An interesting Wal-Mart story from the other day:
I had three items and went to the "Mini sized" checkout areas that are usally designated as "Express 20/10 items or less" checkouts. However, I noticed that every cart, at every "Mini checkout" was filled to the brim.
I looked over to the sea of full size checkouts in the middle, and as usual, only three of the 25 lanes that they had were open, and the lines on those were three times as long as the one in front of me.
I thought everyone in front of me had gone mad and forgotten the 20/10 item limit rule that kept the express lane open for us swinging bachelors with our deoderant, beer, chips, and G & W pizza.
Then I noticed the expess lane 20/10 items or less signs were gone! Not only were they gone, they were now above the U scan registers immediately to my left.
So my dilemma was this. Stand in the line which used to be the express lane and say "Fvck you Walmart, I'm not doing the job of cashier for you!", or cave and give in to the mighty giant and their lack of concern for the consumer or their employees.
So I grabbed my proverbial rock and slingshot, then stared down the mutaded express lane as if it were Goliath himself. I would stand there all day if I had to. I knew it was hurting no one but myself, but it was the principle of the matter.
I watched the U scan area as hapless customer upon hapless customer scanned, bagged, and paid for their items. Sheep I called them. All I could hear was a mixture of bleets from the confused customer and scanner beeping indicating death blow after death blow to the Walmart cashier.
I finally arrived to the front of my line where the lady cashier grunted at me and bagged my items with as much compasion as a fanatical muslim for Miss America.
When I asked her if the change in lane schemes was now a permanent one I recieved a snort and "Well, what do you think?". This "lady", it seems, did not like me. Her being a smart@ss to me was a dead giveaway.
She then asked me if I had any other questions, to which I replied, "Yes, so when are they gonna fire you?". I then took my bags and left. The look on her face was priceless. Apparenty the thought has not occured to her, or most of Walmart's employees for that fact, that the very system they think makes their job easier, is in fact making their job obsolete.
I once tried a personal boycott of Walmart, and was unsuccessful. Walmart's always closer than the other stores to me, not to mention cheaper. On top of that I have a Sam's Club membership (aka Walmart in bulk).
So my new vow, is to again boycott Walmart, and start using BJ's wholesale club when my Sam's membership expires.
I know there's corperate evil whereever you go, but Walmart just sickens me now. It's not a once or twice kinda thing. It's an everytime I come out of there my blood pressure's a few points higher kinda thing. Between being packed in there with every other mindless consumer (to the point of actually not being able to move sometimes), and the crap they call customer service......well, I've had enough.
If I keep using them after this, then I have no one to blame but myself.
/rant