robertlinthicum

Just got back from a trip to Radio Shack to use my FCC-provided $40-off coupons on two DTV converters. I forgot my lock, and so rolled the bike into a corner of the store. The RS "Manager" told me to take the bike outside. I told him I would take my business elsewhere then, and rolled on.

RatShack seams to be a place where one ends up after exhausting all other source possibilities, and now I think I know why. They're the Denny's of electronics.

F Radio Shack. Just an opinion.

robertlinthicum

If anybody's curious, it was the RatShack at a strip mall off of Old Dominion Dr (Chesterbrook, it may be called) in otherwise lovely McLean, Virginia.

alpinist

It's your responsibilty to remember your lock. Their busniness store is a business place, not a garage. You forgot your lock, that's not their fault. Maybe the manager was a jerk anyway, but should you drive your motorcycle in there too?

It wasn't Radio Shack that forgot your lock.

I went to Costco the other day on my bike to pick up a contact lens order. No bike racks anywhere. I asked the door person if there was anywhere I could lock my bike. She said I could bring it inside and leave it, but don't do it again. I thought that was stupid, not having a bike rack in Seattle, where so many people ride, then I thought about it... Who in the hell rides a bike to Costco? Normally people that go there buy mass quantities of stuff in bulk! People fill cars and minivans with bulk products when they go there! What was I thinking, expecting a bike rack! Damned presumtuous of me.

papaelf

There is a small bike rack at the Costco near my neighborhood. There is usually one or two bikes in it. I wonder if the bikes belong to employees or actual customers.

alpinist

I thought about that. The Costco in North Seattle/Shoreline is right on the Interurban Bike trail. I would guess that if the employees ride, they must have plenty of space inside for bikes, I mean, it is a warehouse, but I'm just guessing.

likeguymontag

There isn't a darned thing available at radio shack that I wouldn't rather buy somewhere else. I hate that place with a passion.

alpinist

Yeah, don't get me wrong - I'm not fond of them myself. They are not helpful, sell junk, have surley employees, overcharge (all in my personal opinion, of course). I just go there on the rare occasion as a last resort or when I'm in a hurry. The only purchase I've made there in years was for zip ties to mount my SuperFlash on my bike fender.



Go ahead and hate RadioSkank, just hate them for the right reasons!

ItsJustMe

If you're looking for one of the few electronic components that they stock anymore, it's a convenient place to get them. Other than that, they're the worst option.

robertlinthicum

You're just uptight, that's all.

keisatsu

Lol, I worked at a Radiosmack for one of my first jobs out of highschool. That is the sleaziest company I have ever worked for, let alone shopped at.

I have only been into a radioshack a few times since, and that is because I knew EXACTLY what I needed, and how much it was going to cost, before I went in.

robertlinthicum

The point of this thread is that bicycles are neither poisonous nor radioactive.

No place of business has a responsibility to allow bicycles inside, and for some retailers, it is and understandably bad idea. My policy is to avoid shops whose management get their undies in a bunch over someone rolling a bicycle into a safe and unobtrusive corner.

(That said, I don't think many would be unhappy if Radio Shack went away tomorrow. They don't deserve my business, even removing bicycle-unfriendliness from the equation.)

DataJunkie

Many bikes do tend to be covered in dirt and grease.
Just sayin...

Anyhow, I do not understand why radioshack is still in business. Worthless place and from what a few friends have told me over the years... a horrible work environment.

fordfasterr

I had a similar problem when I took my bike into the RS to buy a battery for my BLINKIE !!

I wrote a letter to the regional manager about the treatment by the manager with regard to the bike situation and they apologized and educated the manager on how to treat their customers.

I always go in there with a big a s s smile !! HAHAA

timmhaan

i've asked myself that question hundreds of times.

keisatsu

https://www.theonion.com/content/news...figure_out_how

BarracksSi

Right, and they block access to stuff; and what if there was a temporarily utopian moment and five or six cyclists show up and want to bring their bikes in?

Radio Shack is where I go if I need some chunk of cable or a connector or something. That's the only holdover from the era of hobbyist electronic experiment kits. But, since other large stores (Best Buy, etc) tend to have most cables and adapters and connectors anyway, Radio Shack is really losing its relevance.

Zero_Enigma

I live in a rather urban area outside of the downtown core. Our Radio Shacks (RS) are now called The Source by Circuit City (TS) but use the same RS sku codes for thier items when ordering. Most of the RS's here are inside malls but up north they have it in a cluster strip mall setup.

For the malls around here there ae bike racks around. I often lock up the bike where the security cameras are pointed for the parking lots. I figure if anyone is willing to lock up in front of a camera they're not one to rob an area from a security guards point of view. Also for my protection if I lock up in front of the camera if you are attacked for any reason you'll be on the camera and also if the bike is stolen you may have a better chance of someone finding the bike/crook.

When I was out in the Woodbridge (north-west of the city) area strip cluster mall where the TS was located I did not see any bike racks around. However there are posts and such on the other side of the parking lot which you could lock up and walk a long way to the store.

On a note on the TS/RS stores I totally agree half of the time the people inside don't know jack what you want. I was at the store in Woodbridge just looking for some wiring for my LED bike light and the guy did not understand why I would want to use a multi-mode driver to dim the lights then using resistors thinking I was building a bomb. I just said 'where are the wires and connectors. Thank you' and walked over to see what they had and while I was there the guys all almost touching me behind me looking at whatI was doing. I just left the store pissed at the treatment. That was more the employee then the store as I've been to a number of RS/TS's before and have gotten good treatment but just not happen to be around that area as I was working and wanted to stop by to see if one store had better stock then the other.

You do from time to find someone at RS/TS that knows thier stuff related to what you want to build in detail as they have experience building such an item before or have looked into it and genuinely wanting to offer suggestions to improve or make your design better to see you succeed. I agree RS/TS's prices are WAY overpriced. I mean the same switch is $1.00-1.50 CDN at my local electronics store while RS/TS wants $4.99 CDN.

However RS/TS is open later then all other electronic supplier stores here by 3-4hrs as most electronics stores here close at 18:00 ET and RS/TS closes at 21:00 ET. I figure if RS/TS is open that much later they can raise the pricing some to cover the more lighitng/employee costs and the retail space. Also because of the convience cost for the customer who missed out thier local electronics store cut off time they can still get some parts to keep them going.

BarracksSi

The last time I ran into somebody like that at RS, it was an old white guy (picture a shop teacher/engineering professor/crazy uncle ).

Cyclist0383

Did you ask before you wheeled your bike in? The few times I've taken my bike into a store I've always asked, and have always been told 'no problem'.

Zero_Enigma

You know what? I'm going to walk in and ask one day (as a matter a fact I think we should ALL do this and see who gets the joke right away) to any CSR in RS/TS asking 'where are the flux capacitors?'.

I'd be interested how many people give the 'huh? What? I don't know.' reply.

likeguymontag

They're in the back, next to the ceramic ones, duh.

devildogmech

Radio shack used to be the place to go to get components... Now they just sell cell phones and cheap schloky crap....

Still should have rememberd your lock

One reason I ride crapo bikes.... no one would steal em'!

Billy

robertlinthicum

I do the same, but I don't live in Latvia. My guess is that there may be some cultural differences.

robertlinthicum

Thanks.

devildogmech

Sorry, Have a thing for stating the obvious