This isn't a post about Walmart's ugly business practices - although I do work with WakeUpWalmart.com and fight to curb their steamrolling of local economies, suffocating of worker rights and reliance on goods from communist China.
Rather, this post is about my experience when I was forced to venture into one of the Bentonville behemoth's stores.... And how I made it out alive.
I would normally avoid Walmart at all costs, but I was on the Eastern Shore of Maryland, where there is a Walmart super-mega-center in every town. It's really sad seeing a Walmart across the street from shuttered stores, which one assumes were locally-owned at some point. I went into the Walmart because its the only place to get a Maryland state hunting permit, and I needed one.
Upon entering the store, the first thing I see is a 90-year-old man who looks like he can barely stand greeting me at the door. Man, I felt bad for this guy. Did he once own on the shuttered stores across the street?
I ventured to the hunting section. No one was there to tell me where to get my permit. A couple of other people were also looking for help. After about 15 minutes, a lady who was probably about 65 or 70 showed up. She asked what I needed and started entering it into the computer.
This old-school computer proved trouble for her. She started going, "What the f--k. This f--king thing. What kind of permit do you need again? Shit. Fuck." As she was trying to figure it out, a line of about 8 or 9 people had accumulated behind me. Eventually she called in reinforcements to deal with that f--king computer.
With my permit in hand - finally, after about 25 minutes - I said to my buddy, Let's get out of here. But like Indiana Jones in the Temple of Doom, that was not going to be easier said than done. The first challenge was weaving through the dimly-lit mazes that are the Walmart aisles. After navigating it, we found daylight at the front of the store.
But next, a woman in a motorized wheelchair slammed into one of those Ravens canopy tents - Not realizing she was pushing the tent, she knocked it into a stand of Dr. Pepper and sent a few 12-packs crashing to the ground. With no Walmart associates in sight, we explained to this poor old lady what was happening and directed her back to safe passageways.
Finally, after checking out with my permit and new cooler, I subconsciously tossed my receipt in the trash, as I always do. That, I learned, is a big "No, No" at Wally World. As I was fleeing for the exit, an elderly woman grabbed my arm and demanded a receipt. Looking through my pockets and realizing it wasn't there, I was forced to dig through the trash can to find it.
After verify proof to her, I was outta there like Tim Robbins breaking out of Shawshank. What a frightening experience. I'm never going back.
I understand that Walmart is the best choice for many people because of prices, but I'm willing to pay the extra 1% on groceries next time to avoid what I think is the downfall of the American economy. Responsible management and social consciousness are dying ethos is the country, and Walmart is the main culprit.