I went into Rs earlier in the day around 215pm. I was wearing a back pack as i always do, as a…read morematter of fact i put my bought items into my back pack in front of the checkout lady. I then returned at 235pm cause i forgot something. I greeted the same lady who had originally checked me out before "im back!" Now I come in here usually 3-4 times a week and have spent around 2-3k at this store since we have been in burns. I always have my back pack on cause i like to ride my bike, which has my money and my concealed carry which im legally allowed to carry in your state as a retired LEO. For some reason the counter lady got an ugly look on her face as I greeted her and demand I take my back pack off and leave it with her(after she had no problem with it earlier and every other day im in there). I told her im grabbing one thing and leaving and I would not be giving them my pack. I then showed her my badge placement in my wallet hinting to her that I had a good reason not to leave my back pack with her. That would have been negligent of me to leave a loaded gun with a stranger who for all i know may actually have a crininal record. I then ignored her and walked away to the anti freeze bottles I could see from the counter. I was then chased down by some other lady who hinted that its because i look like different( perhaps its my giant septum ring and my punk band jacket?) I was so agitated by this ridiculousness of being harassed over a back pack and treated like some theif that I was shaking. As I was standing there making sure I was getting the right thing i needed, another dude walks by. Also wearing a back pack. Now as someone who has seen the worst of people who are given the smallest bit of power and taking it to the extreme and abusing this power, I knew this was exactly the same thing from these two ladies. They were given miniscule amount of power and decided to abused it on someone who didnt look like your typical burns cowboy/redneck. As someone who has served his country in many ways I felt humiliated. Especially looking around seeing other big purses other back packs etc. I was definitely targeted because I look different, thats my take on this. Ive since looked online about corporates rules on back packs and cant find anything that says I cant. Is this one of those rules we just make up on the fly when someone looks like a possible criminal? Your job is to take my money and check me out. Not police me over petty insignificant stuff. If I steal then you call the real police. But do not harass me when you know very well other people have exactly what I have and are not being bothered. If your store truly is that petty to have a no back pack rule then it needs posted and to be applied to all who enter equally not just the young punk looking guy with a large septum ring.

Big R - the R stands for Ranch - is a branding that covers 70 or so independently owned stores…read morenationwide. I love Big R stores anywhere and in particular this one in Burns where I stop in half a dozen times a year to stretch my legs, use the loo and buy this or that in the store that I inevitably discover to be just what I was looking for and didn't know I needed. And while I'm not a nostalgic person, in general I think things are never as rosy-simple as they are remembered to be and the best days for everything are seen through the front window not the rear view mirror, I do wax a bit sweet-nostaglic every time I'm in a Big R and this one in particular for the "howdy neighbor" kind of friendly service provided by everyone working there in their Big R red vests. Whether you're looking for ranch supplies, gardening tools, fishing gear or bait - in the help yourself fridge in the store, winter duds (and what a GREAT buy is to be had on children's warm coats in off season if you time it right), summer frocks, flannel shirts, dog food and toys, horse gear, hunting gear, beekeeping supplies, BBQs, kitchen tools and cookware, house tending supplies, automotive stuff, landscape gear like sprinkler parts, kids toys, Carhartt work clothes, military caps for each service branch and...well, the list is nearly endless for what you can find. Including some candy or crunchy snacks for the road along with a bottle of water or soda - if you must but "that stuff'll kill ya" as my grandfather used to say. Every time I leave this store my heart aches a little to think how not just these stores but small farming and agricultural communities are fading away. But while I'm in it, I just immerse myself to enjoy the moment as in even the tunes on the sound system as I sing (quietly) along to all of them - "Soldier Boy", "Nights in White Satin", Herman's Hermits "Can't you hear my heartbeat" - and ponder how it is some memories fade but music lyrics are with us always once imprinted. And this is the kind of store where people strike up conversations with each other. As in the couple who paused while I was taking the photo of the "Bait help yourself' sign on the front of the fridge. Turned out she is from Brooklyn originally - as my hubby - and wanted to know what would happen if she opened the fridge. So she did. This was her and her companion's - he from Portland like me - first visit into a Big R they said and they loved it. It has almost anything you could possibly think of to buy she said, and such friendly people too. Exactly right. Thank you Big R.