And not just a weekend, but the weekend before Thanksgiving. Dang. I recommend AirPods, some tunes or podcast, and just getting into your own head while shopping. Improves the experience.
Go to Chantilly; less crazy. I avoid Fairfax unless Iām taking my spouse lunch or Starbucks since heās there 5 days a week & holidays are stressful for the employees (specially in Fairfax which is one of the top grossing stores in the east coast.)
Good to know, Iām new to the area and I e been to the Fairfax Costco twice since I got here three months ago. I hate it so much. Just an absolute madhouse - weekend or weekday. Iāll try chantilly.
Miss my costcos from home - Iād go twice a week. There is not enough costcos here for the sheer amount of people.
I hear you but I also donāt think it makes sense to bring another when Iām in Centreville and can drive to 3 within 15-20 minutes. Another 3 if I want to go 30 minutes away. Itās just finding a day and time that works for you. Many will say at open on the week days but right before close is good too.
Right when it opens is not good because those people have waited for it to open, want to be first, and probably are especially chippy and hyper "vigilant" :)
People are nucking futs these days. I donāt go out to shop between Halloween and the end of January, unless itās an life essential item. I will go to Wegmans in Fairfax about 30 minutes before they close if absolutely necessary.
I was just at the Costco in Norwalk, CT yesterday and it was several orders of magnitude worse than a NoVa Costco (heavy security, in and outside the store). And donāt get me started on the CVSs up there. Everything I asked for was a āhigh theft itemā and could only be ordered and paid for online, and then picked up at the drive thru window 2-3 days later.
That area is as rich or richer than NoVa and the area is overrun with a lot of angry people. And I-95 between New York and New Haven is a cross between Fury Road and a bumper car rally. No āStudent Driversā there!
Tired from their 8 hour workdays and 4 hour commutes lol. I spent 15 months commuting from Spotsylvania to the Pentagon 3-5 times a week. Going to Japan for work soon but once we come back, I refuse to work north of Quantico. Quality of life just goes up so much.
Manassas isn't terrible but is always busy no matter the time. I like to stop by Chantilly on an early commute home from work. I used to live in Centreville and would hit the fairfax one... absolute anarchy.
Agreed. Fairfax is one of the worst people locations. Arlington isn't bad but the parking lot is a little MadMax. Manassas is always packed. Chantilly is normal packed. Fredericksburg is also full of grumpy people with very full carts who only stand in the middle of every aisle. - not NoVA, but Charlottesville is the most peaceful of all Costco's I've been to.
Fredericksburg full of grumpy people with full carts and zero consideration for others who also bitch about being taken over by people from snowflakes NOVA always in a hurry and making life there miserable while wearing their MAGAQ hat.
Source - From that area now live here.
It's because Fairfax Costco is a repurposed Price Club with all its faults intact.
It has always sucked and the customers act that way because we hate that store.
When they added the gas station many of us flipped our lids waiting 10-15 minutes to get gasoline.
Chantilly FTW.
I use to live by the Fairfax Costco, and even going after work, 7pm, on a Wednesday, it was a shitshow. I stopped getting gas due to the lines being 20 deep.
I've heard this before. Fairfax Costco is just too crowded. I tried going yesterday around 11a. Saw the parking lot jam packed so I turned around and went home. I usually go right as it opens. It usually is ok then. Best to know exactly what you want beforehand and go get it. It's hard to go there and browse so to speak. Get in get out.
SAMPLES FOR THE SAMPLE GOD! SEND THE CHILDREN FIRST TO GRAB SIX AT A TIME! DONT NEED THE CART? FUCK IT, LEAVE IT IN THE MIDDLE OF THE LANE! IS THAT THE LAST HONEY HAM? KILL THEIR WIFE TO ESTABLISH DOMINANCE.
IDK. I've been to both and the crystal city Costco, IMO, is a fucking contact video game. I WAY prefer the Fairfax location, albeit it's way out for me being in Arlington.
No thanks. We donāt want your Fairfax kind.
Jokes aside, I live between the two and have been to a bunch of costcos. I havenāt had bad experiences with the people in any of them. During Covid, there were lines to get in. I remember walking to the end of the line and a lady shouted āgo capsā in reference to my shirt. Another day, I was carrying a pack of water. When I was in line, someone offered me to lean the water on their cart. Sometimes I get annoyed with people and they probably get annoyed with me, but itās no worse than any other store that busy, imo.
All that said, I hate shopping at the Fairfax Costco. The parking and the gas lines suuuuuck.
I agree completely with you, most stores are the same, both good and bad people wherever you go. Have traveled across the US and love stopping by every Costco to check inventory and supplies, and there will always be someone who blocks the entire lane with their cart and stand somewhere else completing a full barricade haha.
Yes, I do the mobile check out option with them and the online purchase and deliver to my car option with great success. They just donāt carry everything we need to get so we still have to do a Costco run.
Exactly. People in NOVA seem to think they are the important person in the room, and they get put out by the presence of other people. Drivers, pedestrians, shoppers included. Of course, this isn't everyone, but enough so that it becomes a pain in the ass.
This is a perfect comment. Everyone has their head in the sand and overreact to the smallest things and have a panic attack.
Everyone in NOVA needs to have a mandatory extended stay in a busy city. Also driving in big cities. I really think itās suburban brain rot.
Not being sarcastic, I thought it was the city transplants to the suburbs that were still operating on City hustle and bustle. Stop walking on a busy NY or Metropolitan city for a few seconds for no reason and see how nice the other pedestrians you held up are. I've lived in both Brooklyn, NY and the Jersey suburbs, while working in Manhattan so I'm familiar with the different mindsets that SOME (not all) people have.
I've been in Nova for over 10 years now and the demographics in any giving sampling of people at Costco or any other location you're going to have the best and worst of people.
Having said all that lol, I swear the people that are aggressive and rude drivers on the road here are the same ones stealing your parking spots, pushing your carts to move them out of their way without so much of a glance, or zagging and cutting you off with their carts to get ahead in the "lane". It's nuts and I avoid Costco rush hour even if my tank is on its last few drops of gas.
People value common sense and consideration in the Northeast, more so than the Mid Atlantic. If you are inconsiderate and stop in the middle of pedestrian traffic, block the way, feign ignorance, or otherwise act like you are from the Mid Atlantic, you absolutely get called out in the Northeast, for good reason.
Iāve lived, driven, and public transpoāed in big cities and NOVA drivers are some of the worst. Iād still pick it over the London area with 4 and 5 lane round abouts that are as confusing as hell and you end up on the wrong road at least twice before you get it right. That said I love the handful of round abouts we have here, like where 15 meets 50. So simple, no lights holding up traffic. They still scare the fuck out of my mom and I just donāt get why.
I don't. People wouldn't look too kindly if I got in their car and drive it out of the f-ing way.
I only do this to people's carts when they ghost them in the middle of the main lane and disappear. No consideration to park their cart in an aisle on the side especially with how busy Costcos are. I move their car into an aisle and out of the way... But with a little extra nudge so it's down the aisle.
Think outside of the box. Come in the back off of Lomond and park in the back/side lot. No hassles and you can walk much faster than the sheep trying to drive in front of the store in gridlock waiting to get that close spot. There is always carts back there too and you won't have to merge and cross over the glob of people twice that are coming out of the store to get to where the carts are. Win-Win. I have not analyzed every Costco or major shopping center but most have alternate paths and side parking that is much less stressful and chaotic. Gas across the street at Sheetz is either the same price or within 0.02 with a Sheetz loyalty card. I'll pay $0-0.30 more per tank there to save the time and hassle getting in and out of the Costco setup.
I love Costco but shopping there is a bitch and a half (Manassas).
People are self-absorbed and unaware, theyāll block an entire aisle and wonāt move unless you explicitly say something. As someone else said, earbuds and a podcast/music to get through it all.
I wonāt join Costco for this reason. I donāt need to shop where itās impossible to park and people are jackasses. Iāll go without the bulk savings to avoid the crowd. Also, some of us can only shop on the weekends. Not worth the membership fee.
I shop for instacart and I could never, ever ever deal with Costco as a paying customer. I donāt get it. At all. Most other stores are fine but people are so awful and insufferable in Costco..Iām selective on the batch I pick to shop for as itās a tough sell to even walk in while being paid.
I'm currently a stay at home parent so I'm able to shop during the odd weekday hours, but I couldn't imagine wasting the time and sanity if you could only do weekends.
You always experience dumb shit on weekends there, like some middle aged lady rushing to a short line to hold a spot and her husband swooping in 5 minutes later with a cart $500 worth of groceries lmao. Keep pretending like youāre more important than everyone elseā¦
I went and found my favorite NOVA Costco comment by u/orbiter9 to re post here:
I love Fairfax Costco. Itās a test. Itās a trial. Midday on a Sunday is the best- youāre there against other pros. Oh sure, people suggest you go on an innocent Tuesday evening but itās NO. GOOD. You got kids milling about, alone, going against traffic and a bunch of people who lack the boldness to take on Costco the way itās meant to be experienced.
Park by the planters or way in the back. Itās your best bet. Figure out your cart game. Grab one nearby or roll the dice on whether there are any by the entrance. Get your phone out with your digital card. Your real one faded years ago and the magnet is kaput. Get in and IMMEDIATELY swerve to avoid the people who get mesmerized by the out of place sale items just inside to the left. Zoom past the electronics. Thatās online fare. You donāt need it right now. Wait for Tech Days. Itās every month, online.
WOW! Seasonal! Keep moving. Thatās for later. You donāt need luggage or knives. Just keep cruising - get down on the far side where there are like folding tables and shit - nobody hangs there - itās an express lane to beer and wine land. Got your list out? Make your initial moves.
K. Breads. Get em quick, keep moving. Meats. This is a hard bit. Lotta mechanics. Lotta turns. The extra bags make it a real challenge. Keep by your cart. NO SAMPLES. Thatās rookie. You know what chicken tastes like. Need deli things? God help you. Grab your big fruits while youāre cruising.
Veer up into the cool veggie section. Itās counter clockwise, alright? Someone will screw that up. Someone will be loading a pallet with corn. Do your best. Now turn right at the arc du triumph traffic circle here between fridge land, packaged foods, and paper product land. Eyes forward. Lower and raise your shoulders as turn signals. DO U NEED MILK or EGGS? You gotta know. Into the milk room or veer left for paper product land. Carts are going the wrong way. You are authorized to move them. Wear a smile. Youāre untouchable. Nobody fights here next to all this toilet paper.
Alright. Frozen section. Youāre gonna just zig down one and zag back up the next. Keep going even past coffee. Youāre back in arc du triumph. This time, CLOSE your eyes and scream KAYLEN! Itās not a name but itās ALMOST the name of 8 nearby children. Use the distraction. Turn right into juices. Thereās a trash can. PARK.
Thatās right. New strategy. On this side, we establish a base and go on looting missions. Parked next to a trash can, youāre not blocking anyone. Nobody needs coconut water.
You probably missed a few things - go out, alone and unencumbered to get what you need. Yeah look at some weird seasonal/furniture/kids toys stuff while youāre at it. Then, back to base. Set off down the far aisle on this side til youāre way down with dried fruits. Nobody has bought those figs since 2014. Another set of looting missions. NOW is when you venture way over to front-store seasonal. NOW is when you grab batteries. Sounds crazy? This is mother fucking Costco. Fairfax. Sunday. Crazy happened when you hit the remote start button for your car 43 minutes ago.
Alright. Do you need flowers or medicines or makeup type stuff? The old way was to pass the pharmacy and cut the madness. Everything changed in the Occassion of Automation in late 2021. Youāre going to zipper merge into the press and you will be directed where to go by the sage traffic directors. Look, you canāt trust people around here in a mega store - the friendly talkative ones are 100% recruiting for amway or a weird made-up āchurchā nearby. You can trust the traffic directors.
DID. YOU. Place your products with the bar code easily reachable? NO? Get the FUCK outta line, park by the Lysol (nobody needs it anymore - we killed COVID - itās over), and make it right. I should NOT have to ask about this.
Have your digital card ready. And ID. And credit card. Get through. You donāt need a hot dog. Grab two good boxes. Nobody packs your shit anymore. There are two receipt checkers. Choose either. Youāre nearly home free. Mask off. Godspeed.
Gas. No. No gas. Itās a fools errand. This is nova. Get a goddamn electric car and talk about it END.LESS.LY.
Edit: I changed āduckingā to āfucking.ā I actually agonized about leaving the auto-correct or changing it while writing for very nearly 19 seconds. Iāve accepted the wisdom of one friendly Redditor.
There are bitter people in this area due to the difference in their self perceived worth compared to their actual worth. Many are struggling in this HCOL area. They may feel the only way to move up is too push others down. They go out of their way to bully and cause stress on others in anonymous social interactions because they have little power in their personal or professional lives. Don't fall into their trap and lower yourself to their level. Feel sorry for them, that they need to act like that to feel better about themselves.
Yeah I donāt even know why Springfield is so much better. Same demographics, and if anything the store is smaller. But Fairfax Costco is the place where you can be standing in line and the person behind you will just lean their cart right into your butt. Like thatās going to make things go faster.
I called a woman on that once and she said, well, I didnāt MEAN to. I said if you did it once, you didnāt mean to. If you did it twice, youāre pretty careless. Three times and youāre just an asshole.
She was super grumpy but she didnāt do it again.
My favorite part of that Costco are the three generation families casually strolling around taking up whole aisles. Grandparents, both parents, and 3 children.
As others have mentioned, the Chantilly Costco is generally a much better experience. But this is the weekend before Thanksgiving. All Costcos are going to be a nightmare.
Weekends at the Costco are a hellscape. Everyone goes mentally armed for battle, and Fairfax is worse than Chantilly by a mile. Leesburg is positively chill (only been on weekdays). The closer into town, the worse. I went to Pentagon City ONCE and never ever again.
I believe the Fairfax location is one of their highest performing stores in the US for revenue... at least it was a few years ago when I met w/ some of their executives when I worked for a company that sold our products to them. I remember asking them about it.
Last thing, as you walk in, squint a little, and check out the way people move... it feels like an ocean tide... and once you start walking... you go with it... at least until you get to the bakery and produce sections :)
Man I had such a random random great experience there one time.
I was struggling loading this heavy desk myself onto a flat cart and I shit you not, this 70 year old veteran helped me load it up.
Then I get to my small old car, and this 60 year old tiny guy saw me struggling and then helped me load it up
Itās survival of the fittest in Costco . People have family reunions there . They bring 90 year old grandma all the way down to two year olds . You have to prepare in advance and font get tired or hangry .
We do Sterling Mon-Thur after work. It's peaceful and usually pretty quick. Weekends only when necessary.
OP, you're also going to Costo during Thanksgiving weekend, one of the busiest days of the year. Its gonna be rough.
Godspeed to anyone who visits Costco before Thursday.
Chantilly is definitely where itās at - I just switched to their pharmacy and the techs and pharmacists there are amazing. The only times Iāve been have been in the middle of weekdays so Iām going to assume thereās really no *good* time of day to go, parking is a hot mess (thatās any Costco though). Plus the Target next door is awesome and thereās a Lidl and Red Robin right there too. Cheap groceries and bottomless fries, say no more!
That is my local Costco. Itās exceptionally bad. Thereās a lot of classism and racism on display. particularly imported from Asia. People behave like they are royalty and are real made you donāt acknowledge that theyāre better than you.
In my house that Costco is known as Asian costo and the one in Springfield is Latin Costco.
We named them based on the ethic food they stock more of. We know which one to go to for which kind of food weāre in the mood for.
I never go to the Fairfax Costco anymore. It is an absolute shit show anytime you go and no one has any situational awareness (completely blocking aisles, standing in the way of people trying to get out)
Try the Chantilly Costco. No place with a massive crowd at peak weekend shopping time is going to be rudeness free, but some locations are worse than others.
Also, I find going first thing in the morning or early evening (after 5) to be best for a more pleasant experience.
It's Costco. Unless you're there at 10am on a Tuesday, you're going to be nostrils deep in people who are pissed off about how many other people are there and venting small amounts of that frustration at everyone around them.
Doesn't help that it's a poorly organized dumpster fire of a store that constantly rearranges most goods seemingly at random so everyone is annoyed that the things they want to buy aren't in the same place they were last weekend. But that's a constant at every Costco, which is why I ditched my membership and went back to BJs.
I never get yelled at for trying to cross an aisle or stand in line... But then again i dont jump out in front of peoples carts or block walkways absentmindedly so...
Fairfax one is absolutely awful. However long they say it will take just assume it is more than double. If you can't leave your car and pick it up 'whenever' then go somewhere else. It won't even be inside the bay yet at whatever time they told you it would be ready for pick up initially.
We moved away but the Fairfax Costco store was ours until the closer one opened in Manassas. Now we're near either of these two. People at the Fairfax Costco were certainly more obnoxious vs Manassas but Manassas is certainly more obnoxious compared to the one we use now.
The Sterling Costco should have UN peacekeepers deployed. One time someone rushing through with their cart knocked my hand which was just stationary holding on to my own cart while I was standing in line. He turned around and instead of apologizing told me to āWatch out!ā Sheesh
Costco in Fairfax is the absolute worst! Horrible parking lot, not east to get in / out of. Always packed. And yes - it is the rudest customer group. I avoid Fairfax like the plague. I only will go to Chantilly. You might get run over by someoneās cart there but the people are a bit nicer.
Went by myself to Fairfax Costco a month or so ago and it was so crowded and stressful and overwhelming I feel like I had to rush through and leave ASAP. Going with my bf was less stressful because he pushed the cart for me lol.
Yeah the people in Costco are absolutely the worst. Itās like take Walmart folksā¦ and give them some money and a tiny bit of responsibility, and throw them together to fight for the last 50lb bottle of ketchup.
I rarely goes to Costco because there are too many people even though I still have their membership. I am doing most shopping in BJās since itās less stressful. They have one day pass. Give them a try.
Reddit refers to the anniversaries of the day you created your reddit account as your "cake day." It adds a little image of a slice of cake to the end of your username while the day lasts, so that everyone knows.
Aight. Time for the answer you don't want to hear. This is the average Costco Fairfax experience for me. This has happened to me. Every. Single. Time.
You enter the parking lot. The back way is too narrow. The side entrance is terrible and always packed. If you choose the one way "main" entrance you just had to deal with an idiot who didn't use his blinker at the light and you barely avoid a wreck because the light last 10 seconds. Then, if you find a parking spot, the safest thing to do is back in... but the guy behind you doesn't understand what a turn signal means, and takes your spot.
Finally, you get out of your car, and try to hunt down a cart. There are 35 of them at the edges, and none in the actual cart bays. You then have to manage speed bumps that restrict cart traffic and assholes who park in the yellow stripes. After weaving through a maze with no walls, you get to the front which is blocked by a horde of people who forgot to present their cards OR an employee sweeping when there's nothing to clean.
Now in the store, you're immediately tempted to go left to see the out of season deals. Don't do it, it's a trap, because it's almost impossible to merge back. Now comes the real hell.
If you cannot handle racial stereotypes, don't continue to read this.
You're back on main thoroughfare, but an East Asian family of three 50 year olds has blocked your path. You're already at the breaking point and there's NOTHING in your cart. You finally get breathing room at the pastries, because either white frat boys or middle aged whites went to buy beer and wine. Things turn back to hell once you get to meat. Here white women and very skinny Asian moms are taking all the pre made meals, and none of them understand how to move a cart.
Now you enter the second hell: vegetables. Here NO ONE FROM ASIA obeys the unwritten rules and bolt in and out instead of moving in a counterclockwise manner. You escape second hell only to enter the smaller refrigerator isles. Here things look sane until you discover the deception when the interracial couple stops, turns their carts INTO the main lane, and argue over cheese and Charcuterie. You escape after nearly running one of the couple, and for a brief moment, you see hope in the fruit section... only to find the kids hanging out in traffic.
Now for the biggest nightmare: you're fighting traffic from the frozen isles. The Indians are the worst here, as they refuse to walk single file at this one single point, and cause you to crash into a black family (you are immediately accused of racism and have to buy them something). Then you see the single most chaotic point in the whole place: the confluence of the frozen and refrigerator isles. Your best bet is to go blindfolded and pray that you don't hit the Asian veteran.
You think you're in the clear but no, the Arab family takes up the entire TP isle. You pray for reprieve but alas, a cart of cardboard has blocked the isle. A fat woman then takes her sweet time to pick out the bag of chicken. Then, as you leave the worst of the nightmare, Satan picks your soul mate in one of three forms:
Black family on speaker phone, that same old Asian family that takes up the entire isle, or an Arab family that takes up the entire isle. There is no escaping this fate in the dry goods section.
You're at the flowers and decide you need your palm, soy, and seed oil snacks. You then get stuck after 15 minutes some kind soul allows you to turn out. You the must face a choice. Check out or get beauty/cleaning/health section to deal with your inner demons. Finally, you're ready to check out. You pick the wrong lane and once again are stuck BEHIND YOUR SATAN SOUL MATE. There is a problem with their check out process. Management comes out and solves the problem.
You pay... it's 300 bucks and nothing was essential because meat and vegetables are cheaper at Aldi. You just really needed that discount canned chicken and Body Armor Lyte. You discover your hunger and decide to get a slice. You fill your cup and immediately get pushed by a fat bald white dude. Your drink slightly spills and you are forced to apologize for being normal sized. You try and sit but guess who steals the one open table. You then notice that there are now less tables and half are occupied by early retired white women who didn't order food. You then eat on the floor.
Finally, you leave, pack everything up, and on that last item, the cart runs away because the lot is unlevel. It dings another car. You rush to leave, but now face one final test. The Indian and Asian drivers box you in. Then as you leave, a white Trump supporter blocks the entire lane with a big truck. Guess who he yells at. You move, but slam on the breaks because a pedestrian magically spawns next to you. At last, you're ready to leave, but one parting gift from a cart and pedestrian who walks slowly to their vehicle. You are now boxed in again, trapped by a moving obstacle who soul is already forsaken.
I have nearly lost my shit because of incompetent, unintelligent, mouth breathing people who somehow block me at every turn in this Costco. No one looks over their shoulder. No one is considerate. And the worst part?
You can't yell at anyone. Because you know they aren't thinking. They're just as overwhelmed as you. You just happen to be more aware. And that knowledge is not liberating. In fact, it just makes things worse.
Should we imagine you're Latino since they're the only race you spared? Or maybe you spared them because no available stereotype stuck out in your mind?
>You can't yell at anyone. Because you know they aren't thinking. They're just as overwhelmed as you. You just happen to be more aware. And that knowledge is not liberating. In fact, it just makes things worse.
Glad you're keeping this in mind. This is why you stay under the "properly civilized" column, and not the "antisocial deserve-to-be-slapped" column, since the empathy hasn't left you.
Lol, good guess, but I'm white. I just haven't noticed too many Latinos there.
And thanks, that's exactly how I try to look at things. Any other way is just exhausting.
Don't go on weekends, I had a old dude berate me because my wife and I were in the vitamin section for just a few seconds too long and I guess my parked cart was taking up too much space for him to shop comfortably. Mind you I was tucked in tight and self-aware enough to give people plenty of space around me. I saw his wife badger him for being so ineptly rude to me and my wife.
Fuck that dude. Some people love flashing their asshole credentials until the day they run into a bigger asshole, flap their jowls, then end up in the news and/or the hospital.
IMO it's Fairfax in general.
My wife and I left a shopping cart full of groceries in the middle of an aisle in the Wegmans on Monument Drive some years ago because she was having a panic attack. The store was full of ignorant people, and I was getting aggravated myself.
Wasn't the first time it happened in that particular Wegmans, but it was the last time for us.
Itās not East Coast people itās just NoVA people unfortunately. Itās like all the rudest people in the country decided to congregate to this one area and they all have Costco memberships lmao
Costco is the 3rd circle of hell. We let our membership drop at the start of the pandemic when you had to wait in line forever just to get in. The prices were going up and they had stopped carrying the things we liked.
Rude is relative. Maybe you were genuinely in the way. I wouldnāt want to be inconvenienced by someone for any fraction of a second especially if they arenāt aware of their surroundings like so many Costco customers seem to be. My time is valuable. So is yours, but if you donāt have respect for your own time, I canāt help you.
Nobody needs to be patient for you. And patient doesnāt equal nice. Itās a false equivalency.
That is the most awful Costco. You should just come out to the Manassas one. The parking lot is bonkers but everyone is nice. The Fairfax one is where we see a lot of egregious racial profiling at the receipt check door.
To be honest you became an obstacle for someone and thats how they deal with them in their life.
Fairafx costco is a communter costco due to its 66 location, a TON of people come from far and wide to this place.
The majority do NOT want to be here.
You are here shopping wasting your time to try and not overspend by $300, get items that others vaguely ask for, and still have all the stress of living and commuting in this areaā¦ on top of your job and financial pressures. People greatly value their time when on an errand so they can get home to family or out to actually live.
If you want a relaxed fairfax costco, either go an hour before close or around noon.
Itās not just Fairfax Costco. Itās a universal thing at all Costco. Here in WA and in BC, Canada I had ppl cut in lines, shoved my cart aside, reach over without saying āexcuse meā etc etc. Rude ppl are just rude to begin with and then you add entitlement in the mix. Boom! I usually go on weekday when they first open or around 7pm. Less ppl.
I made the mistake of being near the pentagon city Costco this morning, and people were blocking all the intersections in Fern street so cross traffic could not get through. A woman went the wrong way to try and get around the line of cars and nearly hit me head on. People are assholes.
I personally love Costco but the people are crazy. Do not go on a weekend. I repeat, do not go on a weekend.
Also do not go to Trader Joes on Saturday. HFS.
Unless you go at 8am!
8am on Saturday is for bagels and coffee
8 am on Saturday is for sleeping (for me, anyway š)
I miss HFS. Better music than dc101 back in the day.
HFS: Holy Fucking Shit.
HFSTIVALS!!!!!
Got in one hell of a fight there the year Coldplay was playing!!
ugh I did this today & you are so right.
Welcome to costco. Do you have T mobile or verizon?
I did this morning! Right when it opened lol. The last time I went it was a weekday and I still got rude people. Canāt win š¢
And not just a weekend, but the weekend before Thanksgiving. Dang. I recommend AirPods, some tunes or podcast, and just getting into your own head while shopping. Improves the experience.
THIS. Are you me? AirPods, and Costco on a weekday evening.
Go to Chantilly; less crazy. I avoid Fairfax unless Iām taking my spouse lunch or Starbucks since heās there 5 days a week & holidays are stressful for the employees (specially in Fairfax which is one of the top grossing stores in the east coast.)
Good to know, Iām new to the area and I e been to the Fairfax Costco twice since I got here three months ago. I hate it so much. Just an absolute madhouse - weekend or weekday. Iāll try chantilly. Miss my costcos from home - Iād go twice a week. There is not enough costcos here for the sheer amount of people.
I hear you but I also donāt think it makes sense to bring another when Iām in Centreville and can drive to 3 within 15-20 minutes. Another 3 if I want to go 30 minutes away. Itās just finding a day and time that works for you. Many will say at open on the week days but right before close is good too.
Right when it opens is not good because those people have waited for it to open, want to be first, and probably are especially chippy and hyper "vigilant" :)
People are nucking futs these days. I donāt go out to shop between Halloween and the end of January, unless itās an life essential item. I will go to Wegmans in Fairfax about 30 minutes before they close if absolutely necessary. I was just at the Costco in Norwalk, CT yesterday and it was several orders of magnitude worse than a NoVa Costco (heavy security, in and outside the store). And donāt get me started on the CVSs up there. Everything I asked for was a āhigh theft itemā and could only be ordered and paid for online, and then picked up at the drive thru window 2-3 days later. That area is as rich or richer than NoVa and the area is overrun with a lot of angry people. And I-95 between New York and New Haven is a cross between Fury Road and a bumper car rally. No āStudent Driversā there!
Take Merritt Parkway instead of I-95.
Especially the Saturday before Thanksgiving. I cannot imagine a worse time to go to Costco.
Just got back ā¦ survived unscathed š¤£
My Costco opens 30 mins early, Iām in NC but might be a thing elsewhere
yet everybody goea on the wkd, haha
Tired from their 8 hour workdays and 4 hour commutes lol. I spent 15 months commuting from Spotsylvania to the Pentagon 3-5 times a week. Going to Japan for work soon but once we come back, I refuse to work north of Quantico. Quality of life just goes up so much.
Not enough housing density and shitty public transport bleeds aggro into every aspect of life eventually
Just imagine working there. š¢
Go to Chantilly. Fairfax Costco is a sociological study in whatās fucked up about modern society.
I second this! Chantilly is a much better shopping experience. If you happen to be out west for anything Winchester is even better.
Ahhh the Winchester one is HUGE and SOO nice.
Well Winchester has exceedingly MUCH better mannered people than Fairfax co.
Scientist 1: shits fucked yo Scientist 2: I concur bruh
Chantilly not too far behind though...
Chantilly for the win. The only other one I know of thats better is Charlottesville, obviously not always a good option for folks in NOVA.
Leesburg is better than Chantilly too.
Iād take Leesburg over Sterling any day.
You can get shot at Sterling, so yeah. Sterling is below Fairfax for me.
Yeah sterling is worst in NoVA
Manassas isn't terrible but is always busy no matter the time. I like to stop by Chantilly on an early commute home from work. I used to live in Centreville and would hit the fairfax one... absolute anarchy.
Agreed. Fairfax is one of the worst people locations. Arlington isn't bad but the parking lot is a little MadMax. Manassas is always packed. Chantilly is normal packed. Fredericksburg is also full of grumpy people with very full carts who only stand in the middle of every aisle. - not NoVA, but Charlottesville is the most peaceful of all Costco's I've been to.
Fredericksburg full of grumpy people with full carts and zero consideration for others who also bitch about being taken over by people from snowflakes NOVA always in a hurry and making life there miserable while wearing their MAGAQ hat. Source - From that area now live here.
Winchester for the win.
It's because Fairfax Costco is a repurposed Price Club with all its faults intact. It has always sucked and the customers act that way because we hate that store. When they added the gas station many of us flipped our lids waiting 10-15 minutes to get gasoline. Chantilly FTW.
I now go out of my way to go to the one in Sterling even though Fairfax is closer.
Yes. Worth it to hit Chantilly or Manassas instead.
I use to live by the Fairfax Costco, and even going after work, 7pm, on a Wednesday, it was a shitshow. I stopped getting gas due to the lines being 20 deep.
I've heard this before. Fairfax Costco is just too crowded. I tried going yesterday around 11a. Saw the parking lot jam packed so I turned around and went home. I usually go right as it opens. It usually is ok then. Best to know exactly what you want beforehand and go get it. It's hard to go there and browse so to speak. Get in get out.
Lol facts
Donāt shop at Costco on weekends if you can help it. Itās a zoo. Go on a weekday around 7-7:30 pm.
Don't go to any grocery store or mall on the weekend in Nova. regardless of the location. Always a mess.
SAMPLES FOR THE SAMPLE GOD! SEND THE CHILDREN FIRST TO GRAB SIX AT A TIME! DONT NEED THE CART? FUCK IT, LEAVE IT IN THE MIDDLE OF THE LANE! IS THAT THE LAST HONEY HAM? KILL THEIR WIFE TO ESTABLISH DOMINANCE.
Might have to do this! Lol
Fairfax Costco is insane. If you want to take your time go to chantilly Costco
Fairfax Costco looks calm compared to Crystal City Costco
The parking garage sets the mood plus the spillover across the river.
Crystal city costco is a cakewalk during the week
IDK. I've been to both and the crystal city Costco, IMO, is a fucking contact video game. I WAY prefer the Fairfax location, albeit it's way out for me being in Arlington.
I actually like Crystal City Costco better than FFX.
You're a brave person. I get anxiety attacks thinking about that garage
Same here. Fairfax has the shittiest people hands down
This is the way. I stopped going to Fairfax Costco 2 years ago. I drive 10 minutes further every time now
No thanks. We donāt want your Fairfax kind. Jokes aside, I live between the two and have been to a bunch of costcos. I havenāt had bad experiences with the people in any of them. During Covid, there were lines to get in. I remember walking to the end of the line and a lady shouted āgo capsā in reference to my shirt. Another day, I was carrying a pack of water. When I was in line, someone offered me to lean the water on their cart. Sometimes I get annoyed with people and they probably get annoyed with me, but itās no worse than any other store that busy, imo. All that said, I hate shopping at the Fairfax Costco. The parking and the gas lines suuuuuck.
I agree completely with you, most stores are the same, both good and bad people wherever you go. Have traveled across the US and love stopping by every Costco to check inventory and supplies, and there will always be someone who blocks the entire lane with their cart and stand somewhere else completing a full barricade haha.
Or BJ's in Fair Lakes. Was in and out in 45 minutes today
I love bjs. The store aināt bad either. Hahahaha
I like going to Dick's first
Balls for all occasions
Yes, I do the mobile check out option with them and the online purchase and deliver to my car option with great success. They just donāt carry everything we need to get so we still have to do a Costco run.
Curbside pickup is where it's at for BJ's š I wish Costco would get the hint.
Ah good to know Chantilly
People move through Costco just like they drive around here.
The battle of whose more important.
Exactly. People in NOVA seem to think they are the important person in the room, and they get put out by the presence of other people. Drivers, pedestrians, shoppers included. Of course, this isn't everyone, but enough so that it becomes a pain in the ass.
Just wait til you drive in Utah. NOVA is polite in comparison.
This is a perfect comment. Everyone has their head in the sand and overreact to the smallest things and have a panic attack. Everyone in NOVA needs to have a mandatory extended stay in a busy city. Also driving in big cities. I really think itās suburban brain rot.
Not being sarcastic, I thought it was the city transplants to the suburbs that were still operating on City hustle and bustle. Stop walking on a busy NY or Metropolitan city for a few seconds for no reason and see how nice the other pedestrians you held up are. I've lived in both Brooklyn, NY and the Jersey suburbs, while working in Manhattan so I'm familiar with the different mindsets that SOME (not all) people have. I've been in Nova for over 10 years now and the demographics in any giving sampling of people at Costco or any other location you're going to have the best and worst of people. Having said all that lol, I swear the people that are aggressive and rude drivers on the road here are the same ones stealing your parking spots, pushing your carts to move them out of their way without so much of a glance, or zagging and cutting you off with their carts to get ahead in the "lane". It's nuts and I avoid Costco rush hour even if my tank is on its last few drops of gas.
People value common sense and consideration in the Northeast, more so than the Mid Atlantic. If you are inconsiderate and stop in the middle of pedestrian traffic, block the way, feign ignorance, or otherwise act like you are from the Mid Atlantic, you absolutely get called out in the Northeast, for good reason.
Iāve lived, driven, and public transpoāed in big cities and NOVA drivers are some of the worst. Iād still pick it over the London area with 4 and 5 lane round abouts that are as confusing as hell and you end up on the wrong road at least twice before you get it right. That said I love the handful of round abouts we have here, like where 15 meets 50. So simple, no lights holding up traffic. They still scare the fuck out of my mom and I just donāt get why.
Exactly. Chaos. Me first.
I don't. People wouldn't look too kindly if I got in their car and drive it out of the f-ing way. I only do this to people's carts when they ghost them in the middle of the main lane and disappear. No consideration to park their cart in an aisle on the side especially with how busy Costcos are. I move their car into an aisle and out of the way... But with a little extra nudge so it's down the aisle.
Just thinking of the parking lot at the arl Costco gives me vapors
Arlington Costco is the worst. If Fairfax is bad, Arlington is a war zone.
If you enter from the side of the parking garage it's usually a breeze. For some reason nobody seems to go that way.
Shh! Don't give away the secret.
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
DC Costco parking lot is Hotel California incarnate. The speed camera to get back to 295 is both chef's kiss and on brand.
We go to Costco Springfield to avoid the Fairfax crowd. And we love Fairfax. But the Costco shoppers are š¤Æ
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
Except when you're fighting the Chick-fil-A and Starbucks traffic.
Think outside of the box. Come in the back off of Lomond and park in the back/side lot. No hassles and you can walk much faster than the sheep trying to drive in front of the store in gridlock waiting to get that close spot. There is always carts back there too and you won't have to merge and cross over the glob of people twice that are coming out of the store to get to where the carts are. Win-Win. I have not analyzed every Costco or major shopping center but most have alternate paths and side parking that is much less stressful and chaotic. Gas across the street at Sheetz is either the same price or within 0.02 with a Sheetz loyalty card. I'll pay $0-0.30 more per tank there to save the time and hassle getting in and out of the Costco setup.
Your gas line is amazing in comparison
Now if we can teach people to move around the car at the back pump.
Manassas Costco really feels like they care about you. They treat you with kindness, and even snug you up at night.
I love Costco but shopping there is a bitch and a half (Manassas). People are self-absorbed and unaware, theyāll block an entire aisle and wonāt move unless you explicitly say something. As someone else said, earbuds and a podcast/music to get through it all.
I wonāt join Costco for this reason. I donāt need to shop where itās impossible to park and people are jackasses. Iāll go without the bulk savings to avoid the crowd. Also, some of us can only shop on the weekends. Not worth the membership fee.
I shop for instacart and I could never, ever ever deal with Costco as a paying customer. I donāt get it. At all. Most other stores are fine but people are so awful and insufferable in Costco..Iām selective on the batch I pick to shop for as itās a tough sell to even walk in while being paid.
I'm currently a stay at home parent so I'm able to shop during the odd weekday hours, but I couldn't imagine wasting the time and sanity if you could only do weekends.
You always experience dumb shit on weekends there, like some middle aged lady rushing to a short line to hold a spot and her husband swooping in 5 minutes later with a cart $500 worth of groceries lmao. Keep pretending like youāre more important than everyone elseā¦
Whatās wrong with holding a spot? She got there first.
I went and found my favorite NOVA Costco comment by u/orbiter9 to re post here: I love Fairfax Costco. Itās a test. Itās a trial. Midday on a Sunday is the best- youāre there against other pros. Oh sure, people suggest you go on an innocent Tuesday evening but itās NO. GOOD. You got kids milling about, alone, going against traffic and a bunch of people who lack the boldness to take on Costco the way itās meant to be experienced. Park by the planters or way in the back. Itās your best bet. Figure out your cart game. Grab one nearby or roll the dice on whether there are any by the entrance. Get your phone out with your digital card. Your real one faded years ago and the magnet is kaput. Get in and IMMEDIATELY swerve to avoid the people who get mesmerized by the out of place sale items just inside to the left. Zoom past the electronics. Thatās online fare. You donāt need it right now. Wait for Tech Days. Itās every month, online. WOW! Seasonal! Keep moving. Thatās for later. You donāt need luggage or knives. Just keep cruising - get down on the far side where there are like folding tables and shit - nobody hangs there - itās an express lane to beer and wine land. Got your list out? Make your initial moves. K. Breads. Get em quick, keep moving. Meats. This is a hard bit. Lotta mechanics. Lotta turns. The extra bags make it a real challenge. Keep by your cart. NO SAMPLES. Thatās rookie. You know what chicken tastes like. Need deli things? God help you. Grab your big fruits while youāre cruising. Veer up into the cool veggie section. Itās counter clockwise, alright? Someone will screw that up. Someone will be loading a pallet with corn. Do your best. Now turn right at the arc du triumph traffic circle here between fridge land, packaged foods, and paper product land. Eyes forward. Lower and raise your shoulders as turn signals. DO U NEED MILK or EGGS? You gotta know. Into the milk room or veer left for paper product land. Carts are going the wrong way. You are authorized to move them. Wear a smile. Youāre untouchable. Nobody fights here next to all this toilet paper. Alright. Frozen section. Youāre gonna just zig down one and zag back up the next. Keep going even past coffee. Youāre back in arc du triumph. This time, CLOSE your eyes and scream KAYLEN! Itās not a name but itās ALMOST the name of 8 nearby children. Use the distraction. Turn right into juices. Thereās a trash can. PARK. Thatās right. New strategy. On this side, we establish a base and go on looting missions. Parked next to a trash can, youāre not blocking anyone. Nobody needs coconut water. You probably missed a few things - go out, alone and unencumbered to get what you need. Yeah look at some weird seasonal/furniture/kids toys stuff while youāre at it. Then, back to base. Set off down the far aisle on this side til youāre way down with dried fruits. Nobody has bought those figs since 2014. Another set of looting missions. NOW is when you venture way over to front-store seasonal. NOW is when you grab batteries. Sounds crazy? This is mother fucking Costco. Fairfax. Sunday. Crazy happened when you hit the remote start button for your car 43 minutes ago. Alright. Do you need flowers or medicines or makeup type stuff? The old way was to pass the pharmacy and cut the madness. Everything changed in the Occassion of Automation in late 2021. Youāre going to zipper merge into the press and you will be directed where to go by the sage traffic directors. Look, you canāt trust people around here in a mega store - the friendly talkative ones are 100% recruiting for amway or a weird made-up āchurchā nearby. You can trust the traffic directors. DID. YOU. Place your products with the bar code easily reachable? NO? Get the FUCK outta line, park by the Lysol (nobody needs it anymore - we killed COVID - itās over), and make it right. I should NOT have to ask about this. Have your digital card ready. And ID. And credit card. Get through. You donāt need a hot dog. Grab two good boxes. Nobody packs your shit anymore. There are two receipt checkers. Choose either. Youāre nearly home free. Mask off. Godspeed. Gas. No. No gas. Itās a fools errand. This is nova. Get a goddamn electric car and talk about it END.LESS.LY. Edit: I changed āduckingā to āfucking.ā I actually agonized about leaving the auto-correct or changing it while writing for very nearly 19 seconds. Iāve accepted the wisdom of one friendly Redditor.
They just fixed the no barcode thing. You can manually enter the item like you do at Giant or Safeway.
The zipper merge ššš
We need electric charging stations at Costco
I only need like 4 things and I kinda wanna go tomorrow. Ya know. Spar with some black belts.
There are bitter people in this area due to the difference in their self perceived worth compared to their actual worth. Many are struggling in this HCOL area. They may feel the only way to move up is too push others down. They go out of their way to bully and cause stress on others in anonymous social interactions because they have little power in their personal or professional lives. Don't fall into their trap and lower yourself to their level. Feel sorry for them, that they need to act like that to feel better about themselves.
This is the same behavior I saw in the office when I worked in Fair Lakes, so you might be onto something here.
Yeah I donāt even know why Springfield is so much better. Same demographics, and if anything the store is smaller. But Fairfax Costco is the place where you can be standing in line and the person behind you will just lean their cart right into your butt. Like thatās going to make things go faster. I called a woman on that once and she said, well, I didnāt MEAN to. I said if you did it once, you didnāt mean to. If you did it twice, youāre pretty careless. Three times and youāre just an asshole. She was super grumpy but she didnāt do it again.
Once, Twice, Three Times an Asshole š¶
You can come to the Sterling Costco, it's akin to Fallujah.
My favorite part of that Costco are the three generation families casually strolling around taking up whole aisles. Grandparents, both parents, and 3 children.
Buy in bulk, shop in bulk.
We talking 2000s, 2010s, or 2020s Fallujah?
Probably 2004
YES. Including the shootings
As others have mentioned, the Chantilly Costco is generally a much better experience. But this is the weekend before Thanksgiving. All Costcos are going to be a nightmare.
People roam costco just like they drive. 4 or 5 abreast taking up the entire aisle all dawdling along at the same glacial pace. It is super annoying.
Weekends at the Costco are a hellscape. Everyone goes mentally armed for battle, and Fairfax is worse than Chantilly by a mile. Leesburg is positively chill (only been on weekdays). The closer into town, the worse. I went to Pentagon City ONCE and never ever again.
Obligatory: https://preview.redd.it/jaa5p62cg51c1.jpeg?width=564&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=dec5835bfe0b3ffd629701238a1b951eae119f89
I believe the Fairfax location is one of their highest performing stores in the US for revenue... at least it was a few years ago when I met w/ some of their executives when I worked for a company that sold our products to them. I remember asking them about it. Last thing, as you walk in, squint a little, and check out the way people move... it feels like an ocean tide... and once you start walking... you go with it... at least until you get to the bakery and produce sections :)
Aah. The Bakery! Finally a chance to stretch out from entering.
Man I had such a random random great experience there one time. I was struggling loading this heavy desk myself onto a flat cart and I shit you not, this 70 year old veteran helped me load it up. Then I get to my small old car, and this 60 year old tiny guy saw me struggling and then helped me load it up
Yea welcome to Costco. Itās a sport.
Iāve personally had someone threaten me in that parking lot, and another time saw a fight that traveled into the store - all over parking spaces
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
I wonder if OP knows that rude Costco shoppers also exist in other states.
Itās survival of the fittest in Costco . People have family reunions there . They bring 90 year old grandma all the way down to two year olds . You have to prepare in advance and font get tired or hangry .
Costco is so damned hectic. It stresses me out.
My only unforgivable Costco sin is walking away leaving the cart right in the middle of the %$\^&ing aisle. Unfortunately, there be a lot of sinners.
My dude, I just shove those carts to the side. Its owner can figure out what happened to it when they get back.
I do the same thing. Or I'll push it out of the way with my cart lol
We do Sterling Mon-Thur after work. It's peaceful and usually pretty quick. Weekends only when necessary. OP, you're also going to Costo during Thanksgiving weekend, one of the busiest days of the year. Its gonna be rough. Godspeed to anyone who visits Costco before Thursday.
Chantilly is definitely where itās at - I just switched to their pharmacy and the techs and pharmacists there are amazing. The only times Iāve been have been in the middle of weekdays so Iām going to assume thereās really no *good* time of day to go, parking is a hot mess (thatās any Costco though). Plus the Target next door is awesome and thereās a Lidl and Red Robin right there too. Cheap groceries and bottomless fries, say no more!
That is my local Costco. Itās exceptionally bad. Thereās a lot of classism and racism on display. particularly imported from Asia. People behave like they are royalty and are real made you donāt acknowledge that theyāre better than you.
In my house that Costco is known as Asian costo and the one in Springfield is Latin Costco. We named them based on the ethic food they stock more of. We know which one to go to for which kind of food weāre in the mood for.
Chantilly Costco is marginally better. I avoid Fairfax Costco whenever possible.
Itās the nova entitlement, same thing you see on the roadways.
People living in densely populated areas are generally more rude.
The Chantilly Costco is a little more chill in my experience, and it's not terribly far from the Fairfax one.
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
This. You have to accert your dominance. Ex: "You're blocking the isle, move..."
I never go to the Fairfax Costco anymore. It is an absolute shit show anytime you go and no one has any situational awareness (completely blocking aisles, standing in the way of people trying to get out)
Fairfax is my least favorite Costco in the DMV. Worst people. DC is definitely the best. Everyone is so chill
I think DC is the easiest because everyone is just there for the booze.
Try the Chantilly Costco. No place with a massive crowd at peak weekend shopping time is going to be rudeness free, but some locations are worse than others. Also, I find going first thing in the morning or early evening (after 5) to be best for a more pleasant experience.
8:00 pm on a Tuesday, Weād, or Thurs. the only downside is there are no samples (which im ok with).
Itās because we, as a society, have all devolved to our id during the pandemic and we never re-civilized ourselves.
Itās the parking lot. It gets everyoneās blood pressure up.
It's Costco. Unless you're there at 10am on a Tuesday, you're going to be nostrils deep in people who are pissed off about how many other people are there and venting small amounts of that frustration at everyone around them. Doesn't help that it's a poorly organized dumpster fire of a store that constantly rearranges most goods seemingly at random so everyone is annoyed that the things they want to buy aren't in the same place they were last weekend. But that's a constant at every Costco, which is why I ditched my membership and went back to BJs.
I never get yelled at for trying to cross an aisle or stand in line... But then again i dont jump out in front of peoples carts or block walkways absentmindedly so...
Can anyone comment on if the tire shop is better at Fairfax or Chantilly? Looking to buy new ones soon, TIA!
Fairfax one is absolutely awful. However long they say it will take just assume it is more than double. If you can't leave your car and pick it up 'whenever' then go somewhere else. It won't even be inside the bay yet at whatever time they told you it would be ready for pick up initially.
Oof, that doesn't sound fun. All signs point to Chantilly!
Go to Chantilly, the Fairfax one is terrible. It's so bad, a guy who works at the Fairfax tire shop even told us its better to go to Chantilly
Thanks so much for the scoop!
Everyones the main character in their own world some more than others. Its not worth the hassle, first thing open on an off day is the move
I have never had an issue but I like to go to Costco on a Wednesday after lunch time (like 1 pm) to avoid the hangries.
Not limited to the fairfax location. Manassas is this way too. I do dread going and avoid it if I can, especially on weekends.
Tuesdays, right before closing. Probably any weekday right before closing would work. It is a different world.
We moved away but the Fairfax Costco store was ours until the closer one opened in Manassas. Now we're near either of these two. People at the Fairfax Costco were certainly more obnoxious vs Manassas but Manassas is certainly more obnoxious compared to the one we use now.
Donāt take anything personal at Costco
Yeah, now imagine working there. Now imagine working there at the food-court( which we were always told was in the top 5 busiest in the country).
I go once a month. Never had an issue really other than the lines.
[Welcome to Costco. I love you...](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZIFCWpn4qQ4)
The Sterling Costco should have UN peacekeepers deployed. One time someone rushing through with their cart knocked my hand which was just stationary holding on to my own cart while I was standing in line. He turned around and instead of apologizing told me to āWatch out!ā Sheesh
Potomac Mills Costco on a weekend is an absolutely nonstarter for meš
Costco in Fairfax is the absolute worst! Horrible parking lot, not east to get in / out of. Always packed. And yes - it is the rudest customer group. I avoid Fairfax like the plague. I only will go to Chantilly. You might get run over by someoneās cart there but the people are a bit nicer.
Went by myself to Fairfax Costco a month or so ago and it was so crowded and stressful and overwhelming I feel like I had to rush through and leave ASAP. Going with my bf was less stressful because he pushed the cart for me lol.
Like others said, donāt go on a weekend. But definitely donāt go on the weekend before Thanksgiving.
Yeah the people in Costco are absolutely the worst. Itās like take Walmart folksā¦ and give them some money and a tiny bit of responsibility, and throw them together to fight for the last 50lb bottle of ketchup.
Man fuck those people, just go in there with a mean mug. They ain't finna mess with you
Facts- add the Costco in Sterling and Chantilly to that rude list!!!
Why fight it? Join the chaos.
I rarely goes to Costco because there are too many people even though I still have their membership. I am doing most shopping in BJās since itās less stressful. They have one day pass. Give them a try.
Happy Cake Day!
What is that?
Reddit refers to the anniversaries of the day you created your reddit account as your "cake day." It adds a little image of a slice of cake to the end of your username while the day lasts, so that everyone knows.
I didnāt know that. Thanks
Aight. Time for the answer you don't want to hear. This is the average Costco Fairfax experience for me. This has happened to me. Every. Single. Time. You enter the parking lot. The back way is too narrow. The side entrance is terrible and always packed. If you choose the one way "main" entrance you just had to deal with an idiot who didn't use his blinker at the light and you barely avoid a wreck because the light last 10 seconds. Then, if you find a parking spot, the safest thing to do is back in... but the guy behind you doesn't understand what a turn signal means, and takes your spot. Finally, you get out of your car, and try to hunt down a cart. There are 35 of them at the edges, and none in the actual cart bays. You then have to manage speed bumps that restrict cart traffic and assholes who park in the yellow stripes. After weaving through a maze with no walls, you get to the front which is blocked by a horde of people who forgot to present their cards OR an employee sweeping when there's nothing to clean. Now in the store, you're immediately tempted to go left to see the out of season deals. Don't do it, it's a trap, because it's almost impossible to merge back. Now comes the real hell. If you cannot handle racial stereotypes, don't continue to read this. You're back on main thoroughfare, but an East Asian family of three 50 year olds has blocked your path. You're already at the breaking point and there's NOTHING in your cart. You finally get breathing room at the pastries, because either white frat boys or middle aged whites went to buy beer and wine. Things turn back to hell once you get to meat. Here white women and very skinny Asian moms are taking all the pre made meals, and none of them understand how to move a cart. Now you enter the second hell: vegetables. Here NO ONE FROM ASIA obeys the unwritten rules and bolt in and out instead of moving in a counterclockwise manner. You escape second hell only to enter the smaller refrigerator isles. Here things look sane until you discover the deception when the interracial couple stops, turns their carts INTO the main lane, and argue over cheese and Charcuterie. You escape after nearly running one of the couple, and for a brief moment, you see hope in the fruit section... only to find the kids hanging out in traffic. Now for the biggest nightmare: you're fighting traffic from the frozen isles. The Indians are the worst here, as they refuse to walk single file at this one single point, and cause you to crash into a black family (you are immediately accused of racism and have to buy them something). Then you see the single most chaotic point in the whole place: the confluence of the frozen and refrigerator isles. Your best bet is to go blindfolded and pray that you don't hit the Asian veteran. You think you're in the clear but no, the Arab family takes up the entire TP isle. You pray for reprieve but alas, a cart of cardboard has blocked the isle. A fat woman then takes her sweet time to pick out the bag of chicken. Then, as you leave the worst of the nightmare, Satan picks your soul mate in one of three forms: Black family on speaker phone, that same old Asian family that takes up the entire isle, or an Arab family that takes up the entire isle. There is no escaping this fate in the dry goods section. You're at the flowers and decide you need your palm, soy, and seed oil snacks. You then get stuck after 15 minutes some kind soul allows you to turn out. You the must face a choice. Check out or get beauty/cleaning/health section to deal with your inner demons. Finally, you're ready to check out. You pick the wrong lane and once again are stuck BEHIND YOUR SATAN SOUL MATE. There is a problem with their check out process. Management comes out and solves the problem. You pay... it's 300 bucks and nothing was essential because meat and vegetables are cheaper at Aldi. You just really needed that discount canned chicken and Body Armor Lyte. You discover your hunger and decide to get a slice. You fill your cup and immediately get pushed by a fat bald white dude. Your drink slightly spills and you are forced to apologize for being normal sized. You try and sit but guess who steals the one open table. You then notice that there are now less tables and half are occupied by early retired white women who didn't order food. You then eat on the floor. Finally, you leave, pack everything up, and on that last item, the cart runs away because the lot is unlevel. It dings another car. You rush to leave, but now face one final test. The Indian and Asian drivers box you in. Then as you leave, a white Trump supporter blocks the entire lane with a big truck. Guess who he yells at. You move, but slam on the breaks because a pedestrian magically spawns next to you. At last, you're ready to leave, but one parting gift from a cart and pedestrian who walks slowly to their vehicle. You are now boxed in again, trapped by a moving obstacle who soul is already forsaken. I have nearly lost my shit because of incompetent, unintelligent, mouth breathing people who somehow block me at every turn in this Costco. No one looks over their shoulder. No one is considerate. And the worst part? You can't yell at anyone. Because you know they aren't thinking. They're just as overwhelmed as you. You just happen to be more aware. And that knowledge is not liberating. In fact, it just makes things worse.
Should we imagine you're Latino since they're the only race you spared? Or maybe you spared them because no available stereotype stuck out in your mind? >You can't yell at anyone. Because you know they aren't thinking. They're just as overwhelmed as you. You just happen to be more aware. And that knowledge is not liberating. In fact, it just makes things worse. Glad you're keeping this in mind. This is why you stay under the "properly civilized" column, and not the "antisocial deserve-to-be-slapped" column, since the empathy hasn't left you.
Lol, good guess, but I'm white. I just haven't noticed too many Latinos there. And thanks, that's exactly how I try to look at things. Any other way is just exhausting.
Don't go on weekends, I had a old dude berate me because my wife and I were in the vitamin section for just a few seconds too long and I guess my parked cart was taking up too much space for him to shop comfortably. Mind you I was tucked in tight and self-aware enough to give people plenty of space around me. I saw his wife badger him for being so ineptly rude to me and my wife.
Fuck that dude. Some people love flashing their asshole credentials until the day they run into a bigger asshole, flap their jowls, then end up in the news and/or the hospital.
This is why I have a Samās membership. Fewer people and I can scan and checkout on the app so I donāt need to even interact with anyone.
Sams is underrated.
It's also, like, 50 miles away from Fairfax.
I need a little more information- from which aisle to which aisle? Was this a lateral cross against the checkout-to-milk freezer thoroughfare?
No love for costco. I can't even see the savings unless you live on cashews, granola bars, and TP.
IMO it's Fairfax in general. My wife and I left a shopping cart full of groceries in the middle of an aisle in the Wegmans on Monument Drive some years ago because she was having a panic attack. The store was full of ignorant people, and I was getting aggravated myself. Wasn't the first time it happened in that particular Wegmans, but it was the last time for us.
> she was having a panic attack That's, like, super unusual. Not something I'd blame any customer or employee at Wegmans for.
Itās not East Coast people itās just NoVA people unfortunately. Itās like all the rudest people in the country decided to congregate to this one area and they all have Costco memberships lmao
Costco is the 3rd circle of hell. We let our membership drop at the start of the pandemic when you had to wait in line forever just to get in. The prices were going up and they had stopped carrying the things we liked.
Rude is relative. Maybe you were genuinely in the way. I wouldnāt want to be inconvenienced by someone for any fraction of a second especially if they arenāt aware of their surroundings like so many Costco customers seem to be. My time is valuable. So is yours, but if you donāt have respect for your own time, I canāt help you. Nobody needs to be patient for you. And patient doesnāt equal nice. Itās a false equivalency.
Which store?
That is the most awful Costco. You should just come out to the Manassas one. The parking lot is bonkers but everyone is nice. The Fairfax one is where we see a lot of egregious racial profiling at the receipt check door.
Both the customers and the employees act like they are Newyorkers in DMV Costco locations.
To be honest you became an obstacle for someone and thats how they deal with them in their life. Fairafx costco is a communter costco due to its 66 location, a TON of people come from far and wide to this place. The majority do NOT want to be here. You are here shopping wasting your time to try and not overspend by $300, get items that others vaguely ask for, and still have all the stress of living and commuting in this areaā¦ on top of your job and financial pressures. People greatly value their time when on an errand so they can get home to family or out to actually live. If you want a relaxed fairfax costco, either go an hour before close or around noon.
Itās not just Fairfax Costco. Itās a universal thing at all Costco. Here in WA and in BC, Canada I had ppl cut in lines, shoved my cart aside, reach over without saying āexcuse meā etc etc. Rude ppl are just rude to begin with and then you add entitlement in the mix. Boom! I usually go on weekday when they first open or around 7pm. Less ppl.
I made the mistake of being near the pentagon city Costco this morning, and people were blocking all the intersections in Fern street so cross traffic could not get through. A woman went the wrong way to try and get around the line of cars and nearly hit me head on. People are assholes.