Posted on 08/26/2012 3:34:53 PM PDT by ConservativeInPA
I decided to do some local sporting goods shopping this afternoon before I headed to the gun club. I went to Bass Pro to look for a sling and rifle case for the AR-15A3 that I built Saturday evening. I found the rifle case that I wanted, but no luck finding a sling. As I checked out at Bass Pro, the cashier asked me for my phone number. I firmly said, "No thank you." The cashier typed in a bogus phone number and then asked if wanted to give $2.00 to some charity. Again, a firm, "No thank you." Lastly I was asked if I had a rewards card, "No". Followed by, "Do you want one?" Again, I firmly replied, "No thank you".
I go to Bass Pro a couple times a month. I know the drill. I don't like the questions. I am not going give the cashier a hard time, it's not her fault. But I am not going to appear to be happy, because I want them to know my shopping experience was less than perfect.
Since I didn't find the sling at Bass Pro I went to Dick's Sporting Goods as it was almost on the way to the range. Dick's had an adequate sling with price. It wasn't worth burning time and gas to look elsewhere or to pay extra for shipping for a purchase on the Internet.
So after waiting entirely too long to check out, the cashier asked me for my birthdate. I said, "No". There wasn't a thank you associated with my reply. She said, "You purchase is age restricted." I replied, "I am old enough to be your father." The cashier insisted by saying, "If you don't provide a birthdate, I can not approve your purchase." I retorted, allowing others in line to hear my dismay, "It's a gun sling, there's no law that requires me to provide you with my age." She was stunned that I stood up to protect my privacy and didn't say a thing. I then provided a false birthdate, "4-1-1912" and said "Dick's just lost a customer." My purchase was approved, and some other customers that were swift enough to figure out I wasn't 100 years old and born on April Fools Day had a bit of a laugh. The cashier was completely astonished. Note: I noticed a month or so ago that Dick's started recording birthdates for ammo purchases. There's a law associated with that, but it does not required Dick's to enter your birthday into their computers. I wasn't happy with that and I don't like the law either. I think my children of driving age should be able to buy ammo and go shooting when they want without dad tagging along. They know what they are doing. They have been around guns their entire lives, and are safer than many people on the range.
“I hate “rewards cards” and “club cards” and try to shop at stores that don’t use them.”
Ditto. BUT... If you use a credit/debit card, they’re following you just as much.
It’s fun to put together your own stuff. I think some people don’t realize it’s not that difficult.
The discount the card gives is the reward the store offers in exchange for your marketing data.
Safeway (locally) had a “Club Card” but recently launched a “Just for U” card program which offers additional discounts over and above those of the “Club Card.” I guess the “Club Card” wasn’t paying its own way.
PA law doesn’t require id to buy alcohol. It is illegal to sell to a minor, and it is recommended that anyone who looks under thirty be carded. If you sell to a minor, you are screwed.
Correct. I won't make the same mistake again. They lost a customer and they know it. They won't see a penny from me, and all to many people, particularly through my gun club, will hear my story and will avoid Dick's.
By the way, I am like a elephant, I remember not to do something, but I might not remember all the details. Years ago, I think it was the early 90's, K-Mart stopped selling handguns or something gun related and made a big deal out of it because it was thing to do. It was on the news on TV and in the papers. I don't recall the actual thing they did, but I assume they wanted to increase their business at the expense of gun rights. They lost a customer in me. They haven't seen any business from me since then.
“Ask David. He was underage as well.”
By the way, Goliath was from the Gaza Strip...and they are still a thorn in the side of Israel...we, or they, need some more Davids’.
Please keep in mind these cashiers are making $10 an hour or so and only doing the job that is asked of them. Don’t expect them to care about your rights.
Next time ask for a manager and give them the complaint.
I try to not get too upset about these things especially when the cashier has no alternative but to do so.
I do remember one time when I got irritated and have never set foot in that store again.
I was passing by the Piggly Wiggly store in Geneva, Alabama and noticed one of those portable signs had something I needed advertised at a very good price. I decided to go ahead and get it.
When I got to the item I was surprised that it was at that price only with a $20 extra food order. Well I was irritated as the sign had said nothing about the extra thing you had to do for that price. Really dishonest imo.
Anyway I did need a few other items such as paper towels etc. and put them in the cart. When it came time to check out I didn’t quite have the extra $20 purchase. I tried to explain to the cashier who just happened to be a manager, that I had just come in because I saw the sign and had no idea of the other requirements. I also told him I considered that as bait and switch, but I said it in a pleasant way.
He just stared at me. I asked if I could still have it at the sale price especially since I had made an attempt to comply and was just short. He just said “you need $20 additional purchase”.
I said OK and just left the cart and the items on the checkout line. I walked out and have never been back.
Sorry, it was a slip-up on my part. Clicked in the wrong spot in my reply, and accidentally sent it to you instead of it’s intended.
Second post was to try and rectify the first mistake.
Apologies again.
Don’t blame the cashier; she very likely needs the job to survive, and cannot afford to chance any disciplinary action.
“...those newfangled “cartridge” fountain pens...”
I had a fountain pen, but it had to be filled from a bottle of ink. Never forget the time I spilled a bottle of ink in the on the carpet in the middle of the living room. But we had a neighbor who owned a dry cleaners; dad called him and got it all out, no stain...and I did not get my butt beat. :)
Hey, I’m 67, and get carded frequently.
I don’t know if it’s a joke, but I have broken out laughing numerous times, and the clerks look so puzzled at my laughter. It’s a strange world we live in.
It's not that difficult, although I ran into a couple problems with my build yesterday, I enjoyed the problem solving aspect. I had a CMMG selector that wasn't to mil spec. Darn thing wouldn't budge when the hammer was activated. I went through all kinds of dis-assembly and reassembly, until I tried a left over selector from my last build where I upgraded the selector in my LPK with an ambi-selector. The switch worked. In the process, my fingers gained some muscle memory that will make future builds so much easier.
I think I turned a guy on to building his own at the range today. He was looking at buying a S&W Sportster until I let him shoot my A3. When I told him that the cost wasn't any different to put an adjustable stock on the weapon that an A2 stock, he was sold. If I recall correctly the S&W didn't have rails. So it really isn't much different than an A3.
He was a young guy with good eyes and did a better at shooting than me with iron sights. Very nice kid, and he confirmed that I can still sight-in a weapon with my old and tired eyes. He shot just after I finished sighting-in the weapon. His groups were tighter than mine, under 1 MOA at 100 yards. By the way, I used the RIBZ method for the first time for sighting-in the weapon. That was the real highlight of my day ... having a set of young eyes and a good shooter to confirm my work.
Then I guess Limburger would be a WMD.
I buy smokes at Walgreens all the time and have never been asked for an ID. It wouldn’t do them any good to swipe mine the magnetic strip was erased when it got too close to a powerful magnet.
It does not anymore.Wait till you have to get a new drivers licence.
};)
You laugh, but I guarantee one of their legal weasels told them they’d face liability if some teenaged twit burned down his house with sparklers or died from “huffing” the spray can contents....
Reread my post. I wasn't polite. I didn't say, "thank you". She didn't say, "please". Her job required her to ask me for a piece of private information, that I wasn't going to give. So what if she works for a living. She probably goes to high school with my daughter. My story was discussed at dinner with my children. Both of which have customer service jobs. They got it.
I am really surprised at the number (few, but too many) people that don't have the gumption to deny personal information to a business that would put them at risk of identity theft, even if it made a kid uncomfortable for a minute. That discomfort was meant to be a message to Dick's.
This is how kids grow up. They get real jobs, they deal with real problems. This girl can or will be able to vote one day. She needs real world situations. She certainly doesn't get the perspective that I gave her from her teachers and from TV. It is completely hideous that I had to give my birth date to buy a gun sling. Given Dick's policies, she probably thinks that anything gun related is evil.
I will continue to protect my private information and my 2nd and 4th Amendment rights, even if it hurts people's feelings. That is better than letting things go too far and having to physically defend our freedoms and liberties. The crux of political correctness is making people silent as their rights are stolen.
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