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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsNew permission to discriminate?
I was at Walmart on Saturday helping my mother do her shopping. Well, when we were coming up to the door to leave the greeter had a black woman standing there while he was looking through her bags. In the not so distant past I had been told ( by employees ) that they only look at receipts if you have large merchandise that is not in a bag ( mostly electronics ) but here he is singling her out and looking very carefully through her bags. There were a lot of white people just passing them by not even being considered to be checked out. My mother was behind her and offered to show her receipt and said to her "you are fine sweetie, go ahead." After seeing this and talking to my mother about it I was pissed and after taking her home I went back to Walmart to talk to the customer service desk. Well, I found out the rules had changed ( not so very long ago ) and they were allowed to search anyone at anytime. Basically Walmart just gave their employees with prejudice a free rein to discriminate. I got very pissed at this ( still am ) am I however overreacting? What do DU'ers think?
elleng
(130,133 posts)I hate my red county.
Control-Z
(15,681 posts)For a number of reasons I started boycotting Walmart in 2006. I haven't missed them a bit. Even on a budget I can google items and find them at other places for the same, or close to the same prices.
Doreen
(11,686 posts)I do buy something if I need it now and can not wait and each month I buy cat litter as they are the least expensive place in my county to get litter and I am happy to see something from Walmart getting shit on.
Control-Z
(15,681 posts)oberliner
(58,724 posts)Doreen
(11,686 posts)for the package box at my apartment complex they take it back to the post office. Living in a complex where only those with keys can get in can be tricky and staying home for a package is not always possible.
oberliner
(58,724 posts)I have dealt with similar issues.
HipChick
(25,485 posts)the post office is out of the way for me..
PoindexterOglethorpe
(25,746 posts)My sister did that for a number of years, as she had a similar problem about getting packages delivered to her apartment building.
Doreen
(11,686 posts)I do not know anyone who's place I want my packages going to.
PoindexterOglethorpe
(25,746 posts)Depending on where you live, another possibility is to have packages shipped via UPS or Federal Express and always arrange to pick them up at their local office.
I realize that may also not be the best solution for you. Such things can be tricky.
rusty quoin
(6,133 posts)Here we are now with Walmart being the biggest employer in the same communities. If you buy from Amazon, people will lose jobs too.
I hated Walmart since the 80s and tried not to shop there. I use Amazon because it is so easy. I guess the irony is that I am contributing to the thing in which I have protested against my whole adult life, putting people out of work.
oberliner
(58,724 posts)rusty quoin
(6,133 posts)oberliner
(58,724 posts)I've heard of people who have scammed Amazon in various ways (such as claiming they did not receive an item that they actually did).
Doreen
(11,686 posts)I see what you mean about putting people out of work but at the same time it almost makes no difference because for how much they get paid they are on the thin line of might as well not have a job.
rusty quoin
(6,133 posts)appalachiablue
(41,052 posts)Jake Stern
(3,145 posts)I've found, working at Walmart, that the biggest variable affecting the intensity of exit checks is the level of theft at a given store.
For example: The Walmart I worked at had pretty low shrink so they were more about checking receipts only for big ticket and electronic items.
On the other hand the store near where I lived was one of the worst in the state for theft so they popped EVERYBODY going out the door.
I always found it fascinating that folks will screech like banshees if asked to show a receipt at Walmart but will dutifully have it out for the guy manning the door at Costco.
Doreen
(11,686 posts)nor does my mother. It is when the ones they pick to show a receipt are colored people and not the whites. The difference between Walmart and Costco is that Costco asks EVERYBODY not just a chosen few.
womanofthehills
(8,579 posts)She posted that 5 white people walked out in front of her and none were asked for their receipts. Then, when she gets to the door, she is asked for her receipt (she is a dark skinned Hispanic). Because this has happened to her at Walmart before, she complains about discrimination and says she is not going to show her receipt. She then says "So they called the cops on me again."
Doreen
(11,686 posts)rule to discriminate it is going to get worse. I have had other problems with them in the past when I used to shop there more often.
sinkingfeeling
(51,276 posts)I have always thrown my receipts into the sack with my items. The first time we had to search 5 bags (I bring my own reusable ones) to find the receipt.
Here, they check about 85% of shoppers.