One more thing to hate about Walmart

This weekend the wife sent me grocery shopping. I went to Walmart as usual and filled my basket. i was standing in one of 5 open checkout lines, with about 4 people in front of me, quietly looking through the tabloids there at the register. I just have to know what movie star is making an ass of themselves this week. The lady in front of me is in her 60's i would guess. She had two bottles of wine on the conveyor. When the clerk rang up the wine the clerk asked the lady for her ID. I figured the clerk was just being nice as this women was well over 21 and anyone could tell that. The clerk took her drivers license and ran it through the cash register card reader. This struck me as odd. I was thinking the clerk was too lazy to enter her birth date so she just scanned her license.

Curiosity got the better of me and i asked the clerk "why did you scan her license?"

Clerk replied " to make sure the license is not suspended or expired"

Well i continue to unload my cart but the clerks answer started bugging me. I then ask the clerk "what difference does it make if a persons license is suspended or expired?" About this time a couple of people at the registers on both sides of us kinda perk up. I guess after standing in line for 15-20 minutes they could smell the excitement of an argument in the air.

The clerk replies " we don't want to sell them alcohol if their license is suspended for DWI"

I said " what damn business is it of yours or Walmarts if my license is suspended. Texas law requires that i be 21 years old to purchase alcohol. I do not have to have a drivers license to buy alcohol."

The clerk says " you have to have a valid state issued ID to buy alcohol"

I said " fine. My drivers license can be suspended and it is a valid state issued ID. It may not be valid for driving but it is none the less a valid ID"

The clerk then proceeded to tell me that " It is Walmart's policy to not sell alcoholic beverages to anyone with a suspended or expired drivers license"

" Good enough" i said. I now know that Walmart is policing the populace to make Midland TX a better place for me to live. Needless to say this gave me the red ass. I feel that my rights are slowly being taken away from me. The government is bad enough but when Walmart gets in on the action i think it is too much. I decided to take a stand on this issue. Right then and there one of us was going to give.

I had all of my groceries unloaded and saved the 30 pack for the very last item. She ran the beer through the scanner and asked for my ID. I pulled out my wallet and showed it to her through the plastic window in my wallet. She says " I need to scan it"

I said " I don't think so. Feel free to look at all you want but i don't want it scanned."

She looked at me with this puzzled look and said " I have to scan it or i can not sell you the beer"

I politely said " look missy, I do not want my license scanned. I do not want the government tracking me and looking into my alcohol consumption. I have proven i am 21 and that is all you need to know. Now if you decided not to sell me that beer, i do not want the $300 plus worth of groceries sitting bagged in that cart. It is an all or none deal and scanning my license is a deal breaker"

Well this threw the clerk for a loop and she decided she needed a manager to handle this one. The manager came over and after he informed me of Walmart's policy i simply told him that i didn't care what the policy was. If Walmart wanted my business they will sell me beer without scanning my license. I don't know if he was just avoiding an embarrassing situation or agreed with me but i got my beer and my license is scan free.

I don't dislike Walmart. It is one of my favorite places. I am just tired of all the Big Brother crap that is going on. We are getting to the point where we have to show our papers. I say take a stand. When Walmart first opened in Midland TX they didn't allow people to legally carry their concealed weapon. The Texas Rifle Association boycotted the store and sent out letters to all its members. Walmart rescinded its position and now welcomes persons legally carrying their concealed weapon. We have to take a stance.