jelli
Music Lover
Lowell woman arrested after checkout-line flap
February 14, 2002
By JEFF SKRUCK
Sun Staff
LOWELL -- First there was road rage.
Now, there's checkout-line rage.
Police say a 51-year-old Lowell woman was beaten and kicked when a customer behind her in a supermarket checkout line became enraged that she had brought 13 items through a 12-items-or-fewer lane.
Karen Morgan, 38, of 103 School St., was arrested around 9:30 Sunday morning, about an hour after she allegedly beat the victim on the street outside the Market Basket on Wood Street. Morgan had fled in a car to the School Street residence, where police found her hiding in a closet.
Morgan was charged with assault and battery with a dangerous weapon (shod foot). Morgan was also charged on three outstanding warrants for writing bad checks. She failed to appear for her arraignment Monday, according to the Lowell District Court clerk.
The victim said she didn't realize that she had one item too many until Morgan, who was waiting behind her in line, let her know.
"I didn't think I had that much there. (Morgan) said something about, 'People don't know how to count,'" said the woman, who declined to give her name for fear of retaliation. "And I said to her, "Do you have a problem with this?' and she said, 'Yes I do, you (expletives deleted).'"
The clerk didn't seem to mind, however, and continued to check out the items. The victim then went to the customer service booth to buy cigarettes. "And again, (Morgan) is behind me," the woman said. "And she says something like, 'Oh, there's my friend.'"
The victim said she ignored Walker and left with her groceries. As the woman headed home along the sidewalk with her personal shopping cart, a red car pulled up to her and came to a screeching halt.
Morgan, sitting in the passenger seat said, yelled out the window at her. Words were exchanged.
"And then she got out of the car and commenced a whooping on me,'" the victim said.
Morgan allegedly pulled the victim from behind by her long hair, turned her around and punched her. She then struck her with her knee and the victim fell to the ground, police said.
Morgan continued to kick her in the head, police said, before jumping in the Pontiac Grand Am and driving off, with a man behind the wheel.
The victim managed to take down the license-plate number and police traced it to the School Street address, where they found Morgan. Police later drove the victim to the house and she identified Morgan.
The victim suffered a bump to her forehead about three inches long and two inches wide. She was also kicked in the temple. Ambulance workers treated her at the scene.
Interviewed Tuesday, the woman said she still had the bump on her head. "I've been kinda out of it," she said.
Store director Charlie Psioulis said he didn't witness the argument between the two women and none of the clerks reported the dispute to him.
The victim said she has been shopping at the same store every Sunday morning for 10 years to avoid the crowds. She believes everyone has had a rude dealing with a customer at one time or another.
"I'm sure people say stuff to you in the supermarket all the time and you walk out and forget it," said the victim. This time, however, "(Morgan) got snippy and I got a little snippy back to her."
Nowadays snippy remarks often lead to rage, if not a physical altercation, said Jack Levin, director of the Brudnick Center on Violence and Conflict at Northeastern University.
"We've given a label to the frustrated motorists who lose their cool," said Levin, a sociology and criminology professor. "The truth is people can become enraged anywhere.
"People can get upset with what seems like the most trivial moment," Levin said
what the hell is wrong with folks today..
This is almost as bad as that man who shot his wife becaue he thought she was about to say the word "NEW JERSEY"....
February 14, 2002
By JEFF SKRUCK
Sun Staff
LOWELL -- First there was road rage.
Now, there's checkout-line rage.
Police say a 51-year-old Lowell woman was beaten and kicked when a customer behind her in a supermarket checkout line became enraged that she had brought 13 items through a 12-items-or-fewer lane.
Karen Morgan, 38, of 103 School St., was arrested around 9:30 Sunday morning, about an hour after she allegedly beat the victim on the street outside the Market Basket on Wood Street. Morgan had fled in a car to the School Street residence, where police found her hiding in a closet.
Morgan was charged with assault and battery with a dangerous weapon (shod foot). Morgan was also charged on three outstanding warrants for writing bad checks. She failed to appear for her arraignment Monday, according to the Lowell District Court clerk.
The victim said she didn't realize that she had one item too many until Morgan, who was waiting behind her in line, let her know.
"I didn't think I had that much there. (Morgan) said something about, 'People don't know how to count,'" said the woman, who declined to give her name for fear of retaliation. "And I said to her, "Do you have a problem with this?' and she said, 'Yes I do, you (expletives deleted).'"
The clerk didn't seem to mind, however, and continued to check out the items. The victim then went to the customer service booth to buy cigarettes. "And again, (Morgan) is behind me," the woman said. "And she says something like, 'Oh, there's my friend.'"
The victim said she ignored Walker and left with her groceries. As the woman headed home along the sidewalk with her personal shopping cart, a red car pulled up to her and came to a screeching halt.
Morgan, sitting in the passenger seat said, yelled out the window at her. Words were exchanged.
"And then she got out of the car and commenced a whooping on me,'" the victim said.
Morgan allegedly pulled the victim from behind by her long hair, turned her around and punched her. She then struck her with her knee and the victim fell to the ground, police said.
Morgan continued to kick her in the head, police said, before jumping in the Pontiac Grand Am and driving off, with a man behind the wheel.
The victim managed to take down the license-plate number and police traced it to the School Street address, where they found Morgan. Police later drove the victim to the house and she identified Morgan.
The victim suffered a bump to her forehead about three inches long and two inches wide. She was also kicked in the temple. Ambulance workers treated her at the scene.
Interviewed Tuesday, the woman said she still had the bump on her head. "I've been kinda out of it," she said.
Store director Charlie Psioulis said he didn't witness the argument between the two women and none of the clerks reported the dispute to him.
The victim said she has been shopping at the same store every Sunday morning for 10 years to avoid the crowds. She believes everyone has had a rude dealing with a customer at one time or another.
"I'm sure people say stuff to you in the supermarket all the time and you walk out and forget it," said the victim. This time, however, "(Morgan) got snippy and I got a little snippy back to her."
Nowadays snippy remarks often lead to rage, if not a physical altercation, said Jack Levin, director of the Brudnick Center on Violence and Conflict at Northeastern University.
"We've given a label to the frustrated motorists who lose their cool," said Levin, a sociology and criminology professor. "The truth is people can become enraged anywhere.
"People can get upset with what seems like the most trivial moment," Levin said
what the hell is wrong with folks today..
This is almost as bad as that man who shot his wife becaue he thought she was about to say the word "NEW JERSEY"....
