Wal-Mart

Ok, quick little story. Wal-Mart sucks. I hate it. I used to work for Wal-mart. The only good thing about Wal-Mart is that I met my wife in Wal-Mart. Well anyway, We shop on sunday morning because Jennifer gets off work that morning and we go as part of our weekly routine because Wal-Mart is not as crowded at that time usually. Well this past Sunday, we were surprised to find Wal-Mart hoppin'. We were ok for a long time till we reached the food section. It was not exactly chaos yet but you could tell that it was building up to be. Stockers still working and those early morning 2 or 3 item shoppers that are in a hurry. Jennifer and I had this big loaded buggyfull of junk food, toiletrys etc and we took it and headed to the front. We even picked up this rainbow umbrella on the way. It was a "Tote" and it was an automatic for $12.00. Good purchase because it had stormed heavily the night before. Well guess what: 1 "U-Scan" and 1 checkout open. There was 3 people in line already, one with a big buggy full and two with like 3 carried items. Well after we get inline, more and more people line up behind us with only a few items. We are "nice" people and Jennifer regularly lets people in front of us in line when they have only a few items. Well, we did'nt this time because we when does it stop. People that carry a few items to the front are not better and besides there is a "U-Scan". Well, the people behind us are visably irritated at the situation for good reason...Wal mart should never staff their stores like this. In our minds, this situation is getting out of control and we are becoming more and more anxious. The temperature is increasing and the area is getting louder and louder as more and more people come into the mix. The intercom is loud and the mind control signals becomes defening. People are huffing and walking off in frustration as the cashier does her job as quickly and precisely as I would expect her to. Get this...A "CSM" (customer service manager) walks from the service desk (which is devoid of customers) and politely asks one of the customers behind us to check out with her in customer service. Apparently she was exchanging something. She then asked everyone in line that was carrying a few items if they were buying tobacco. I laughed out loud, I couldnt help myself. Jennifer and I both were nicking so bad at that moment anyway. Well we didn't give in when we could have easily (Well, I would not easily fork over $6 for a pack of reds). Well, we did'nt and as we were leaving the CSM that was in the Customer service area was standing with ANOTHER CSM at the front of the store chit-chatting. OK we have like one cashier manning the U-Scan and one running a register and 2 standing not doing anything. Well, to make matters worse, the Umbrella we picked up, we later found out was no good and we had to return it. We came back later that night and as I was walking from the car, 3 girls with a HUGE screen TV in a buggy walked in the front entrance. After a few seconds, it hit me that I was gonna hafta wait in line behind them returning that TV which was gonna probably take for freaking ever just so i could exchange my Umbrella for a good one. The door greeter was not amused when I stated "I should have gotten here a few minutes earlier" and simply stated for me to proceed to the Customer Service Desk for an exchange and that this entrance was going to close in 10 minutes (Walmart's grocery side is open 24-7). Great! Well I toddled over to the Customer Service Desk like a good little citizen and...well, watch for you self.

Well, I had to just blurt out the question "Can I just run through a register to do an even exchange?" because no one even looked at me. The girl that answered said no and confiscated my umbrella telling me to go fetch the one I wanted and bring it to her. Sweet gal. Well I went to the spot up front next to the checkouts and...It was like the twilight zone. There was nothing there. Like they never were. I took my receipt back to the desk, took my umbrella back and made a little joke (even though I was irritated) to the CSMs (didn't even crack a smile or acknowledge that they heard me) and f---in' left Wal-mart with my Rainbow umbrella that someone might see me carrying and think that I am gay (not that there is anything wrong with that). That is what I get for being a closet homophobe that shops at wal-mart. C'ya next week!

Moral of the story: Don't worry if someone thinks you are gay (you are), don't smoke, Don't expect people to like you, and don't shop at wal-mart.

Thanks for reading.