Non-MS friendly grocery stores rant
 

It is officially fall here in Virginia. The temperatures have dropped (FINALLY!!:D) and we are beginning to see a little less of our friend the sun every day.

Today I ventured out for the first time in a week to the grocery store of all places.(yes, my life is that exciting!) I didn't really have a choice, after last night's dinner which was comprised of the last of the chicken and veggies in the freezer, my poor family would be down to licking the walls tonight if I didn't bite the bullet and venture out.

So off I go, baggy jeans on so the button doesn't touch the stitches, grocery list in hand, clinging to the cart for balance. And I discover that my grocery store has adapted to this change in seasons. They turned on the heat. Every 10 feet I am blasted with hot air! :mad: And of course we are out of EVERYTHING! So I have to get blasted on every aisle of the place.

By the time I got out of there I had stripped out of my jacket, was wearing a tank top and my skin is crawling. And I have discovered this is a price I will pay each and every time I go to the store for the next 6 months or so. It's just annoying. Thought I would share.

in stores like that, by the time I hit the check out, I can no longer think, add, or coherently make out my check. I am nauseous, swooning, and ready to vomit. I have found that getting a bag of frozen peas from the freezer section and using it as an ice pack helps. I of course pay for the peas, but they are well used by the time i get to the check out.


another pet peeve is Target and those stupid baby carriages! when i finally make my way through the door, I NEED a cart to lean on. The only carts anywhere to be grabbed are those with baby seats, or those toddler riding carts. Two full rows of um! I have to walk almost to the exit door to find a suitable cart to use as a walker while in the store.

I am enjoying the cooler weather! woo! I love fall. :cool:

DD does my grocery shopping for me, now. I miss it... I always loved going to the grocery and planning family meals and stuff.

I didn't miss the store heat or the crowds of weird people. :D I, especially liked to go, when I could still drive my minivan with scooter. I felt so powerful.:cool::p

From now on, wear an ice collar, Leggs..:)

What I hate about the Target down the street is the annoying neon lights they have all over the store now. I need to go in there and see if it's still bugging me. (noticed this week that WalMart lighting wasnt making me dizzy anymore)

Our Target remodeled earlier this year, and they changed the freezer aisles around...had some horrible fluorescent lights in their freezers. Just walking into the freezer aisles the last time I was there made me feel like I was riding a roller coaster. Which is a shame, because I really liked some of their store brand frozen foods.

I havent been to Target since I was having vision problems earlier this summer. Last time I went in there, I had to wear sunglasses just to be able to do anything, (and it was nighttime) Plus, I'm now kind of scared to buy veggies there, since the last time I was there, I saw one of their less intelligent floor people put carrots out on the shelves that were by the front door. The unrefrigerated shelves...

I mentioned it to the management...they took care of it, from what I saw before I left...but now I'm afraid to buy anything that's supposed to be refrigerated there now.

I just fired off an email to WalMart about my local store. It is in a large community surrounded by group homes, Sr apts and lots of us with disabilties who own/rent homes. Not near enough electric carts (no regular w/c) and majority are consistently out of order for months. I have spoken to Mgr, Asst mgrs, greeters etc several times about this.

I wiil no longer shop there or any other WalMart until issue is resolved. I figure if they do not value me as a customer (or others with disabilities who cannot manage the mega store without them) then I will not give them my money.

Wonder how long till I get a real (not form letter) response or a remedy to the actual issue??? :confused:

You know I have noticed those same issues at every Walmart around here. There is a store in Central Park which is like the shopping mecca of my area. I think they have 6 handicap parking spaces around the 5 entrances. And I only see 3 power carts.

My pet peeve is there is no cart returns anywhere close to the HC parking. Target actually has them right there and so does Sam's Club, but our local grocery stores and WalMarts have them located too far away. If I'm having a bad day, I end up dumping the cart next to my car - which I hate to do. I like to put things where they belong!

I still cannot understand why there are no cart returns right there next to the handicap spots. If you have to walk to return the cart and back to your car, isn't it just as easy to part next to the cart return? Obviously if you park in the HC spot, you are parking there because it is needed! I see carts in the stripped areas near the handicap parking all the time. I think it's expected if there is no cart return right there.

I love our grocery store here for so many reasons. I haven't needed this service (yet) but love knowing it's there. After pulling into the handicap spot, you can call the store on your cell phone and tell them where you are parked. They will bring an electric cart right to your car. After shopping they pick it up when you get into your car. Is this normal or are we just lucky?

There's a WARM grocery store?????

Where?

I'm having hot flashes, and I still freeze solid every time I go shopping. I'd pay to be too warm in a store.

Holly - I did not see one person in florida use a cart corral. That drives me nuts. There were as many carts in the parking lots as cars.

:mad:

I know what will work. Get all your friends to rent Scooters and wheel chairs and go picket the offending stores.

Every so often, take your pickets and Scooters for a run through a crowded store..:D

Sounds like a job for the kamakazi!

I'm sure Marc would do his part..:D

He could record it and post the video for all of us to see! :D

WalMart update:

I got a ohone call this weekend from one of the Managers at the local WalMart. She was very nice (had never seen her before) and told me there was no excuse for the conditions and she apologized.

She said she has already put in a work request for all electric chairs to be serviced, repaired or replaced as needed. She is also going to hold a sensitivity training with all staff regarding disabled "guests" that will be mandatory for all employess (not just the ones at front of store entrances). She also said she has put in a request for a whole new and expanded fleet of electric chairs as there are not enough and the ones they have are "beat up". All employess are to gather carts including elctric carts(yeah!) every 30 minutes or sooner if needed from parking lots. Now has posted a sign at cart area and in employee area that states it is everyones responsibilty to ensure elec carts are always plugged in while not in use; she is also reminding them of this during team meetings.

Sounds great to me. Hopefully it all works out as she said. She did mention that Regional Mgr also sent a notice to all stores in area to inspect and maintain elec carts and that he would "be checking" during his rounds.

So far I say "Yippee!" Only time will tell if all rings true...

In 2004, I was diagnosed with MS, my Dad was dying from lung cancer and had just moved in with us, I fell down the stairs at work and broke my ankle, and it all happened right before Christmas. :(

I had to do my Christmas shopping with crutches. When I got to WalMart the store was overrun by people. I knew if I tried to walk I'd be all done, since I was dizzy, unsure on the crutches, in pain and already overheated just from walking in.

I decided to use a motorized cart. Mistake! :mad:

The first one ran out of juice when I started to back it up after I got on it. The next one did not have reverse at all, the third one only turned right and the last one wouldn't even move. By the time I has switched from one cart to the next four times I was all done and then someone tripped over my broken ankle and just kept on walking and didn't even apologize.

I sat there sobbing, and a greeter came over to see what was wrong. I was crying so hard I couldn't even talk. She found a wheelchair, took me to the restaurant, bought me a coffee, waited until I stopped crying and then listened to me. She then went and got the manager and they arranged for someone to wheel me around the store and shop with me.

It wasn't the same as doing my own shopping but the guy who was my "personal shopper" was a very big guy and he had NO problem yelling at people when they cut us off or banged into me or didn't move when asked. I got what I needed and he took me to the service desk and they checked me right out, carried my stuff to my car, loaded it so I could easily unload it and took my name, address and phone number.

The next week I got a very nice apology from the corporate office along with a $25.00 gift card. The next time I went to that store, they had brand new motorized carts, all lined up and plugged in. I didn't need one anymore, but it was nice to see that they had responded and done something about it!

This year I am going to work on getting the heat turned down everywhere in the store except for right near the doors! :p

We went to Walmart today... there were people fighting over the only working motorized cart. I thought of you guys when I went over to customer service to complain to the manager before walking out and heading to target.