Walmart

I’m SURE to offend someone with this one, but none the less it will be unleashed. *Disclaimer, I do realize this is not ALL experiences and people who shop at Wal-Mart ... it's not a blanket statement about all people or Wal-Mart customers, merely an experience I've had*

So this evening after driving home from a wedding in Seattle we decided to stop in at Wal-Mart to snag a few groceries for the week. We generally do not visit Wally World, but tonight we were exhausted and just ready to be home. It was our most convenient stop.

As we started our trek nothing monumental happened, just the normal pajama clad toddler (even though it was 4:00 in the afternoon), as well an occasional … well maybe frequent, unsupervised 6 year-old with no adultish type figure in site. We decided to head to the toy aisle to see if we could get ideas for Christmas. Again, uneventful and not unusual. As we started heading into the food is where we encountered our subject. She was a late 20’s early 30’s seemingly able bodied sound minded female. I thought nothing of it until the gal came a bit closer. She was wearing face paint. Now this wasn’t a left over from Halloween, this was full on paisley style design that was recently painted on with sparkles. I found it odd, but this IS Wal-Mart.

As we’re finishing up our bargain shopping and heading to the check-out we looked for the most coherent looking cashier. As I’m sure you know there must be some sort of prerequisite to be slow and emotionally unstable to be a cashier at Wal-Mart. There are a few exceptions to that rule (if you’re reading this and you’re a checker at Wal-Mart then I’m just SURE you’re an extraordinary example to that exception), and I was SURE I’d found one! She seemed to be alert, aware and able to have the ability to have more of a ‘Fred Meyer’ or ‘Safeway’ type conversation with her customers.

I went to unload all my groceries onto the belt and sent Luke and the boys off to a bench to wait for me since I knew that a check stand with children is never a good plan. After unloading my groceries the gal in front of me said “hey honey, do you want one of those wandy thingy’s to put between our crap?” I pointed out to her that I had already done that. I noticed right away the gal talking me was none other than ‘grown ass, seemingly mentally sound face-paint lady’. She OVERLY apologized about 14 times as my response each time was “no worries; not a big deal; it’s all good” … somehow, the paint must have soaked into her brain and she didn’t understand that socially it’s ok make a mistake. That should have been the kicker but just then I overheard the cashier say “well I’m going to let Jane take over for me so that I can take a break”. Quick, someone run and get me some razor blades, I’m feeling suicidal.

The new cashier was just the type I was trying to avoid. As face paint girl was next in line I looked at her “crap” and noticed that she had two separate orders divided by her “wandy thingy”. The first order had Sunkist Orange Soda (to drink immediately), Rib Eye steaks (I believe the package said it was $25.95 … for 3 steaks), lunchables, twinkies, and uncrustables. This order was paid for by her food stamps (which she couldn’t figure out how to use the card … like this was her first time to Wal-Mart … ok, that was funny). Her second order consisted of 4-pack of toilet paper and 3 6-packs of expensive beer.

Finally, after both my young sons are growing beards over on that bench, it’s my turn. The cashier is all in a fluster because she’s out of register tape. She takes about 10 minutes at least trying to figure out what the code is to get the register tape to magically replenish; when she finally realizes that it’s not happening she asks someone and they tell her she needs to actually open it and remove the old reel and then replace it with a new one. Rocket science, it’s true. Common sense, I’m going to vote no. So finally the tape is replaced with one that works, and crazily enough without a code. She begins to ring me up and proceeds to tell me about her ENTIRE life … everything bad that’s ever happened to her I am now the lucky bearer of. In the time it takes me to make dinner and get my entire family to eat it, I’m finally leaving a check stand at Wal-Mart.

Here are my problems.

First:
Clearly Wal-Mart needs to look at its level of acceptance for its cashiers. Are we really that short of a supply of people who can hold a socially acceptable conversation and exercise common sense? Not to mention that when she talked she had to cease her scanning so that she could inflict on me her latest car trouble tale. I’ve worked at a grocery store and possess the ability to have a normal exchange with another human while actually doing the job I’m being paid for. This is not, I repeat, NOT a counseling service (possibly a sandwich board is going to be put on my Christmas list).

Secondly:
How are we as a society ok with the welfare system as it currently stands? We have people who can’t afford to feed their children and a fantastic system that trustingly hands off tax payer’s money to those people. In my mind the welfare system is there for folks with legitimate disabilities and folks in need short-term hand up (I do realize there are other situations out there). Am I way off base?? Let’s say that I TRULY need help (and EVERYONE can be in that position faster than we think). Let’s say we’re out of work, or have a disability that causes our income to be at a level where we’re needing to accept help from our fellow man. I’m going to find myself purchasing with that money things such as ground beef, chicken, peanut butter, jam, bread, rice, beans, and other such nutritious things. I’d save EVERY penny and not spend anything more than what I need to keep my family nourished.

Truly, could you imagine spending “free” money on something more ridiculous? Twinkies, Lunchables, Uncrustables?? Oh, and the Halloween Candy was 50% off so she got us a deal on that one! Does she think the money grows on trees? SOMEONE IS PAYING THAT MONEY … TAX PAYERS, more specifically ME. I wanted to give her a lesson how to make a good ole’ PBJ rather than needing to spend $3.29 on 4 pre-made sandwiches. Not to mention, doesn’t she qualify for free lunch in public schools accompany her free medical care? Or is that dinner for her kids? I’m sure it’s out of convenience since she’s out pounding the pavement looking for gainful employment. All this to be said, even if she’s legitimately not working for realistic reasons I still feel that people who spend my money like this with no conscious at least owe me a thank you note.

As I grew up my family (mostly effective was my Granddad …. a farmer, need I say more), where you work hard, do a good job and feel good about it. You don’t get stuff unless you’ve earned it and when you do you feel GREAT about it. And my mom, who as a single parent worked 3 jobs to get off of welfare and make a good life for us. Where did we lose sight of this?

Lastly:
So I ask, the savings you get at Walmart worth it?? In my opinion no. As we probably did save $20 in grocery savings I now need to go to the doctor and get a prescription for an anti-anxiety medicine. I’m sure as hell not going to get it filled at Wal-Mart as the line is too long with all the people buying Sudafed to make meth.