.  It’s about a survey.  I will get 10% off whatever I buy next time I drop by.  I must go online and take the survey.  Very clever.  Another ruse to get my email and other personal information.

You ain’t slick.  Good bye! So long!  Adios.  Arrivederci! Sayonara! Auf wiedersehen!

By:  Nonqaba waka Msimang.

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