I don't go to Walmart very often, but there are a few things I will go there for on a somewhat regular basis. For example, this time of year with very dry cold air, we run a humidifier at night in our bedroom while sleeping. This requires distilled water, and WalMart is the most reliable place to get it from. We all know Walmart is a place of "characters," where the normies are sometimes the exception compared to the weirdos. I normally go to the Walmart in North Windham, while milder than most, the store is neat and clean and the weirdos are not too prevalent. The minority population is mostly Hispanic from the Willimantic area and tend to be mostly non-violent as opposed to large groups of violent Dindus.
Yesterday, because we were in the Manchester area, we went to that store. That parking lot, unlike the one in North Windham, was almost completely full and difficult to find a suitable spot for a full size pickup truck. I finally found one and went in. The first thing I saw were the entry gates. Yup, only one way in to the store so the criminals stealing shopping carts full of goods only have one way out, through the registers. Next I noticed the floor. It was obviously once covered with 12" x 12" tiles because you can see the marks. Now it is bare sealed concrete. The aisles are narrower than I am used to, and the main walkways have displays going down the center, making a direct route to the bottled water area clogged with people trying to negotiate around them. There was stuff just everywhere. The displays were a mess and there was goods and trash on the floor. There were very few white people among the "clientele" making this store in my America looking like some third world shithole. I grabbed 6 one gallon jugs of distilled water and headed for the registers. As I have said before, I don't work for your establishment and until I receive at least a 10% total discount for using self checkout, I ain't playin'! More on that in a moment. Anyway, I stood in line and made a minimum wage flunky checkout my water, and take the cash payment I gave him. I walked as fast as I could out to my truck to get the fuck out of there.
I also had to stop at Home Depot for a box of replacement LED indoor flood lamps. While the LED itself will last somewhere in the vicinity of 70 years, the electronics that convert 120VAC to the low DC voltage and drive the LED will burnout. I have replaced several LED bulbs already for this issue. It seems like if they work they work and last, but the ones that crap out... well. I guess financially I am ahead of the game because the prices of LED bulbs has come way down and the energy savings going from 65W per bulb to 13W makes it a wash. But the kicker here was the Manchester Home Depot has done away with all the manual registers, except for the Pro Desk at the far end of the store. Its not that the registers are unmanned, they have all been removed. Therefore, I walked my purchase all the way down to the Pro Desk to be checked out by an employee. I normally go to the Home Depot just down the road from the Walmart in North Windham and last time I went in there a couple of weeks ago, they still have employee manned registers for checkout. Guess I just need to stick closer to home.
Several years ago we went to Tennessee and stopped for lunch Etowah, a small town. After lunch we walked the Main Street and came upon a “bargain bin” store. The store was a hodgepodge of outdated items and shabbily displayed - it gave me the heebee jeebees just being there. I told my husband that was how I expected the end of civilization would look like.
ReplyDeleteI now hold that same opinion when I look around at what our once-proud nation has become and mourn our collective loss.
I also refuse to play checkout employee for the corporations. My wife likes to do so, even when I am with her. I win most of the time, as I have made my feelings on the matter known.
ReplyDeleteWe used to buy my kids cash registers when they were very young. Unless they are paying me to do it, I won't go back to pre elementary school.