THE BIG WIN!!

Truth be told, no matter how much we let our imaginations run wild, I'm sure we'd never think that a case like the one I'm about to tell you could happen. But it did happen, I investigated it, and not long ago.

I'm walking through the always crowded Las Ramblas, heading towards a large shopping center in Plaza Catalunya. As I walk, I'm curious to learn the details of this particularly unusual case.

Upon arrival, I'm greeted by the chief of security, a guy who clearly spends hours at the gym, and the cosmetics floor manager, who, judging by her appearance, seems to test all the products herself.

After the introductions, we head to the scene of the incident. I'm surprised to see that it's a typical shopping center corridor in the cosmetics section, with multiple displays on either side, forming smaller aisles. The kind we've all rushed through during the desperate Christmas shopping season.
On the displays are neatly placed perfumes, cosmetics, and other products presumably meant to enhance our beauty, all seemingly harmless.

Let's begin reconstructing the events. Are you ready? Here it goes:

A slim young sales assistant starts her regular shift restocking perfumes on various shelves, which range from 40 cm above the ground to 1.50 m in height.

She's squatting, arranging perfumes on the lowest shelf of a display at the turn of the main aisle, focused on her task to ensure everything is perfectly set for the onslaught of customers.

Along the main aisle, a very large woman, what we might call rotund, is slowly walking, swaying from one leg to the other as if starting a Zulu ritual dance, and barely advancing. A sales assistant notices her and offers a perfume sample, to which the woman responds with a gentle smile, allowing her to spray some on her cheek. The woman continues along the aisle, and just 50 meters away, at the intersection where the young sales assistant is squatting, she turns towards her, loses her balance, and falls on top of her, pinning her down and immobilizing her due to her limited mobility. The young assistant can hardly breathe, let alone call for help, as her chest is compressed. The woman screams, and after long seconds, colleagues come to help. It takes no less than three people to move her.

The result was severe, as the sales assistant suffered crushed vertebrae and continuous respiratory failure, leading to serious long-term consequences. She was granted permanent and absolute disability.
Guess what the woman claimed? She said the perfume caused her
dizziness and sneezing, which made her lose her balance.
So, there's another meaning to "winning the big prize." And be careful in shopping center aisles
, as they hold unpredictable risks.

Alberto Garom