Juan Foote

was such a terrible experience that you refuse to purchase products from or shop with them?

Mine was Kroger (grocery chain). Some thirty years later and I still refuse to go into one of their stores if there is a choice or way around it.

10 Wheels

What town was that one in?

Juan Foote

Riverdale, GA ~1989-1991 or so.

downtube42

Yeah, Texas.

Juan Foote

Based on Hondo Gravel 's shopping habits this would indicate that you aren't buying cheap beer and ant granules?

Kat12

Or chimineas.

Hondo Gravel

Texas and Keystone rules! Laredo, Texas has the best selection of chimineas.

FBOATSB 

Ha Ha Kroger! They're ubiquitous around here but only one I refused to go into all my years. The one where the grocery clerk caught me red handed pocketing a pack of gum around '63 or so. Drug me out the door by the collar and told me to never come back. He did save me an ass whoopin' and cured me of future shoplifting by the manhandling though.

Hondo Gravel

Krogers was here but HEB ran them out. Krogers wouldn’t regionalize in terms of what the locals liked. Albertsons folded as well. HEB monopoly time to bust them up lol.

Juan Foote

It was fairly astounding the level of unaware that so many of the thieves we dealt with were. Among many countless stories there are two that are particular favorites.

The first was a guy that came in one night, middle of summer with a big trench coat on. There was a call that would come from the front something like "stock clerk aisle (# of aisle that didn't exist) and we would know to shadow that person around the store. At the time the location had a live lobster tank. He had already put a big loaf of bread, some steaks, some potatoes and such in his pockets or jacket. The guy literally stuffed a couple of live lobsters in there and was trying to play it cool when we confronted him with them "kicking" tails inside the jacket.

The single funniest, we had two Kevins that worked at our store. White Kevin and Black Kevin. Both of them were alpha males to a fault, both of them body builders and were in constant competition with each other (and everyone else) to be one up. I can't recall the exact event, but some sporting event (think World Series, etc.) was about to happen and there was this gigantic display of Budweiser up in the front of the store mere steps inside the doors. This guy comes in and just about the time the intercom is keying to watch, this fellow picks up two suitcases and runs out the door. White Kevin decides he was going to chase him down. Back in those days we were actually expected to intervene with shoplifters and can recall many an occasion where it got physical, the cops didn't care, and people didn't sue so much back then. The guy is sprinting across the parking lot with WK about 30' behind him. On the other side of the lot was a Piccadily and this shoplifters car was waiting for him. Just a step or two from being in the car, the guy turns around. WK can see he is about to have him and lunges just in time to catch a case of beer smack in the face. The case busts open, beers are everywhere, spraying, rolling, and WK is out cold on the parking lot. Shoplifter turns around and hops in the car with his one case and off they drive.

chewybrian 

Chuck M 

I worked for a car dealership and bought a car from another dealership because the one I worked for was damn near criminal in spirit if not actual practice.

DiabloScott

I will never buy a submarine.

FBOATSB 

I've worked for many mechanical contractors all my adult life in all positions from a regular hand to upper MGT. Quit maybe 5 or 6 of them with the clear understanding of all concerned that I would sooner starve to death or freeze under a bridge before going back to any one of them.

Bogey Speedwell

downtube42

I live in Portland, OR now. When we drink cheap beer, we drink it ironically.

Hondo Gravel

Fire ant granules just relocates them at least out of the yard. Need the fire ants to kill the ticks. Everything bites or stings or both.

Dylansbob 

I kinda feel that way about Specialized. Part of it was the shop I worked in and part is/was the company.

That being said, I just had to order 20 tubes from them since they had my size for $1.99. I spent an hour looking for something else to round out free ship, but there wasn't anything I was willing to spend on.

genec

Gloves... you can always use another pair.

bikecrate

I worked a lot of retail and they have all gone out of business...Toy King (small local chain), Proving Ground (large conglomerate clothing store), Maas Brothers/Burdines (FL department stores), and Waldenbooks. I'm the kiss of death.

mtnbud

There's a bike shop in town that I avoid because I've been lied to on two separate occasions when shopping there. They're also well known for doting on customers who appear wealthy while ignoring customers who appear financially challenged...

schwim

USMC: 0 stars, will never go camping with again.

njkayaker

I think this is sort of like not buying the bus from the bus driver.

SkinGriz

I got in touch with one of my squad leaders. “When did you figure out it was all BS and we weren’t there for any valid reason?”

I tell all young people thinking about it not to enlist on 3 reasons.

One of them is Talebs observations of skin in the game.
Military enlisted has unlimited downside and a hard cap on upside. The MIC contractors and lobbyists have limited downside and almost unlimited upside.

If SGLI came out of the pay of the KBR and Grumman C-suite, would that change things?

Hondo Gravel

I enlisted in the KISS Army.