Don't worry. I will whine, but it ends admrably. And I will follow up, probably this coming week.

So I go on Thursday to the local Farmers' Market. I don't go every week, but this week, hot or not, I was determined to get some fresh fruit. I learned one very valuable lesson almost right away: one pound of cherries is not enough to get me through a week in the summer.

Then I go to the tomato seller. The only one on site, lots and lots of choices, in size, color, sweetness. This is where, years ago, I learned there was a Paul Robeson tomato.

I spy what I want - this week, it's just a mix of cherry tomatoes. That what I usually get, but I am often lured by one or two of the larger onces. I stop where the cherry tomatoes are displayed. No way I can reach. I wait a couple of minutes but the person behind the tables, never looks my way. I finally say, and yes, I was polite, "I'm going to need your help." The young man ackowledged me. Then he waited on four other people while I sat there. I had, of course, preceded them.

I gave up. I said "this is ridiculous, I've been waiting too long" and turned and left. I believe he said something about "oh, I'll be with you in a minute" but it was too late. I was asking for a reasonable accomodation since the items I wanted were out of reach. It would have taken him probably 60 seconds to get me what I wanted. And then he would have had a sale.

I headed out but stopped at the booth where the market's managers hang out. I decided to tell the person there of my experience. She was, to put to mildly, really upset. Before I could finish (saying that I had left) she was saying "on, no. No no no. That's not okay." We both agreed that the person who was working was new to us - and that the person who usually runs the booth was not in site. But the manager knew her, and in fact would be seeing her at a meeting and would tell her about this. I'm hardly the only wheelchair user at this, or any Seattle farmer's market. But more to the point, she was there before I finished. She knew. She so got it.

As we talked, a woman I had seen at the booth, come up to us to confirm what had happened and acknowledge my upset. She was clearly upset as well. She was not obviously disabled (but was carrying a tote bag that said something about Alzheimer's on it - the kind you get at a conference), but she too got it. She wanted to know if she could help and make sure that if I wanted tomatoes, I got tomatoes (no one else in the market had them.)

At first I hesitated, dammit, the afternoon was spoiled. Then I stopped myself and thought "What? This is why I came here. I won't buy tomatoes in grocery stores." She offered to go back to the booth with me and ensure that I got the proper service. The manager at the market also handed me a coupon "for my troubles". I had not expected that at all.

So we went back, I got $4 worth of gorgeous mixed cherry tomatoes, handed over the coupon, gave the kid $2 and Nancy and I chatted a bit more.

That's how to do it, folks. May i ask if you ever witness something like this - and trust me, it is super common - that you step aside or that you ensure that the person before you, even if she's short, and in a wheelchair, that you call that person to the clerk's attention. The people in line all had heard me. But the kid decided that I was lower priority. No.

And I'm running out of cherry tomatoes.