Comments on: Peace On Earth?

By: Bryan

Bryan — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 18:24:03 +0000

That’s what I mean, Steve, they homogenize the country. I have to buy books sight unseen over the ‘Net, because the really good local store is gone. There are a dozen products that my Mother loved, that are no longer available because the stores that stocked them are gone. Don’t get me started on the loss of bakery products that used cane sugar and other natural ingredients, or the local milk products, including the one of the best eggnogs I’ve ever tasted, or the local hush puppy mix, or any of dozens of other products that are gone because of Wal-Mart.

The worst part for the locals is that after all of these stores left, the prices have risen, because there is no competition. That is the consistent pattern. The stores that survived the Wal-Mart invasion raise prices when Wal-Mart does, and Wal-Mart always does, and they go to a part-time work force to eliminate people who have fringe benefits.

By: Steve Bates

Steve Bates — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 17:05:19 +0000

Oh, don’t get me wrong; I certainly prefer small local stores whenever possible. You are right about the difference in service; I really appreciate that attitude. But in many towns… Livingson, TX for one… most of the mom-and-pop stores have been driven out of business by Wal-Mart.

The closest thing accessible to me (literally closest… just around the corner) is Sellers Bros. grocery, a chain of small supermarkets unique to Houston, founded here in 1921. “Sellers” is actually the family name. The chain is about a half dozen stores. They’re not the greatest supermarkets, but I really like their attitude. And being in business only in Houston, they have an excellent stock of Texas-style Mexican food.

By: Bryan

Bryan — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 06:22:13 +0000

I agree that Costco treats its employees better, but all of them make it harder for small local businesses to survive, and when they go, so does service. I like the community provided by local stores with long time employees. It makes the drudgery of shopping more human. It also cuts down on driving.

By: Steve Bates

Steve Bates — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 05:54:34 +0000

In fairness, not all big box stores are alike. Costco, by all reports, pays and treats its employees well. Wal-Mart universally does not. Target is reportedly better than Wal-Mart. When the Costco being built near me finally opens, I will trade there, and I already deal with Target, mostly their pharmacy. Wal-Mart can wait until Texas freezes over in mid-July for my custom; it just ain’t gonna happen.

(Activist/songwriter Dave Lippman wrote a song and titled a CD “I Hate Wal-Mart.” I have the distinction of having contributed material to him from which he wrote a new verse for the song, about “dead janitor” insurance policies. It seems Wal-Mart takes out life insurance, not just on its high-level executives, but its janitors… payable not to the janitors, but to Wal-Mart. When one’s employer has financial incentive for one to die, … well, don’t get me started.)

By: Bryan

Bryan — Sun, 30 Nov 2008 04:02:55 +0000

Big Box stores and malls create the anonymity that makes mobs possible. The people who shop at these stores don’t live in the area because no one lives in the area. You have to drive to get there. No one knows your name or wants to know you.

When I worked my last assignment in Rochester I would frequent a restaurant and they would start my order, based on the day of the week as soon as I pulled into the parking lot. It was called service.

That’s what you get when you shop locally. That’s what we have lost with malls and box stores. The communities are dissolving.

By: Moi

Moi — Sun, 30 Nov 2008 02:03:08 +0000

This is so believable. Not unbelievable, believable. I totally believe that Walmart didn’t close the store, the whores. I totally believe that no one stopped – but more because people are just SO unaware of anything outside their own spheres any more….and of course, those are the people who shop at Walmart.

Shop Online
Boycott Walmart
Boycott Chinese products if at all possible

By: Bryan

Bryan — Sat, 29 Nov 2008 18:57:54 +0000

As the Senior State Trooper who conducted riot response training at the police academy said – you are not dealing with people, you are dealing with a mob. People would never do what mobs do.

They could have played Christmas carols and handed out warm drinks. They definitely should have had a lot of extra security on hand. A fire hose standing by wouldn’t have been out of place, nor would a few portable toilets. Caffeine and portable johns can go a long way towards keeping a crowd from compressing into a mob.

Of course the simplest plan, and the plan that Nassau County may enact before next year, is to ban these events altogether.

As I mentioned above, when I was in law enforcement in New York, WalMart could be criminally charged in this event. There were criminal prosecutions of people who created mobs for commercial purposes that resulted in injury and death when reasonable precautions weren’t taken, and it is fairly obvious that precautions weren’t taken in this incident. There are reports that the police are scanning the videos for people to prosecute, and that includes anyone who interfered in any way with those attempting to assist the victim. Bumping into an EMT trying to render assistance is worth a year in jail in New York State.

Out of curiosity I checked the WalMart flier for their Black Friday sale, and I didn’t see any great deals. The ad featured a lot of flat screen TVs that I have seen advertised for less [my Mother is in the market for a new TV]. I have no idea what the draw was. If you have $500 for a new television you don’t need to wait in line overnight to buy it. This was just outside The City, you could get a slightly used model of the same TV for half that price any day of the week. With the hard times, you could get a better deal just looking at the want ads or going to a thrift shop.

There are enough stores, like Circuit City, going down the tubes because of stupid management tricks, that there is no need to rush, and the closer things get to the end of the year, the more desperate the sales will become.

This was stupid and criminal. There isn’t a lot you can do about stupid, but we do have courts that function in some fashion.

By: Kryten42

Kryten42 — Sat, 29 Nov 2008 07:48:29 +0000

Excuse the typo’s, I was really annoyed and didn’t bother checking.

By: Kryten42

Kryten42 — Sat, 29 Nov 2008 07:46:18 +0000

This was just on our evening news. I saw some cam fottage (security cam by the looks), and the crowd rushed the main doors and broke them down! I do not understand this mindless mob mentality to save a few bucks! If they were starving and hadn’t had food in days, I could understand. I have a current (valid until 2010) armed security/crowd control/control room operations/Griffin Coordinator (riot/terrorist control) license. If I was security manager for that store and new what was coming, I would have called the police before it happened and resigned in disgust.

Wal-Mart are definitely responsible, and so is their head of security and the idiots that caused the stampede. None of the established (even common sense) security measures were in place.

People really are stupid.

By: LadyMin

LadyMin — Sat, 29 Nov 2008 07:16:20 +0000

I will never ever understand the desire to go stand in line in the middle of the night with a group of loonies. And in this part of the country, freezing cold! My time and my sanity is worth more than the few dollars saved.

In fact, little secret the loonies will probably never figure out … you save even more if you shop online. Bargain prices, the no sales tax loophole and free shipping. Plus all the amenities of home. Priceless. 🙂