I'D RATHER SHOP IN HELL.
I gotta be honest here. I'm just not a good shopper. Christmas, Mother's Day, Anniversary -- that's it. And even then, I'd rather risk identity theft and credit card fraud and just shop online. I hate shopping with a passion. I'd rather pay full price -- no -- hell, I'd rather pay double -- than to race into a store full of coupon-crazed maniacs and compete for the last sale item on the rack.
Perhaps this hatred stems from vivid memories of shopping for school clothes as a kid. You see, my father (and his father before him -- and so on) all hated shopping too. Maybe it's a guy thing. So, in all fairness to Walmart (and other such black holes of humanity), I've got to admit that I'm only a novice... I've got to admit that maybe my childhood memories -- and flawed genetic make up contribute to my negativity.
SO --
A week before Christmas I decided to buy my beautiful little (shop-a-holic) wife a new Nikon digital camera as a stocking stuffer. Easy (I thought). I saw a Walmart ad in the paper and took off of work a few hours early to buy this simple gift.
The minute I got out of the car in the parking lot, I was quickly approached by two women who were -- likely -- homeless and in bad need of dental care and laser tattoo removal. I got hit-up for the usual money and cigarettes, in addition to a request to use my cell phone (possibly to call a good dentist perhaps?) When I declined to "donate," one of the women yelled, "Hey, F*you, as*hole!" (Yeah, Merry Christmas back to ya). That pretty much set the tone for my entire Walmart experience.
As I walked through the front door, I was wished a "Merry Christmas" by a kind-faced little old man in a red vest. That was the last normal human being I saw for over an hour. It was like entering the Twilight Zone (after dropping acid). My God -- it looked like a tornado had blown through an Oklahoma leper colony. There was so much crap strewn throughout the store that I could barely maneuver past the 400 lb. Spandex-clad women that clogged the isles. I finally made it back to the electronics department just in time to watch a 6 year old kid knock a 30" computer monitor off the shelf -- (fell to the floor, shattering). Nobody even noticed. That's when my 1/2 hour wait in line started... right behind a guy that hadn't had a bath since 1984.
Finally got to the counter (weak, confused, exhausted and dehydrated) and was told that the camera model I wanted was out of stock. So, I chose another. Same thing. And then another. Same thing -- out of stock. By the time I got to the "over $300 range," the stock situation improved. So, I walked out with a $395.00 camera (and probably would have sold my soul just to get out of the store).
What a great gift that camera was. So what if my wife has to lug it around with a wagon. So what if she has to take a class to be able to use it. So what if I wasn't informed that I needed to buy a memory card with the camera. Who cares that it didn't come with a case. I mean, her old Cannon (that I paid $89.00 for a few years ago - ONLINE) did just fine in taking Christmas photos this year.
Never again, Walmart. I won't be back. Your store is a disaster area. Your clerks are rude and misinformed. The majority of your customers are -- well, let's just say -- I'd rather shop in hell. read more