The Walmart Ammo Counter: The dumbing down of America

[GEM]

Let me tell you a story. My wife and I were having a party. So I went to a high end gourmet deli in Portland, OR. I wanted to set out a cheese plate. So I asked the woman behind the counter for what would be a good selection. She looked at me with scorn and said : "We have emmenthal. Do you know what that is?" And I said, Yes - it is the classic Swiss cheese.
Hmmph - she says - we have Caerphilly. I sez - Ah, an English Cheese, a fresher taste than the classic farmhouse cheddar. Used by Welsh miners and part of the Ploughman's lunch, a wedge with pickles. Such an arrogant and rude clerk!

My point - there are idiots everywhere. Remember we are descendants of primates - we are big monkeys. Go to the zoo and look at our relatives. Then go to WalMart or the gourmet store - not so different.

There are idiots in WalMart and the high end gun store. That's because - they are EVERYWHERE!

 

[TechBrute]

My point - there are idiots everywhere. Remember we are descendants of primates - we are big monkeys. Go to the zoo and look at our relatives. Then go to WalMart or the gourmet store - not so different.

Although employees of Wal-Mart give some credibility to Darwin, I was created by God.

Sorry for the hijack, back to our regularly scheduled (and non-religious) thread.

 

[GEM]

No desire to have an evolution debate. If you believe in creation, then perhaps for some of us, they took out the monkey blueprints by mistake.

My point was that Walmart is not unique. Poor wages, no real incentives and people behave according to the minimum effort needed to keep that job. I've had crappy jobs with little chance of advancement in bad times in my life and I wasn't motivated to become a highly motivated employee. I got a better job.

 

[GlocksRock]

The last time I got ammo at walmart, the guy behind the counter used to work at a gunshop so he actually knew what I was talking about when I asked him for a particular type of ammo. It was nice for a change to encounter a knowledgeable walmart staff member.

 

[Control Group]

It's a company policy based on their insurance policy... Gander Mountain always escorts a firearm out of the building when you purchase... For the same reasons...

Maybe locally, but they certainly didn't when I bought a handgun there a few months back. I picked it up from theback of the store, then walked to the front all by my lonesome, carrying a black pistol case prominently featuring the Steyr logo on its side.

 

[TimH]

We had a great Walmard Sports Counter guy. I never really talked to him (I evesdropped alot) but he knew his stuff. He left and went to a office supply store. Finally got to talk to him the other day. Turns out he ios big into shooting, Life NRA member & NRA recruiter. I had to laugh while standing in the store he's saying how he LOVES GUNS & SHOOTING I'm sure some of the customers got a little squeamish

 

[BluesBear]

soundtrack from the Vonage TV commercial (hoo-hoo hoo-hoo-hoo)

That's The Woo Hoo Song by The 5,6,7,8s. An all girl Japanese Surf Rock band.

 

[MoeMentum]

In my area, you are always escorted to the front door when you purchase a firearm, and I'm talking gun shops, not department stores, so it may very well be either a state or federal law.

 

[sm]

The dumbing down of America

Yep, seems to be a infectious disease which can be found in any Service, Retail or Wholesale business.

I don't expose myself to such "diseases".

One cannot change people places or things - don't mean I can't change playgrounds, playthings and playgrounds.

My time, my money, my choice.

I don't do stupid people.

 

[BluesBear]

so it may very well be either a state or federal law

:banghead:
There is NO Federal law that says you must be escorted to the door. But you go ahead and think what you want. Wal-Mart is always hiring.

And I'll wager there is no such law on the books in ANY of the 50 states/commonwealths that comprise the USofA.

 

[Cosmoline]

IF ANY OTHER STORE were behaving this way, most folks here would be screaming for a boycot and crying bloody murder. But for some reason Walmart gets a pass. There's a blind, stupid loyality to that hideous hole which continues to baffle me. Why are so many shooters TOTALLY BLIND to what their dollars are supporting?!?

PLEASE STOP GOING TO WALMART!!!

AND IF YOU REALLY CANNOT KEEP YOUR WIDE BEHINDS OUT OF THOSE FILTHY AISLES, PLEASE DO NOT COME ON HERE AND COMPLAIN ABOUT HOW TERRIBLY THEY TREAT YOU! That company is the heart of darkness, and has no more concern for your right to keep and bear arms than it does for the number of illegal aliens it employes. If you go in there, expect to be treated like something the dog brought in.

 

[BluesBear]

Gee Cosmoline, lighten up. Your have made us all aware of your complete hatred for Wal-Mart dozens of times previously. I for one and tired of hearing it.

I am very glad that you can afford to shop any place you choose. There are many people who don't have that luxury. Their financial situation or locale of residence makes Wal-Mart their best or only choice.

Personally I currently only step foot inside a Wal-Mart three or four times a year. Mainly because I don't have one nearby. I have Target and Fred Meyer stores that are closer.
But then they don't sell ammunition.
GI Joe's and Sports Authority do but their counter clerks are complete idiots.
So if I didn't live in an area that had 22 decent gunshows per year I might be forced to go to Wal-Mart in order to find cheap ammo. The last time I was in the closest Wal-Mart Superstore, they had 525 round Federal .22LR bulk packs for $6 and both counter guys were very gun knowledgable.

So you shop where you wish and let the rest of us shop where we choose.

And if you don't like what I have to say then put me on your ignore list (I'm already on more than anyone else on THR) since you have become the newest name on mine.

 

[Cosmoline]

The only reason you've heard me say this so many times is because of the countless threads where a loyal walmart shopper complains about the latest outrage (escorting gun buyers out, demanding to know the purpose of ammo purchases, demanding to search bags, etc etc etc). There is ALWAYS a choice on where to shop. If you choose to spend your money in a store that treats gun buyers like criminals, you should not complain about it when they treat you that way.

Trust me--if you place your faith in Walmart all you will get for your trouble is a knife in your back. It will be planted there when the executives decide the political or legal winds mandate removal of firearms from their stores. And then many of you will be SOL, since your dollars spent at Walmart forced the mom & pop FFL's to shut down years ago.

 

[Commissar Gribb]

Walmart doesn't usually have the evil guns I like.. Ammo dept. has never given me any problems though. I only buy there when I'm low and waiting for another shipment from CTD or a similar website.

In my area, you are always escorted to the front door when you purchase a firearm, and I'm talking gun shops, not department stores, so it may very well be either a state or federal law.

I dont see what's so special about the front door. What's to stop you from loading up, coming back in and shooting up the place? Or for that matter, sliding in a mag and shooting the guy who's escorting you? It just seems rather silly to me. :banghead:

 

[BluesBear]

The real reason Wal-Mart escorts you to the door with a firearm purchase is to discourage a straw purchase.

It would be all to easy for someone to purchase a firearm and then hand it off to someone else somewhere else inside the store.
They're actually supposed to escort you to your car to ensure it doesn't happen outside too.

It's not like your local gun shop where the sales counter is within spitting distance of the front door and they can see everything.

 

[Tory]

Guess again

"The real reason Wal-Mart escorts you to the door with a firearm purchase is to discourage a straw purchase."

Not bloody likely.

The straw could take possession anywhere. The REAL reason for the escort is the suicide by a customer who bought a shotgun in Walmart and promptly killed himself onsite. Well, that and the subsequent lawsuit.

I'm NO fan of Wallyworld, but let's "keep it real."

 

[jwhisler]

The straw could take possession anywhere. The REAL reason for the escort is the suicide by a customer who bought a shotgun in Walmart and promptly killed himself onsite. Well, that and the subsequent lawsuit.

what's stopping people from doing this with the escort?


everytime I was escorted out of Dunhams for ammo purchases, my escorter was always 5 steps ahead of me and seemed like he was in a hurry

 

[BluesBear]

It's not a guess, it's a fact.

As a former Sam's Club employee I am keeping it "real".

That was the REAL answer I was given by the Wal-Mart/Sam's western region manager.

But you go right ahead and believe whatever truth your mind creates.

 

[RoyG]

Actually iirc it was a murder suicide at a Wal-Mart in AL that caused WM to begin escorting you to the door/car.

A guy bought a shotgun and shot his wife (a WM employee at the store) and turned it on himself.

 

[Strings]

>The straw could take possession anywhere. The REAL reason for the escort is the suicide by a customer who bought a shotgun in Walmart and promptly killed himself onsite. Well, that and the subsequent lawsuit.<

You aren't refering to the girl that was also buying her psych-meds at the Sprawl Mart pharmacy, are you? 'Cause they were doing the whole escort thing for YEARS before that little event...

 

[docfubar]

1) The reason Walmart escorts you out with a gun purchase is it is company policy. It's a big store and for liability reasons they don't want an incident to happen.


2) The reason "idiots" are behind the sporting goods counter is salary management doesn't let hourly management help pick their people. I got involved and PICKED my people when I ran sporting goods in my store for 5 years.


3) You don't like walmart stay out. The company has been good to me and I have seen stupid policies every where I worked, so lighten up or stop going there.


Want clarification on something else ask, but I am rant off and going to take the high road.

 

[RoyG]

3) You don't like walmart stay out. The company has been good to me and I have seen stupid policies every where I worked, so lighten up or stop going there.

+1

 

[Zundfolge]

Why are so many shooters TOTALLY BLIND to what their dollars are supporting?!?

Lets look at Walmart's competition.

Grocery stores like Albertson's, Kroger, Safeway ... all union shops so my dollars there are supporting labor unions that are actively trying to disarm me and make me a slave to the nanny/police state.

other Big Box stores like K-Mart and Target bowed to the antis years ago and stopped carrying guns and ammo.


So that leaves me with shopping for groceries at either Union stores (more expensive ... just as "evil" as Walmart as far as how the treat/pay their employees and just as bad service), or little boutique stores like Whole Foods Market or Wild Oats (more expensive and support political groups that make the Union run stores look like radical right wingers).


I'd rather support Walmart then those other idiots.

 

[Art Eatman]

I happen to know that WalMart's pay scale at their Thomasville, Georgia, superstore is a bit above prevailing wages. FWIW.

I've shopped at various WalMarts along I-10 from Tallahassee to San Antonio and on US 90 to Del Rio. No problems. Same in Fort Stockton and Odessa.

I've noticed that in the huntin'/fishin' departments, most of the clerks aren't very knowledgeable. But, they've never been unfriendly or unhelpful.

I won't say their service is all that much better or friendlier than other large chain stores, but I certainly have no cause to do any bashing. Generally, if somebody asks if I need help, my response is commonly, "Well, I'm probably beyond help, but..." Did you ever notice that when you get folks smiling, they tend to really WANT to help?

, Art

 

[Edmond]

I don't know why there is so much "minimum wage" bashing going on here. To me, that just stinks of arrogance. I don't work for WM and I wouldn't want to (I can't deal with people that well ) but I know that they do pay more than minimum wage. They pay more than other retailers and definitely more than fast food.

Some people there aren't working there to live off of and 99% of the folks there are good people. Some are retired who work there for extra money, to meet new people and to pass the time. Some work there for insurance. Some work there for play money. Some people work there seasonal.

Like I said, I don't work for WM or any other retailer or fast food. But this talk of "minimum wage" this and that really isn't the High Road way, is it?