Walmart - Heaven or Hell?

As much as I hate to shop at Walmart, they do have better prices on many items that I need. Plus, it's so convenient to be able to buy a head of lettuce at the same time as a newly released DVD or a bicycle, for example, and I can make my purchases at any time of the day. This leads me to believe that everyone else in town finds this convenient also and shops there just like me.

What irks me though is that there is so much traffic inside and outside the store that what should only take 10 or 15 minutes turns into a time wasting hell. It bothers me that Walmart has like 30 or 40 registers but only10 are open. And I don't think 20 items or less qualifies as an express lane. The self checkout lanes are bad because most people seem to have lots of problems operating them or they just don't work. I once bought some beer, and nothing else, and went through the self checkout lane and waited at least 5 minutes for someone to verify that I was of legal age! They should post signs in the lines with average wait times like at amusement parks. BTW, I tried shopping after midnight once thinking there would be less people. Wrong!!! Seems there were hundreds of other people thinking the same thing. And Walmart only had 5 registers open at that time. Then, when you're walking out, how many times have you set off the security system and have an associate delay you even more by checking your receipt and contents of your cart or bag?! That embarrassing process is the icing on the cake after you've spent 20 minutes waiting in line behind someone who has sales circulars from 5 different grocery stores and wants to take advantage of Walmart's price matching. Geesh.

So the point of all this babble is this true story. My friend Jim went into our local Walmart and bought a couple of hardware items. It took 30 minutes to checkout through the express lane and as he's walking out, he sets off the security system. He continues to walk out the door and is chased down by a Walmart associate. Here is a paraphrased transcript:

• Associate: Sir, Sir, I have to check your bag.
• Jim: Why? Did you see me steal something?
• Associate: No, but you set off our security system.
• Jim: Alright, but how much are you going to pay me for my time? I'm being held against my will and you don't have any proof that I've shoplifted anything.
• Associate: What?
• Jim: Time is money and the clock is ticking.
• Associate: What?
• Jim: Let me see your manager.

Once the manager gets there, Jim explains that he's wasted enough time waiting in line and he doesn't need any more B.S. by having to be searched just because the security system went off. It could have been triggered by the other person walking next to him without a bag. Jim walked out of the store with a $50 gift card.

Since he's told me this story, I've just been waiting for that darned security system to go off while I'm walking out...but it hasn't.