Will we never learn?

Yesterday, Kristie and I needed to fill the propane tank we use for the grill as well as pick up a few odds and ends.

This, of course, meant a trip t Walmart.

We headed for TR Saturday morning, wanting to get the trip out of the way so we could enjoy the rest of our day. However, as soon as I pulled up to Walmart, I knew it wasn't going to be that easy for the lawn and garden department, which is where I exchange my propane tank for a new one, was locked up.

I thought I could just lug the tank in and see if they department was open. However, the greeter told me I couldn't bring the tank in. I attempted to explain my plight. She seemed like a nice lady but outside of saying "Welcome to Walmart" and "Thanks for shopping at Walmart," there was not much she could do.

I explained that I had to bring it in because the lawn and garden department was closed. She called for help and I could hear the help line squawk as she was given a good fifteen seconds of instructions - of which I could only catch bits and pieces, namely that I had to bring it around to the lawn and garden department.

However, when the greeter turned to me, instead of telling me what I could do, she just said "You can't bring it in."

So fifteen seconds of instructions obviously didn't register with this gal.

So I explained my plight again, emphasizing the fact that the lawn and garden department was locked, though it was 10 in the morning.

Again, the call to her manager. Again, 15 seconds of squawking instructions. This time I paid closer attention. I could only catch that I was supposed to bring it over to the lawn and garden department. Apparently, the greeter failed to tell her manager that the lawn and garden department was locked.

So giving up on getting any further with the greeter, I headed out a side door and placed the tank next to the compartments where the other tanks were.

Then I headed back into Walmart. Guess who greeted me as if we had never met (just 15 seconds earlier)? Yep, the greeter.

"Welcome to Walmart!" she said brightly.

I nodded and headed for the lawn and garden department. It was open and people were shopping but the lanes were closed and - in typical Walmart fashion - no damn workers in sight.

So I headed for customer service, which I thought was in the back. On the way there, I saw two workers checking their cell phones over in the paint department. However, I forgot about them when I finally found customer service.

There I had to wait another ten minutes or so while the lady working there tracked down the worker in charge of lawn and garden. Finally, the gal showed up. Guess what? She was one of the workers over in the paint department checking her damn phone rather than working!

After 20 minutes, I had a new tank but we had given up on doing any other shopping in Walmart.

If we hadn't gotten such a late start, we would have headed west to GF.

Say what one will about Target, it certainly is more expensive than Walmart, but they at least have those boxes in some aisles that one can push and a Target employee will be there within 60 seconds to assist you. I've used it twice in the baby department, and the workers were always prompt and helpful.

Unlike Walmart.

So we headed over to Kmart and found what we needed, and we even found that my youngest niece is now working there. At least in Kmart we didn't feel like we were in a never ending warehouse where there is one worker for every 20 square feet (and a helpful worker for every quarter mile!)