Michael brings some news that will devastate my 3-year-old: Apparently they’re doing away with the free hot air balloons they hand little guests to placate them as their parents shop.

He writes:

Trader Joe’s is getting rid of free balloons, according to the Trader Joe’s employees at my local store who said they had received an email from the corporate office telling them that balloons are going away because of their cost or the helium is bad for environment or something.

I’m totally bummed since my 15 month-old loves it when we’re at Trader Joe’s and he gets a balloon, or I stop by the store after work and come home with a balloon for him.

I know, why should I really complain about something that was free no longer being available? Not only does a balloon make my son smile, but it actually does influence whether or not I shop at Trader Joe’s. If I am driving home, and my wife calls me to pick up something, if I know it’s a Trader Joe’s, I will purposely go there to pick up the item and a balloon. So maybe in the future, I am less likely to make an unplanned stop at Trader Joe’s if they don’t have balloons.

I’m just kind of bummed. Free balloons are a nice touch. Can you put the weight of The Consumerist behind an effort to save balloons at Trader Joe’s?

Say it ain’t so, Joe’s!

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