A Strange Wal Mart Experience

[Zero_DgZ]

Now, I'm not usually one to give much of my money to old Sam. I'm not a fan of his business practices, but this ain't the time or place for that.

I stopped by the local Wally world on the way to my Nephew's place yesterday to grab some ammo, because he just got a new gun and we were thinking about going shooting. Got myself a box of that cheapo Winchester white box birdshot and figured I'd grab a couple of other things on the old 'while I'm here' principle.

Which is probably how that place makes most of their money.

Grabbed some washer fluid because I was out and some epoxy putty to fill that danged hole that's been in the front of my gearshift ever since I bought my car and driving me bats.

So at the checkout, the lady (a middle aged and for once sensible looking Wal Mart worker) scans the washer fluid and the epoxy putty and the computer squeals at her so she asks me for ID, which I have ready. But it took us both a second before we realized that the computer wasn't complaining about the ammo - She hadn't scanned it yet.

It was complaining about the epoxy putty. Apparently ya gotta be a legal adult to buy the stuff now, god forbid any minors go patching holes in their radiators or something. We had a short and puzzled conversation about that and when she scanned the ammo fully expected it to ask again.

But it didn't.

"That's odd," we say to each other, and agree to scan the ammo again after we finish the sale. So she scans it again all by its lonesome and the computer doesn't ask for ID as we fully expect it to.

If that doesn't just beat all. A ten year old could waltz into a Wally World and buy a gallon of deadly denatured alcohol and a 100 round pack of 12 gauge birdshot but not the epoxy putty. Man, this country keeps getting stranger.

 

[real_name]

I'm guessing there are fumes in the epoxy that can intoxicate.
But it's still odd, do kids run around raves with epoxy putty held under their noses now?

 

[Sistema1927]

Yep, the country is crazy. Why shouldn't a 10 year old be allowed to buy shotgun shells? I was buying them at age 11.

 

['Card]

When epoxy is outlawed, only outlaws will be able to patch their radiators!

 

[Zero_DgZ]

You have a point there, too.

 

[Nitrogen]

My fianceé is a teacher, and she told me why:

Apparently kids like to sniff things like Whiteout, Epoxy, rubber cement, etc, and get high.

So Wal-Mart decides you need to show ID to get anything that can get you high, much like stores in my area make you show ID to get cold medicine.

Since you can't get high off of ammunition, I guess it's okay.
Or something.

 

[OH25shooter]

What's next, antifreeze? One might be buying it to feed to the tom-cat roaming the neighborhood, crapping in their flower beds. Mmmm, it taste good.

 

[Zero_DgZ]

I don't think 'high' is quite the right description for being exposed to epoxy putty fumes. In my experience 'watery eyed with burning nostrils, and that damn dead fish smell all over your hands that you can't get off for a week' is a better way to word it.

I certainly wouldn't want to do it recreationally. Yeesh.

 

[fiVe]

I think they just wanted to be sure you weren't a crazy kid trying to glue shotgun shells together.

 

[V4Vendetta]

I used to be into model rockets as a hobby. I had to have my mom with me just to buy the engines. This was at Walmart. The funny thing is, the box said for ages 12 & up. I was 12. The Walmart guy said I needed to be 13.

 

[merk]

Two years ago when I used to ride the bus to school, about ten kids in the back would pass around a few cans of axe body spray and get high off it. I hated that damn bus.

 

[Kramer Krazy]

From about 10pm until 7am, our Walmart is not supposed to sell spray paint to ANYONE because of a city ordnance. When you can buy it, they are supposed to check and make sure you are 18+ years old.

 

[Justin]

We are slowly but surely creating a world that will protect the lowest common denominator from itself.

 

[HankB]

Apparently kids like to sniff things like Whiteout, Epoxy, rubber cement, etc, and get high.

When I was a kid, it was model airplane glue . . . kids somewhere - we never did find out where - were supposedly squeezing a tube of it into a baggie and sniffing it, so "they" decided young kids should no longer buy model glue.

Funny thing is, I never liked the smell - if I tried building a model airplane or battleship or something and got too much of it, I got a headache - no pleasurable "buzz" at all.

Same with drugs - when I got my impacted wisdom teeth extracted, I was given prescriptions for Tylenol 3 and Percocet for pain relief . . . I didn't like the sensation of having about 1/3 of my brain cells shut down while I was still awake, so I flushed them and went to plain Tylenol.

I guess I just don't have it in me to be a good druggie . . .

 

[DMSHEPARD]

HankB +1, I have been on Vicoden (sp) for the last 5 days for tooth problems, and I can't see for the life of me why it is so popular as a recreational drug. It barely dulls the pain, and it certainly has nothing to offer in the thrills department.

"Card: LOL

 

[migoi]

A while back...

I stopped by my local Sports Authority to pick up some 12 gauge buckshot rounds for a 3-gun bowling pin match I was going to participate in. I retrieved them from the gun section and took them to the register in front to pay.

In line in front of me was a guy, about my same age, mid-forties, with a container of paint balls. When he got to the register the clerk asked to see his drivers licence so she could enter his birthdate. He complied, no big deal (have to be 18+ to buy paintballs here apparently). After he left, I came up and started pulling out my drivers license for the expected birthdate questions...didn't happen.

The register was programmed to ask for the birthdate of anyone buying paintballs but there was not such requirement for purchasing 12 gauge 00 buck shells.

migoi

 

[johnnytang24]

I really can't fault businesses for asking for ID. I don't think they want to any more than you want to be IDed, but they do want to cover their butts in this ever litigious society. I wouldn't be suprised if some parent sued because their kid sniffed too much Wal-Mart glue, got brain damage, and jumped off a bridge. Because that's obviously Wal-Mart's fault.

Thanks.

 

[spooney]

It didn't prompt for the Shotgun shells because you had already proved that you were 18 when you bought the Epoxy. When you said that you "scanned it again when you were done" was that after you had already paid for everything? Or was that part of the same transaction? If it was after you had paid then it should have prompted but if it was part of the same transaction the computer had already found out you were 18.

 

[Zero_DgZ]

No, we scanned it again as part of a new transaction, after I paid. It was sort of an afterthought, because the clerk didn't know what it would do.

No ID check.

 

[Mizzac]

Even Worse...

Is when you go through the self checkout with one tube of super glue. The scanner is prompted to ask for age verification, and "Little Billy" struts over and says Sir, I need to see some ID, please". More fun than one can imagine, especially when you're in a hurry.

Sorry my first post sounds like whining. I'm really a hoot when you get to know me!

 

[spooney]

No, we scanned it again as part of a new transaction, after I paid. It was sort of an afterthought, because the clerk didn't know what it would do.

No ID check.

That is strange I have never had the register not prompt for ammo when it is supposed to.

 

[mr_dove]

I believe that you can get "high" with anything that prevents oxygen from getting to your brain. Just about any gas that can fill your lungs and displace oxygen will cause a high. Cans of compresses air for cleaning computer keyboards requires proof of age in some areas.

Heck, kids get high choking themselves too. I guess that's the economy high.

 

[Taipei Personality]

Okay, research time. Maybe the federal ID law is 18 for rifle and 21 for handgun, but shotgun isn't addressed? Off to FindLaw . . .

Nope, 18 for long gun. Shoots that theory . . .

 

[f4t9r]

Wal mart here all ammo must be purchased at the sporting goods counter or whatever you call the place where the ammo is.

 

[scooterthegreat]

I seem to remember that for a while, stores in Green Bay WI wouldn't sell anyone tin foil and drain opener at the same time.