WalMart

About 7:00 P. M. ET, I went into a VA WalMart. The 'greeter' stopped me and a young man who went in about the same time saying we had set off the alarm - apparently a metal detector. He had the young man go back out through and again the alarm sounded. The young man was emptying his pockets when I decided to leave and told the 'greeter' that if that was their security procedure, I'd shop somewhere else. As I went out I set off the alarm also, probably from a pocket knife.

Has anyone else run into this? I'll try to follow up tomorrow but in 56 years, this is the first time I've been stopped going into a store for setting off a metal detector.

# <SNIP> # # Has anyone else run into this? I'll try to follow up tomorrow but in 56 # years, this is the first time I've been stopped going into a store for # setting off a metal detector. # How would that work if you're pushing a shopping cart?

I'd take my business elsewhere also if that happened to me... Around here, in White Lake MI, the local Kmart has stopped selling all hunting goods yet they will still sell you a license. Last week a co-worker was in Kmart looking for the hunting section. An employee told him they no longer carried 'that' type of stuff. So, my friend put the arm load of items he did have on the floor in front of the employee and told him he was leaving and never coming back to Kmart. He would instead give all his business to Wal-Mart up the street about a mile... We are both going to write letters to Kmart Corp. I doubt they will answer us but it can't hurt to let them know they lost a couple more customers for life.

Nope, went into the local Walmart this evening. No alarms went off. If there were metal detectors, they must have been turned off as I surely would have set them off.

What you probably heard was an anti-shoplifter sticker alarm. Designed to catch stuff heading out of the store it will also alert on stuff with stickers coming back in. Sometimes someone will steal something and try (or have an accomplice try) to return it later for a refund (claiming to have lost the receipt), or sometimes the cashier will forget to deactivate the sticker at time of purchase and if not caught upon re entry to the store by someone wearing or carrying the purchased item, a possible false accusation of theft can result when the (innocent) person tries to leave wearing or carrying the item. I doubt what you saw was a metal detector in a Walmart. On the other hand it is not impossible.

I've seen metal detectors before in some stores (not Walmarts) in some really bad high crime areas. Sadly, small chains don't have the bucks for top of the line metal detectors, and if there is a guard/greeter watching them he is usually unarmed, or if he is armed the training is really minimal. Often what can happen unless there is a dedicated watcher is a pre-robbery, unarmed, scout will enter and unplug or disable the detector in advance of the armed visit. One Peoples Drug Store in MD I used to visit had one of the el cheapo models and sometimes it worked and sometimes it didn't. I walked right through it one time when it was supposedly working with a 4' Ruger Service-Six in a shoulder rig and a Charter Arms .38 in my coat pocket (had a badge at the time) snd a buck knife and handcuffs on my belt and assorted ammo elsewhere and it didn't go off. On the other hand they needed something as that location had several armed robberies and at least one 'spill over from the street' drug war shooting. The manager (who knew what/who I was) was really upset when he saw me casually walk through their new toy with no noise. That drug store chain is defunct these days. Which VA Walmart did you have this happen at?

#The 'greeter' stopped me and #a young man who went in about the same time saying we had set off the #alarm -

Those detectors are not metal detectors but merchandise sensors. They are set off when a sensor has not been deactivated by the cashier. They are usually found on clothing or on small costly items that can be pocketed by thieves.

If the detectors were metal detectors the 'greeters' or security staff would be busy with everyone going in and out of the store due to keys and other metal stuff.

I was stopped by a greeter in the Oneonta NY walmart while exiting the store with 6 cases of clay pigeons. My wife who had the receipt for all our purchases ran outside to get the van because it was raining. I didn't have the receipt for the sale as she paid the tab. It was embarrassing to me why I was being singled out while others left the store without being hassled. I sent a letter to Wal mart about the incident and failed to get a reply. I suggested to the store that they place paid stickers on the large bulky items since I would refuse to be harrassed for suspected non paid merchandise while still within the store. If they had a question about payment they can detain me outside the store where I can then produce the receipt if I feel it necessary and inform them of legal action when they are proven wrong.

America is going nuts!

I go there too I have a knife clipped to my pocket all the time....I live in Ohio East side central...Dog

> ... and > ... pockets > ...

I carry open, (Tucson), into Wal Mart, and the most I've ever gotten was, 'What are you packin' there', from another shopper.

****************************************** The above rantings are the opinions of the writer, (C.J.), and are not necessarily in agreement with anything that anybody else thinks, or would care to. Any resemblance to political correctness is purely coincidental, entirely unintentional and probably your imagination.