ANOTHER REASON TO BOYCOTT WAL-MART

Anyone who associates with me or reads my blog or Facebook page knows that I detest Wal-Mart. Their policies are anathema to me and the monopoly they have in Fayette County causes me to shop in Chillicothe and Wilmington.

However, I am ashamed to admit I have gone to Wal-Mart when I cannot find items locally. I wanted to get a TV as a birthday present for my friend Charles who is in a nursing home. He can only have a 19" or smaller TV because of space restrictions in his room.

Because of the projected snowstorm and the fact that I had waited until the "last minute", I went to Wal-Mart. In the electronics section, a young man came to help me. I told him what I wanted and I pointed to two different 19" TV models on the shelf and asked the differences. He said, "You smell nice." Shocked, I said, "Thank you, it's Chanel No. 5." He asked, "Where do you get it; I'd like to get some for my mom." I answered, "Elder Beerman, Macy's, or Nordstrom's but my husband usually orders it online." Of course, I knew it was a sales ploy to "soften up" a customer, and I am not swayed by blandishments, but I thought, "He's so sweet, I'm feeling bad because I hate Wal-Mart!" However, my warm heart soon turned cold.

The spaces beneath the 19" models were empty and he said they didn't have any in stock. I said, "I'll take the one on display." He said he couldn't do that. I asked why and he said that they would have to replace it with another one when the shipment arrived. I said, "Well, that's stupid." He literally took several steps backward and asked, "What do you mean--stupid?" I realized that he was thinking that I was calling him stupid; I answered, "I didn't say that YOU are stupid, but it's a stupid policy not to sell the display model." He said, "We'd have to put a new one up there." I began whimpering, "Awwww, that sounds like so much work!" to make fun of such a ludicrous excuse. I told him that I didn't have the time to discuss it with the store manager and I pulled out my cell phone and said, "But I have the District Manager's number on my Speed Dial." He asked, "You wouldn't do that would you?" I said, "Of course I would; it seems like every time I come in this horrible place I end up calling the District Manager!"

Gerald and I went to Meijer's in Springfield and the 19-inch TV we purchased was $19.00 CHEAPER than Wal-Mart's and is an LCD; the salesman there tried to explain the difference in an LED and LCD but it was beyond my poor power to understand.

Gerald said, "We were coming to Springfield for our eye exams so I don't think I wasted $19.00 on gas!"