I lived in the east end when Edgewood Town Center first opened. That was a pretty nice giant eagle then. It sounds like maybe not so much now from what I’ve read here.

ETA: the only greeters at the giant eagle by me work for Citizens Bank when they are hawking checking accounts.

It probably has absolutely nothing to do with any of your scenarios. It’s probably just an overly friendly person, not a sexist anti-masker…

So, a possible reason why they have a greeter:

Some GEs are owned by corporate, some are ‘franchises’, the Edgewood location is a franchise; found this out by asking at another GE, a ‘corporate’ one, why their location didn’t have the same products as the Edgewood one, and that was the reason that Customer Service gave me, that ‘franchises’ have a lot more individual control over what they stock. So that store’s franchisee, or their manager, has decided to have a greeter, for whatever reason. Maybe at the beginning of Covid it was to check for mask-wearing and dispensing disinfectant supplies and decided to keep them?

When I’ve gone there, the only greeters I’ve seen are either an older, tall, skinny, balding white man - I think he’s the manager? - or any one of a half-dozen older white women, who usually hand out the flyer with the week’s sales. They also usually have security there too, most often a guy from a contract place, but sometimes off-duty cops from either the county or Edgewood Borough.

As for why you got treated as you do, no idea; I’ve always worn a mask going in since Covid first hit and that’s never happened to me, and I’ve never seen any of them ‘lecture’ anyone of any presenting gender; at most, they’ve just said “Hi, would you like a flyer”, maybe occasionally talking up a particular sale, once I heard a “Go Steelers” before a particularly important game upcoming.

So I’m going to have to go with 4. None of the above, it was something else.

"Friendly" would be a chipper good morning and let me pass without trying to harangue a stranger into being friendly back.

Thanks for the explanation. I knew that some stores are franchises, but I wasn't aware that one was.

This was an older black man and he wasn't handing out flyers. I assume he's from the same subset of older guys who feel the need to instruct random women to smile while on the bus.

I think he's a security guard. He's only ever said hello to me, and if be pissed if he told me to smile or anything like that. Guaranteed he wouldn't say that to a man. I'd say something to the manager if that happened to me.

I go in there fairly often, a couple of times a week, and I’ve never seen an older black man greeter. If he wasn’t handing out flyers, was he in GE clothing? He may have just been some random obnoxious dude hanging out by the entrance (I’ve seen several instances of that) who decided for whatever reason to harass you.

Good point, could be a security guard. If he works for that private contracting company, I wouldn’t be surprised, they’ll hire anyone who doesn’t have a criminal record (I know, I used to work for one, they even hired me, and apparently I was the cream of the crop compared to my co-workers, even at what was considered a ‘plum’ assignment), so a guard randomly harassing shoppers seems about par for the course.

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The Edgewood store became corporate in the last few months.

McKees Rocks has a greeter sometimes but its relatively new

First time meeting the general public? Welcome to Earth.

They normally have a greeter. If it’s the guy I’m thinking of, I’d guess he was trying to be funny and failing. I doubt it’s a masking thing, as there are still a lot who mask going into the store and that wouldn’t be unusual.

I really, really dislike greeters. The PNC bank I use has one, and I always feel conflicted when they approach me.

If any man tells you to smile, just respond with a ‘stfu’. Men do not get to tell us how to look or feel when we just want to exist without being bothered.

>Edgewood

I’m curious why you are conflicted? Oddly I had to go in a PNC today and a greeter said hello to me. I think it’s nice.

I've only ever seen security guards at grocery stores in bad parts of town, specifically in Memphis TN on a work trip.

I'm not familiar with the Edgewood Giant Eagle - Is it a particularly bad? I know when the Aliquippa Giant Eagle started selling beer they had a lot of problems with people grabbing it and walking out through the produce/entrance without paying, and even they don't have a security guard/greeter.

I fluctuate between seing them as obsequious and as gatekeepers. I don't find them pleasant at all.

Does this apply to everyone? Like a host at a restaurant? I’m genuinely curious because my gf and I were just talking about this. She was reading some thread about how people don’t like co-workers to say “good morning” to them.

Idk, I think you might be talking this a little too personally. When you go out into public, there will be people. It’s reasonable to expect that you will have to interact with them.

At night there is a security guard there. They always have somebody there. Personally, I can’t stand going in there, the lines are always long, even self checkout. I would rather drive to the Monroeville giant eagle just because it’s a better experience

And I live in Edgewood

There’s sometimes one down on Greentree Road as well. Usually a young dude.

Smile.

Stfu.

Anyone who tells a stranger to smile is an ass, change my mind.

I had a guy tell me to smile after a shift at the hospital where we had an unsuccessful traumatic code on a young guy. I almost cried because of it.

Smile? I was just trying to keep it together enough to get milk. It’s so rude to tell anyone what expression to have.

there is both a greeter and a security guard, he showed up during covid probably to enforce masks, but then he stuck around— as far as i can tell

That’s horrible! Someone told my friend to smile after she had just lost her mom to cancer. Entitled men like this just need to leave us alone and stop trying to police how we look all the time.

I don't really like that either, it's awkward. I don't mind wave or a quick Hi but I hate having to catch up with everyone everyday.

There are a few of them. One particular guy tried the same thing with me and I told him to shut up, I’m sure it’s the same one. The others have been fine.

That guy is hilarious if you actually talk to him 🤣 😂.. maybe its because I was stoned when I met him but he literally made my day

Its a decent giant eagle. Ive been to far worse (like the one next to Kennywood)

The pnc bank greeter is there to direct you to the tellers or to someone in the office area, like for loans or a financial advisor. Lots of people tend to go right for the tellers regardless of why they are there, make the line longer, and end up directed to the office.

I would think you are younger than me maybe? And it seems like it’s not uncommon for people to feel the way you do. I don’t know…I work from home now (4 years) and the one thing I miss about my old place was human interaction. Just made the day better chatting with people.

Oh yeah. I moved to the Northside after the east end, and the Giant Eagle there was on a different level of yuk.

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There's a security guard at the Monroeville location. IIRC he was armed.

Glad you are bashing the Kennywood location. Keeps the snobs out.

Just a quick counterpoint.

My daughter was a greeter at DSW for a while. (I mean, it’s a job and she did what she was told.) Her best days were when someone actually asked her for help. Once a fella came in with his mom that didn’t speak English. She spent over three hours helping them and she felt so good about it.

Now when I come across a greeter and they ask me if I need help you better believe I’m going to take them up on it.

I get you feel a certain way about them (I did, too) but realize these are usually people that need a job and they probably don’t love the gig either.

But GE greeter mention by OP—yeah, that dude was rude.

That doesn't seem equivalent at all. The hostess is there to direct you seating based on how many people are in a section. I've been going to this same branch for years and I am just there, once a week, to deposit checks. I really don't need help.

I say hi to people on the street all the time. I do it when I'm riding. But greeters seem so fake. I get that they are probably not thrilled to be there.

He’s there often. I just saw him on Wednesday morning and he was handing out flyers. He’s always extremely friendly, but I just smile and walk past and don’t engage. I think he’s very extroverted and seems to make it a point to talk to every single person walking in or out. It sucks that he made you feel uncomfortable.

Wow it’s usually a nice older woman, or a security guy; I’ve never seen anyone else.

People are so broken they don't even know how to interact with a friendly person. Jesus.

I get it. I guess when someone says hi to me or asks if they can help, I just like to be friendly back. Especially if they aren’t thrilled to be there.

A lot of stores- grocery and other- began putting security guards in place during peak COVID to help enforce masking, social distancing, and capacity rules. While a lot of the rules have been relaxed, the tensions that could cause issues still exist, so many places have elected to keep security in place.

That's the correct answer. Respond by saying "Hi, I'm just here to deposit my paycheck, thanks!" or "Who do I see about a notice of mortgage escrow shortage?"

I noticed that too. I wondered why they decided armed security was necessary. A bit unsettling.

I never once mentioned my reaction. All I said was that I find myself conflicted over the interaction. Big difference.

I wonder if that location has been getting hit hard with boosters, the people blatantly running out with baskets full of meat or pushing out carts full of tide and other high dollar items. I would hope that it would be used as a deterrent and not having a shoot out over some over priced t-bone steaks.

Next time, try buying more than just pretzels.

go a little farther and hit White Oak with Scozio's bakery. It's a bonus to that location.

White Oak has one too and that kind of surprised me.

Yeah I can't imagine Iggle security pulling the weapon over penny ante shoplifting unless, well, someone started shooting in there. I'd hate to think that's the reason but the way things are nowadays. . .

Don't forget that guy who tried to be a hero and stop a robbery of the bank inside GE in the West End or the GE itself about 10 years ago. Maybe something similar happened there.

Sad times we live in..

That would be my first reaction. Kind of like when work asked me why I didn't seem happy.

A man who tells a woman to smile is not a friendly person.

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So you think it's reasonable that some dude lectures a woman for not being friendly enough in public? Lol no.

Same thing at the Penn Hills shopping center. That’s why I stopped going.

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I understand the context of this thread, but for some reason I processed your comment literally, and got this image of a guy standing on the road yelling "Welcome to McKees Rocks!" to everyone. And now I kind of want that.

There’s usually one at the little bird on Cochran Rd in Scott Township too. Relatively unobtrusive. I don’t get why they pay someone to do that though.

When a woman tells me to smile I hoof her in the front butt and grab/twist her dirty pillows.

False. I know some very nice older people who do this.

We used to call that location the dirty bird lol.

My point is that you can’t go out into the world and expect every stranger to behave in the way you expect them to behave. You’ll understand when you’re older

i work a traumatic job too and i love stopping these people in their tracks by letting them know the truth of what is going on. "i just had a client die today" and staring at them until they're uncomfortable. i hope it inspires them to mind their own business in the future

As a GE employee- I think it’s a fairly new thing happening, at least at my location in the bethel area. We’ve only been doing it for about a month now, but I honestly can’t tell you why.

Me too.

so thaaaaat's why it's the only store around where I can get mustard greens...

Or, in my case, Silver Star kielbasa.

sometimes if a cashier isn’t good at their job they make them a greeter my GE had one up until last year

Yes, this.

Stfu, Karen.

The ETC Iggle had a lot of complaints and problems (lots of shoplifting) in recent years. It's now owned by corporate and supposedly they've really improved the place (I haven't been there lately). Having a greeter and/or security guard at the door seems like an obvious way to reassure nervous shoppers and (hopefully) discourage troublemakers.

I often see greeters at Penn Hills (Rodi) and Monroeville. Sometimes it's a security person, sometimes an employee or manager. They've always been pleasant, I've never had one try to engage me in a conversation or lecture me. Sorry this happened to you, OP.

They don't have a greeter. <shiver>

Perhaps shop somewhere else or develop basic social skills.

Giant Eagle has literal shoplifting spies. My mom took me and my baby brother to giant Eagle to grocery shop when I was around 12. I was pushing my brother in the stroller while my mom shopped separately, away from us, with her grocery cart. I spend forever in the makeup isle or aisle whatever looking at lipgloss and I had my brother in a stroller with me. A middle aged woman in plain clothes asked me a question about lip gloss, like advice, which I thought was kind of weird, but I was also flattered as a 12 year old. When I went to go meet my mom at the register, the same lady pulled me into her office (stroller and all) and I luckily just reunited with my mom who was in line, she came in the room with us. She searched me and the stroller and accused me of shop lifting. It was incredibly embarrassing for my mom, and shocking for me. Like wtf. Giant Eagle sent my mom a check as a settlement for me because she complained

They offer escorts to your car there, probably because the parking lot is terrible. It's a crappy GE but the people who work there are genuine.

Yeah, the layout of that store is really weird compared to all the other GEs I’ve been to.

Geez. Can you say which store and how long ago?

Waterfront 15 years ago.

Yeah, it was like the end of September. Assuming that they were just keeping already hired positions for now.

That store was Marckisotto’s and in that plaza there’s higher crime. Always had security. I worked at the bank branch in the early 2000’s and it had been robbed at least 3 times and was a favorite of bank fraudsters in the area. Sadly it was the only store with a larger parking lot before Waterfront

You need to apply that logic to the greeter. Not everyone is going to want to engage with him, and he should accept that rather than harangue people. He's the one who took it personally. OP was just minding her business. Men like that think that women owe it to them to be a certain way in public and it's an attempt to assert their dominance in a public space. It's gross, and so is defending it. And btw, I'd bet money that I'm older than you.

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Great I’ll tell him the next time I see him rather then bellyache on the internet about it

Many stores have those. My local Shop N Save has one, as does another local small time store.

You're bellyaching on the internet like right now

Haha. Please. That will always be yinzereagle. I avoid that one like the plague. That's the one I grew up going to because there was no waterfront. It's so dirty and rundown and small. No thank you. I go to the Waterfront to pickup my grandma's groceries but if I'm going for myself I got to the century 3 giant eagle.

Nope, I’m giving advice to OP

What, no Market District?

Lol nobody asked for your advice. You're just bitching on the internet like the rest of us. Men (just guessing) and their unsolicited opinions are the OP's problem in the first place

I’m trying to frame up OPs problem in a solution oriented way, that’s all. Boy am I glad I’m not as pessimistic as you

I don't want your unsolicited, uninformed opinions either but thanks lol

Well since we’re here and you’re clearly invested in this conversation, why don’t we talk about it? What’s bugging you? Maybe I can help

greeters suck. I don't need another distraction