#Surcharge April 4

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For the month of April several of us are taking on the “30-Day Conversation Coach4aday Challenge“. Today’s dialog is about a SURCHARGE.

North Carolina has always had some interesting laws when it comes to the sale of alcohol. For instance, NC bans the promotion of alcoholic beverage specials by retailers, meaning no traditional “happy hour” deals like discounted drinks during certain times.

I once paid a $1.00 surcharge to navigate around a county specific law pertaining to the sale of alcohol.

April Conversation Challenge

The overarching aim for the 30-Day Conversation Coach4aday Challenge is to engage or to repeat conversations and disseminate them. Whether these conversations hold valuable lessons, shareable insights, or are simply a mishmash of thoughts, the goal remains to foster connection and potential learning experiences for all involved.

Rules of the Challenge

First brevity is the key. Second it is not necessary to fully identify the parties involved but writing it like a script might be helpful. Third the conversations being shared can come from personal experiences, books, films, TV shows, or are imaginations.

Do this daily for 30 Days posting on social media with the hashtag #Coach4adayChallenge

Day 4-Spinning

This conversation occurred in the winter of 1977. Reflecting on it now, I’m not proud of my actions. Unfortunately, drinking and driving were considered acceptable in my line of work at that time. However, societal attitudes have shifted, and so have my choices.

In 1977 I was in my second year of serving as an Assistant Basketball Coach at East Carolina University. My Head Coach wanted me to go check out a pair of brothers who were playing for Lemon Springs High School. It was a tiny school located in Lee County just outside of Sanford NC.

Following the game, I made a pit stop at a rural store to grab a six-pack for the two-hour journey back to Greenville, NC. Upon entering the store, my eyes landed on rows of beer stacked neatly on the floor in the middle aisle. I started checking the drink boxes for cold beer but had no luck. I went to the cashier and started a conversation.

ME: Hey where is your cold beer at?

Cashier: We don’t have any.

ME: Are your coolers broken because you have lots of beer (me pointing to the stacks of 6 packs on the floor).

Cashier: No, the county passed an ordinance in Lee County we cannot sell refrigerated beer.

ME: What is the rationale for that?

Cashier: The churches lobbied against the sale of beer and wine and the compromise was it could not be sold cold. That way people had to take it home and drink.

ME: Well, I guess I’m out of luck. (started to leave)

Cashier: Hey, I can get your beer cold in a few minutes for an extra dollar.

ME: (Walking back to cashier with a six-pack in hand) Okay here is the $3.00 for the beer and the extra dollar.

Cashier: (Places the $3 for the register and the $1 bill in his pocket) Go drive behind the store and pick up your beer.

ME: (Walking out with the feeling I’m about to be scammed out of $4 but I drive around back and find the back door open- I walk in and see him spinning two beers at a time in a galvanized tub of ice)

Cashier: After spinning each beer for about a minute he handed back to me and stated those brews are so cold they will make your back molars hurt.

The video below is not what he was doing but you get the idea. For the record my teeth did have a tingling sensation.