I have a like-hate relationship with Wal-Mart. Growing up in a small town, this was pretty much the only "we sell everything" store within sixty miles of my house. There were other places of course, but damn Wal-Mart drove all of them out of business when they came along. It was also the only 24-hour establishment, & was sort of a local hangout for when you were bored at 2am & wanted somewhere to walk around/wreak havoc. It was either that or the local gas station, by our town's only stoplight. But I digress.
The Wal-Mart in Lynn was a pain the ass to get to, despite only being five miles from my apartment. It took about an hour (damn public transportation). Of course, I did get my cinnamon dental floss for 50% cheaper than the local Stop & Shop, & I got three copies of the game I went there for in the first place (a Wal-Mart exclusive; I kept one & sold the other two on eBay for a decent profit). However, I dock these guys a couple stars because when I was preparing to venture out to Lynn to buy more copies of that game, I called ahead to see if they had it. The lady on the phone denied having or EVER having the game, despite the fact that I told her I bought THREE copies of it a month ago. She also seemed irritated that I suggested otherwise, like I was making it all up to make her look bad. WTF is that, really?
Obviously, there are "rules" when it comes to Wal-Mart. Go ahead & buy things like Cocoa Puffs, towels, a pillow, a blender, or toothpaste if you need. Just steer clear of anything cloth-like that you wear on your body. Shirts, jeans, even shoes & whatever. Socks are probably fine, maybe even undies/bras, I don't know. Flip-flops are probably fine too, since those are ALWAYS cheaply made. But as far as the shirts & pants go, you're better off just being nekkid. Better to just be nude than to spend money on cheapo clothes & have them fall apart while you're wearing them, right? Then you'd be nude *AND* broke.
& yes, I don't know if all Wal-Marts attract scary people, or if scary people are inexplicably attracted to Wal-Marts. But the situation seems the same at every one I've ever been to. People who seem to be in dire need of a shower walk defensively with their buggies, as if they are scared you'll buy the last bag of fried chicken or bottle of Mr. Clean.
I don't know. Every now & then, you'll find a decent deal. It's probably also one of the only stores where you can go buy nectarines, a kiddie coloring book, a home pregnancy test, three yards of ugly fabric, & a new set of tires all within the hour. I guess it's your call, friend. read more