It was one of our recent blazingly hot afternoons and there I was stuck in traffic, waiting patiently for the light to change.
While there, my eyes slid off to the side of the road where a brightly-lighted electronic message sign at a drug store caught my attention.
“Cereal .... 3 for $7” it proclaimed.
Seconds later, as if to not lose our attention, the same sign let us know that a 24-pack of water was on sale for $2.99.
Finally, some news I could use. After all, the heat index on this day was about 105 degrees, so water sounded pretty good.
Just one problem. I was in the wrong lane to get into the store. But before I could decide whether to circumnavigate a route back in that direction, yet another marketing message popped up on the colorful sign.
“Now selling beer and wine.”
Hey, now there’s some real beneficial information. Beer and water at the same place. How convenient!
As I waited further for the light to turn green, I thought about how different drug stores are today compared to when I was a kid.
Back in those days, you could ride your bicycle to the local pharmacy, talk to Mr. Jamison, the pharmacist, about Little League, girls or whatever else was on your mind. Maybe even hop on a barstool at the soda fountain counter and get one of those great fountain Cokes.
The local pharmacy also had a great magazine section where my buddies and I would more often than not get caught sneaking a peek at the latest copy of Playboy. Then we sweated out whether Mr. Jamison would call our parents and turn us in. He never did.
Yeah, those were the days. We didn’t need any electronic signs with word streams constantly blasting away at us. We were more down to earth back then. We actually carried on conversations with our neighbors and helped them out whenever we could.
The traffic light remained red and a bead of sweat fell off my brow. I glanced again at the streaming red words at the drug store.
“Folgers Coffee, 33.9 oz., $5.99,” it proudly advertised.
Funny, I thought. We never used to have grocery items in the drug store Mr. Jamison used to run. But the store had some cool Revell and Aurora model planes and boats that I sure enjoyed. But no coffee .... just some smelling salts or other medically related stuff.
Just then, the sign changed again.
“Free prescription delivery service,” it shouted.
Now, there’s something we can all use, I thought. Especially on a hot day like this one when we’re relegated to sitting in traffic waiting for a red light to change.
I thought how interesting it is the way businesses market themselves now. These electronic message signs seem to be everywhere.
Finally, the light turned green. As I drove down the street it didn’t take long before I ran into another electronic message board at an aluminum place pleading with us “Call For An Estimate.” I laughed.
A few blocks later I passed a fishing supplies place with a word stream out front that said “Check Here For Father’s Day.” Only one problem. It was two days after Father’s Day.
A couple more blocks and yet another electronic sign raised its ugly head, this one at a bowling alley, beckoning motorists to stop in for an “Elite Poker Challenge Tuesday.”
I wondered what could possibly make a poker game elite.
Just then a PSTA bus passed going the opposite direction with an electronic message above the front windshield.
It simply read “Go Rays!”
Bob McClure is editor of the Seminole and Beach Beacon
