Wednesday, April 27, 2011

Stolen Cheese, A Tornado, And Walmart Sucks

On April 16th we here in NC were hit with several tornadoes. causing many deaths, injuries and loss of homes, etc. While I was fortunate enough to not have a direct hit at my home, I did manage to have a lil experience on that day that is post worthy. Here's how it went down in Raquel's World..
April 16th we are at home watching the entire county plus the surrounding ones light up with warnings and watches on the TV screen. I did wait an hour or so for My tornado. I got nothing. It was also my son's Bday and as a tradition in my home, birthday boy or gal chooses dinner for the evening. Marlon chose grilled cheese and french frys. I had not gotten his cake yet so I needed to head out to Walmart. I wasn't sure if it was a good idea but after hours of all the threats and then nothing I decided to take Mason and Marlon and head on over to Walmart.
As we were getting our last items, the sky darkened and the power went out. The entire Walmart gasped at once but again I did not see the big deal, The generators kicked in and although it was dim in there, one could still see. I headed to the checkout and as my turn came up I realized I had forgotten the cheese! I cannot make grilled cheese without the cheese so I sent the boys to quickly fetch the cheese while I checked out. 
All of a sudden mass chaos ensued. People were screaming and the patrons were all pushed to the front of the store. The Walmart staff were on walkie talkies and yelling at people to  get out of the store immediately. "Everyone leave your carts where they are and exit the store" They screamed at us. I began to worry about my boys,so I headed back for them. I was met halfway by security who told me I could not go to the back of the store I needed to exit. "My kids are back there" I begin to say. But he busied himself with forcing other people out. Just when I was about to panic I saw them running towards me with the cheese! I went to pay and the security people were yelling "Everyone out! Now!" They were not nice either.
For the life of me I could not understand what the big deal was. So the freaking power is out? Okay, can we nicely be told to leave? I mean seriously Walmart screaming at people and pushing the crowd towards the exit is not very good customer service. People were panicked because trust me when Walmart forces all the patrons to the front at once you would be amazed how many people are actually there. Hundreds of them all confused, frustrated, panicked, etc. Kids were crying, people were yelling for their loved ones, people were bitching, all the while the Walmart staff was yelling "out! everyone out!" I still had the cheese in my hand. I was tryna pay but the cashiers were instructed to not ring anyone out. So what did I do? I put the cheese in my cart with the other items I had already paid for and headed for the exit. Fuck It! I had to have my cheese. And I wasn't leaving without it. If they did not want my money who was I to argue? Damned cheese is too high anyways.
We joined the crowd headed to the door only to find that the doors had locked. No power no open. I ain't gonna lie that part scared me. I sure did not want to be trapped in Walmart with a panicked and angry crowd. We had to go out a side door. Once we got outside the sky was dark and the winds were whipping. Me and the boys ran to our van. And in that moment I realized maybe there was a tornado coming and that's why they wanted us out? I loaded up the kids truly scared now and hauled ass outta there. We made it home and had a small storm and a power outage that lasted an hour or so. But apparently at that same moment there were two tornadoes on either side of us wreaking hell on the town. We were safe and we had our cheese and that's all that mattered to me.
I was pissed at Walmart. I thought they handled people so wrongly. Why would you think if there was a tornado you should make people go out in it??????? They must have thought one was coming because I have been in a store when the power went out before and they generally do not panic like that? I was pissed. So if there had been a tornado we would be kicked from the shelter of Walmart and sent out to fend for ourselves? Well ......
*F*U Walmart! Were they that worried that people would steal something? Who the hell would do that in a tornado? (ahem, I intended to pay for my cheese) As a matter of fact the guilt inspired this fb post...


So me and two of my kids were in walmart, storm hit, power went out, and panic ensued. People were screaming and being pushed out of the store. It was scary. I may or may not have not paid for my cheese.

I later heard from another friend who was in Walmart in Raleigh that the securty there actually put there hands on people and pushed them outta of the store. Including a senior citizen who was totally confused, they were yelling at her and such. Come on Walmart seriously?? This is your emergency plan? 
Here is yet another fb post a bit later.


Raquel Zakerski Reed
And by the way, Walmart sucks, they threw people out into the storm. Rudely I might add. I experienced it myself. And apparently this happened at other Walmarts too. Walmart...you suck! But honestly Your prices are cheap so I'll still shop there but I will wear the stank-eye while shopping.


I tried to look up their power outage procedures but was unsucessful (okay I googled it and gave up after 3 minutes) That sounds like a job for Mike. A local Lowes store saw the storm and took all the customers to the back of the store to keep them safe. Lowes was demolished but everyone made it out okay. See that here.  If anyone reading this blog works for Walmart you seriously need to read this link and maybe bring it up at the next staff meeting. I'm just saying..... This is what you should do when your customers are in danger. I wonder what would have happened if Walmart threw the people out into the storm and someone died. Himmmm?

13 comments:

  1. This comment has been removed by the author.

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  2. My dad is a greeter at walmart but thankfully in snow country and not tornado country. He is small and age 83 - a crowd would crush him.

    I'll add this to my list of reasons never to go to WalMart.

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  3. Write a letter to them. Start a Twitter campaign about their storm policies. You can make them change.

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  4. That's unbelievable that they would put people OUT into the storm.

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  5. Oh dear. Sounds like they did a terrible job handling this! I do think you should be sending them and e-mail and making a call to your WalMart!

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  6. So interesting...I'm in shock and awe. Glad you're safe and sound. AND you got free cheese!

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  7. I cannot believe they kicked you guys out with the possible threat of tornado's! That is unheard of in our neck of the woods..in tornado alley it's good to have rules and guidelines and weather drills!

    Can you imagine how many people would have gone after Wal-mart had an actaul tornado touched down(provided everyone survived). You know, I would still get ahold of headquarters and let them know..that is unacceptable!

    I have a sister in Fayetteville,NC. They were without power for almost a day! Glad you guys were ok!!

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  8. I spent 2 hours in WM once, comparison shopping, couponing, had my cart HEAPING! Half way through checkout there was a tornado warning...and they started rudely usering everyone out. I told that checker...check faster, I'll throw stuff in my cart. NO WAY IN H*LL I was leaving that cart full of stuff, including frozen and refrigerated, just to come back in 30/45 minutes and have to do it all over again!! I said...keep going! They can throw everyone out around us first! I BARELY got done and out...got home, 10 minutes later it was lifted and the sun started shining. UGH I feel your pain!

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  9. Another reason to add to my list why I don't shop at Walmart...

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  10. About a decade ago I stopped shopping at Walmart and Target. I buy little regularly but groceries and I get those form a loal chain.

    I buy my "junk" from yard sales.

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  11. You could have taken anything from Wal-mart and you stole cheese?

    Come on woman! ;)

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  12. all i know is that paris hilton once thought on her reality show that walmart sold walls. where do you go after that?...

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  13. where you near that video of the store getting blown around by a tornado that was on yahoo earlier this week? that was sick.

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