The most stupid WalMart manager in the world...

[Maddy McCall]

At a Walmart in Orange City, Florida, yesterday, a SIREN blared to indicate the beginning of the sale.

The crowd trampled a woman, who was knocked down and hit her head. She suffered a seizure from the impact and will be in the hospital a long time, according to her sister.

Here's the problem: Was that manager on DRUGS??? Did he think it would be really cool to use a sound that provokes fight-or-flight urgent responses in people to start the sale? Didn't he realize that people are already operating in adrenaline at those sales, and there have been numerous injuries result from the shoppers' competitiveness.

But to use a SIREN to commence a sale, when people are already on edge, is just fucking stupid. It's akin to yelling "FIRE" in a crowded theatre showing The Towering Inferno.

Hope the woman sues and wins so grandly that she never has to shop at a discount center again. Wish I were an attorney.

[DS1]

1. Isn't this standard in Walmarts?

I heard that they literally have mini-sales where a siren goes off and you gotta get there fast in order to grab whatever is left.

[brainshrub]

3. I've boycotted Wal-Wart for years now

I didn't know they did that. The only thing more patheitc than that are the people who are willing to shove each other around to buy cheap plastic crap.

I mean, we don't live during a famine for God's sake.

[BrotherBuzz]

13. Isn't that K-mart?

you know, the blue light special? Does Walmart do it too? Ignorance is bliss, I shop at neither.

[XanaDUer]

2. It is ridiculous...

people's adrenalin is already pumped. I am surprised he/she did not also say, "Whoever gets to the DVD players first gets another 10% off!"

Just to make them extra-specially stupid.

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

4. Yeah let's pass tort reform so we can be gone with these frivolous

lawsuits that hurt business.

[Maddy McCall]

5. That indeed will be a scary day...

Mississippi just passed a mild version of medical tort reform here--and we have Haley coming. Industry/Business will be the next to be protected. Meanwhile, they can market Steve Martin cruel shoes and if you cut your feet, too bad, because you won't be able to sue.

Cruel shoes comment inserted to see who knows what I am talking about. ;-)

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

7. "oh yes, let me see the cruel shoes!"

[CanuckAmok]

14. "I'll take them!" n/t

[DS1]

6. actually, I could probably list 5 ways this violates the AMA

or Americans With Disabilities Act, whatever the gov't decided were good initials for it.

Price cuts based on personal manueverability? Can't believe that's legal.

[Maddy McCall]

9. I agree.

[liberalmuse]

8. (singsong) Wal-mart's gonna get su-ed...

okay, that was childish, but fun! :)

[Catshrink]

10. Another good Wal-Mart story

My sister is a diabetic. She lost her glucose testing kit and stopped at Wal-Mart to get an new one. They had them locked in a cabinet which the pharmacy clerk got one out for her. She paid for it, went out to her car and opened it up to test. Well dang, it didn't work.

She took it back in and they accused her of breaking it! She's been using these things for 30 years so that's not likely. She insisted they call the manager over to intervene. Meanwhile, the pharmacist who is only on contract, started yelling at her for trying to rip Wal-Mart off. The manager opened the back of the unit and found that the batteries had corroded the insides. No way could my sister have done that.

They exchanged it for another unit and again, she went out to her car. It also didn't work so she went back in again. Same thing. They didn't have another unit so she wanted her money back. They refused saying she had stolen the test strips out of the package. She again insisted they call the manager over who read the box -- no mention of test strips being included.

The manager gave her her money back and walked her out to her car. My sister was very upset at that point and her blood sugar was low. She ate some of her glucose tablets, then went to a Walgreen's to buy a unit. Turns out it was on sale at Walgreen's for less than at Wal-Mart and, when the pharmacist at Walgreen's saw the state she was in, he helped her test and made sure she was okay. The Wal-Mart pharmacist just exasperated the situation.

Dumb freaking Wal-Mart. She hasn't been back since.

[DS1]

11. I'm afraid that's just not possible

The Corporations exist to help us, and the largest retailer in the world wouldn't dare treat a customer like that.

/blatant sarcasm rider

[liberalhistorian]

12. I don't know about her prevailing in

any lawsuit. Wal-Mart is the most ruthless, heartless, motherfucking corporation on the planet when it comes to being sued. Even if the customer is in the right, which is 98% of the time, it'll go all out to defeat him/her, no matter what it has to do to accomplish that. A lot of attorneys won't even go up against it anymore, no matter how strong the case may be.

[madddog]

15. I dont' think it would make any difference

what sound they use to start the sale...they could blow a whistle, toot a horn, or ring a bell, and you'd still get the zombie woof shopper horde stampede as soon as it went off...those people are there to save $$, and lord help anyone who gets in their way.

[rustydog]

16. I wouldn't blame a store manager for the pavlovian response

of a public that has grown more ignorant and more uncaring of each other.

These people? trampled others because of a sale?!!

The rich in America have got to be rolling on the floor saying "Look, Muffy, the peons actually act like the animals we believe they are!, how barbaric."

People are regressing and no one is outraged at the Pavlovian response of the 'intelligent' species of animal life on thie planet!!!

[rustydog]

17. I wouldn't blame a store manager for the pavlovian response

of a public that has grown more ignorant and more uncaring of each other.

These people? trampled others because of a sale?!!

The rich in America have got to be rolling on the floor saying "Look, Muffy, the peons actually act like the animals we believe they are!, how barbaric."

People are regressing and no one is outraged at the Pavlovian response of the 'intelligent' species of animal life on the planet!!!