Walmart gripe

Okay, here is what happened. A few months ago, a friend gave me a can of Walmart formula, and I keep forgetting to take it in and exchange it for the kind I need, and last night I finally did. And I understand that there are probably people on WIC or whatever that "buy" it and then try to return it for cash.

But I wasn't trying to return it, just exchange it for a different kind. The young woman behind the counter simply did not smile, was not kind, and made me want to never, ever go to Walmart again.

I am big and huge and going back to a different part of the store, getting the kind I needed, bringing it to the front, paying for the difference in price but not given a receipt for the extra paid ("you didn't come into the store with a receipt, you don't get one now"), even though I'm going to now walk through the store with this can with no proof I paid for it but the bag it is in, she could have at least looked me in the eye with some manner of understanding.

I get it that a place like Walmart is likely to attract people who might be tempted to steal. But in order to stay in business they need big spending cheapskates like me to keep coming, and since we don't wear nametags that say "freeloading thief" or "paying customer", it would be to Walmart's distinct advantage to treat us all like the latter.

I almost walked out forever last night. But I can't. Because I am a bigspending cheapskate, and that's where I can afford to go.