Why I Hate Wal-Mart Too

Wal-Mart. Just mentioning the store causes strong reactions in most people. I had a reaction when I read AC content producer Heather Cannon's article "Why I Hate Wal-Mart". I agreed! I agreed so much that I had to add my own Why I Hate Wal-Mart list!

Crowded aisles or "Bring your bulldozer cart attachment, your patience, and your.... patience"

Such a cliché, but I still have to mention it. Crowded aisles. Impassable aisles. So narrow, can they even be called aisles? I dare you to get down even one aisle unimpeded by boxes, fallen merchandise, children, unmanned carts, and people, many, many people. Many people.

No prices marked or "Bring your glasses, your kneepads, and your psychic friend"

Why? Because you will have to employ one or all of these methods to determine prices on a number of items. So often the price is either missing or misplaced and you can't easily tell what price goes to what item. This mostly seems to happen with items on the lowest shelf, so get out those kneepads. If it's a special promotional item like a mechanized squirrel-proof birdfeeder or a blow-up Santa, forget it. No can do. No price for you.

Long lines or "How to finish that knitting project while shopping Wal-Mart"

For pete's sake! PLEASE, PLEASE, PLE.... you get the picture...OPEN MORE THAN TWO CHECKSTANDS. Apparently, you are supposed to be lulled into thinking you can pay and leave in a reasonable amount of time because look, everybody, Wal-Mart has 25 check stands just for their valued customers. Twenty of them have never been used for actual checkout. Maybe they could make nice planters out of them. Wait, I know - maybe that's where all the missing price tags are.

Parking lot or "Get to know your parking lot neighbor - it's gonna be awhile"

Is this true at Wal-Mart stores outside of the Denver metro area? You can get in, but you can't get out. There are a grand total of two entrances/exits to the parking lot. These are strategically located near the busiest street and the pedestrian walkway in front of the store entrance. Either you cannot turn out of the parking lot onto the street or you have to wait for people, many people (MANY people), to slowly and torturously cross the perilous stretch from the store to their cars. Woe to those who think they can escape by driving to the end of the parking lot because they will find a narrow curved stretch strategically leading them back to - the busy street or the pedestrian walkway.

Safety or "In 2004, police received 148,331 calls* for problems at Wal-Mart"

Crime happens. It seems to happen at Wal-Mart with alarming frequency. It seems to happen at Wal-Mart with alarming frequency when I am trying to shop there. Here's a story: husband and wife easily enter the Wal-Mart parking lot, but are forced to park way far back; after an aerobic walk, husband and wife approach Wal-Mart entrance with some trepidation; wife gets distracted by two fiercely angry young women shouting obscenities and throwing hand gestures, one in a vehicle and one not; wife is so mesmerized by the ridiculous scene that she walks in front of the car one fiercely angry young woman is sitting in; husband becomes fearful for wife's safety and, using obscenities and hand gestures, forces her to get out of the way; ridiculous scene continues as other shoppers blithely walk by, some with children; husband and wife enter store to the distant sound of sirens; husband and wife vow never to shop there again.

Damaged packaging or "Just tape 'er up, Bubba, nobody will notice"

Have you ever noticed the high number of mutilated, spindled, squashed, mangled and taped-back-up products in Wal-Mart? Do they think I will somehow not notice the taping repair job? Do they think I will purchase any of these items? Do they think?

Ostracism or "How can you even THINK of going to the devil's playground, the evil empire, the no-conscience, capitalism-run-rampant arch enemy known as Wal-Mart?"

I once mentioned that I planned to stop at Wal-Mart after work, and I barely escaped the building alive. My socially conscious and strongly outspoken coworker let forth a spew of not-very-nice words outlining all the reasons I should not go there. I was momentarily in fear for my life. I thought my ears would bleed by the time she ran out of breath. She didn't talk to me for three days. If it was the olden days, I'd have to leave the tribe, head hung low, never to return!

You know, I could probably go on (and on). Instead, I encourage you to come up with your own list of why you hate Wal-Mart. Maybe you can find solutions. Mine is to never go there again. After all, at Target, I don't need to bring my psychic friend or my knitting project.

* http://www.walmartcrimereport.com/report.pdf, WakeUpWalmart.com, Washington DC, p. 2 under "critical findings" of a study completed called "Is Wal-Mart Safe?", May 1, 2006.