Sunday, August 28, 2011

Hurricane Irene Has Nothing on the Disaster That is WalMart

You wouldn't know our little part of Virginia had a category 1 hurricane yesterday.  By "little part" I mean our specific city.  It sprinkled, drizzled, rained a bit and the wind blew, but nothing out of the ordinary from a regular stormy day.  Communities around us have trees and power lines down with no electricity, but seems everyone was prepared and clean up is going fast and smooth.

Yesterday we took Wallene school shopping.  Very important trip as this is her first year in high school.  We wanted to make sure she had everything she needed so it promised to be a very long day.

I wanted out of WalMart immediately upon entering, tho' it was our first stop.  I thought I was over my hatred for WalMart, but I will tell you right now I will never go into our neighborhood WalMart again.  Ever again.  The last time I was in this particular one I swore it off [4 years ago] but this time it is going to stick.

What a mess. What chaos.  What RUDE people.  And I don't mean the employees.  THEY were wonderful and helpful and polite.

But the customers?  Jiminy Christmas. What a joke.  I realize the place was packed because of back to school shopping and the impending storm but it is no reason to forget your manners folks.

Now, I was in a wheelchair, and I honestly don't expect people to watch out for me - although I am hard to miss, heehee - but when Pooldad parked me off to the side while he and Wallene gathered pens, paper and notebooks you would not believe what I witnessed.  Or maybe you would, but I was stunned at how awful [and stupid] people can be.  I like people watching, but this bordered on the absurd.


  • Walking INTO the store through the EXIT door is just wrong.  Especially when English is your first language and there are people streaming OUT of it. I am pretty sure you can read the EXIT sign gang.
  • Turning your back on your toddler, who is now standing up in the seat of your grocery cart, is a recipe for disaster.  PAY ATTENTION to him.  If it hadn't been for Pooldad the kid would've taken a header.  Picking out the perfect three ring binder for his older sister is NOT worth the concussion your kid would've incurred. [A thank you would've nice too.]
  • Leaving your cart in the middle of some random aisle, removing your  paid for purchases and abandoning the cart there is a douchecanoe move.  You know it, I know it and when I sputter "Are you really leaving that there?"  [I couldn't help myself, I was shocked.] Don't shoot me a dirty look and then drag your cart off like that was your intention the whole time.  We made eye contact and?  You suck.
  • When someone is ahead of you online STOP running into them with your cart.  We're not getting there any faster than you and hitting my wheelchair your cart does not speed up the process of check out.  I wasn't even AT the register yet.  After the third time of being bumped forward [with the brake on] I turn to you and say "Could you please back up a bit and not hit me?"  Is not your cue to mouth "bitch" at me.  Learn some patience.  We ALL want out of the madhouse.
  • While the optician is engaged fitting another customer with glasses is not the appropriate time to approach the optician and say [as fast as you can so no one can interrupt] "This will just take a moment. I need help. Where do I find blah, blah, blah?"  You were not there first and it is not your turn. And it didn't take "just a moment" - you held those people up for quite a bit.
  • When you bump into, want to get by someone or just need to see something and your view is blocked - the appropriate words are "Excuse me" or "Perdoname". Acting clueless and body slamming on purpose is unacceptable behavior in a store that is this crowded.  Manners - get you some.
That isn't everything, but you get the idea.  The laziness, rudeness and self entitlement of people in this country astounds me.  If it wasn't for the really cute little kids that said "hi" to me while I waited for Pooldad and Wallene to be done and the exceptional employees [Naer you are awesome!] I might have run someone over myself.

But, nah....not really.

I will just stay out of WalMart in my city.

14 comments:

Rory L. Aronsky said...

Walking INTO the store through the EXIT door is just wrong. Especially when English is your first language and there are people streaming OUT of it. I am pretty sure you can read gang.

At our Walmart Supercenter on Carl Boyer Drive here in the Santa Clarita Valley, my sister does that as a lark, and it's always clear when she does it. This is a girl whose baby picture had her crooking her index finger at the camera, as if to say, "Watch out, world. You're in for it!" She always goes for the unusual things of life.

SkippyMom said...

These people weren't doing it as a lark Rory. They were too lazy to walk three steps to the left and go in the appropriate door. I guess rude is the new unusual/lark. Still doesn't make it right or appropriate.

It really wouldn't have made a difference if this store wasn't so crowded yesterday. Even the employees were trying to get these people to detour to the appropriate door to avoid a log jam.

CWMartin said...

On the bright side, they give those of us who have fear of crowds a good excuse. However, I think I'd opt for the 007 wheelchair. Laser sights, teeny little grenades and perhaps some spikes from the wheel hubs would do wonders.

Greenmare said...

and in every other city anywhere for that matter! Walmart is at the very bottom of my list of stores too! ugh ugh ugh. I hate it when I have to go there because what I need is not to be found anywhere else! I feel your pain, or at least some of it!

Teresa said...

i don't care for walmart either. or, target for that matter. unfortunately, rudeness doesn't stop at discount stores.

we (ron and i) waited at the mall elevator for our turn to go down. this elevator holds 2 strollers and 2 parents comfortably - or, one wheelchair/spouse and 1 stroller/parent. i couldn't tell you how many people (without strollers OR wheelchairs) rushed past us to get on the elevator. I finally looked at one lady (who was getting ready to charge the door as soon as the occupants left) with such a look that she backed up and let us go down.

Jeannie said...

I have noticed a huge increase in rudeness in general around here too. I don't know what's causing it - maybe everyone feels so anonymous that it just doesn't matter what people think of you any more. I've actually seen commercials on tv begging people to be nicer to each other.

Tony Van Helsing said...

Pooldad should not have stopped the toddler from landing on it's stupid little round head. This is how we learn.

Jo-Anne's Ramblings said...

I know I hate going shopping when the store is crowded as I do not like crowds but if I have to go I am have to go alone as they rest of my family are less patience then me.......I may feel flustered and impatience but I will remain calm and polite........that said if someone tries to push in front of me I will calmly and firmly say I was here first if someone is pushing into me either with their body or trolley I will aske nicely to give me some space.

When that doesn't work I will turn around and say "what the hell if you are going to stand that close to me then I want a meal or at least money"...........lol yeah then I get this weird look.

If I run into someone I will say sorry and if someone says sorry to me then I am not as pissed that one word can make a lot of difference.

I also have found that when someone is trying to push past me if you have a pin and you stick them they will not get so close when they look at you and go what the hell you just look at them blankly and say "what"............

Rory L. Aronsky said...

These people weren't doing it as a lark Rory. They were too lazy to walk three steps to the left and go in the appropriate door. I guess rude is the new unusual/lark. Still doesn't make it right or appropriate.

What's even worse at my Walmart are when we're walking toward the entrance, and someone comes barrelling out with their cart right at us, going to their section of the parking lot, and we damn near have to jump out of the way.

And the fashions. Good god. I've never been more frightened by spandex.

Julie said...

some people just aren't worth the space they waste.
Paul was taking Peter to his art class on saturday. A couple of boys behind them were snigger at Peter as he talked - Paul drew them such a look. (wonder where he gets it from ?!?!?!?!?!)

We'd had such a good few days away, then bam right back into nasty

Susan Flett Swiderski said...

Sorry you had such a crummy experience in Walmart, but it kinda sounds like you aren't alone in experiencing that sort of rudeness. Such a shame. Can't say that I've seen too much of that, (knock on wood) but I avoid shopping whenever possible, and never go when a store is packed with people.

Celia said...

I try to avoid Walmart unless absolutely necessary. Those people are nuts in there. I do like to see how they are dressed though. Pretty entertaining.

that guy said...

i totally never want to go to Walmart, but they sell the only 9 dollar inhaler, the rest are 65...so i have to go there if i want to breath...

well, it is just a rescue inhaler, but i do need it occasionally

i feel you pain skippity doo da!

i would be willing to bet the douchcanoes that feel that sense of entitlement will be the first vanquished during walmartaggedon, when all the Walmart simultaneously implode, ridding us of the hideousness of walmart and its fucktarded ilk forever!

Juli said...

I'm in Walmsrt all the time.

The best day here seems to be Wed. Night between 5 and 7. The welfare checks have usually run out of funds by then, the addicts are not out looking for their munchies yet, and most of the high school kids are still at after school activites or eating dinner.

Otherwise, it's a crap shoot.


:)