I didn't realize I'd have so much to write about, but unfortunatly due to some issues with my 14 year old car and the fact my sick cat was out of wet food, I had to go to walmart again today.  I had to hunt for a parking spot that wasn't in the next county, but finally settled on the next county. 

I walked through the doors on the side closest to the automotive section (not the tire and lube entrance though) and tried to grab a cart...except they were all covered in something resembling filth.  I say resembling filth because I think filth was cleaner than what was on the carts.  The carts that weren't covered in what my wife and I refer to as "Fung" were all taunting me with their lopsided baskets and their broken, free-spinning wheels.

I finally found an acceptable cart and got my shopping done.  Except for an occasional customer who plows through an intersection without checking to see who's coming, there were no incidents.  I approached the checkouts closest to my exit, but lo and behold - ONLY THE SELF CHECKOUTS WERE OPEN.  That's right...no staffed checkout lanes to accomidate the people who can't handle the admittedly sometimes cantankerous technology.  The lines were naturally backed up to the merchandise aisles with customers pushing full carts trying to use the self checkouts.  I started walking...

Midway to the other entrance, I found a single cashier in the cigarrette section who was checking out about 6 customers each with full carts...I kept walking.

The other entrance was no different, except there were no people here.  There were plenty of self checkout lanes available, but I guess I just happened to find it empty.  It just goes to show you that adopting the herd mentality and falling in line behind others doesn't pay off.  Actually, I'm thinking that normally leads to a slaughterhouse...

Anyway, once I found the open checkout spot it was smooth sailing.  I don't understand walmart sometimes.  Why would they let customers endure long lines when other checkouts were available at the other end of the store?  Why would you have a total of 1 cashier on duty, and then only in the cigarrette section when you obviously have enough business - judging from the full parking lot - to justify having 3 or 4 more?

Was I terribly inconvenienced...no.  Did I wind up annoyed?  Well, from what you've read, you already know the answer is a resounding yes.  Nasty, broken carts + inadequate staffing + dumb customers + dodgy technology = +1 for Walmart Experience.

Craig 2, Walmart Experience 1

Tomorrow, they're supposed to release the opinion on the 2nd Amendment so I'll be posting some thoughts on a couple of interesting Supreme Court cases I've been watching.