EDITORIAL: WALMART #02022 AT IT AGAIN!

 THE FOLLOWING IS AN EDITORIAL.

After my previous editorial post on the subject, you would think my local Walmart (Store #02022) would have taken steps to correct the potential safety hazards created by having pallets of merchandise out on the selling floor during store hours and avoid the risks of blocked aisles, trip hazards and other potential problems.

NOPE!

It was bad enough that I had to add an addendum to my previous post concerning the most recent incident I was aware of that the time. Then between my schedule, the Fourth of July holiday weekend and other matters, I didn't get back to Store #02022 to attempt any shopping until July 6, 2022.

GUESS WHAT ALL I SAW THEN!

I took more pictures than you can shake the proverbial stick at, and probably could have spent at least another half hour beyond the time I did trying to document every single instance.

But lets just hit a few photographic highlights.

Magazine Aisle Front

First, as usual, the magazine aisle is completely full, keeping anyone from getting in there to look at what's on the shelves, and how I usually discover the problem to begin with.

I'm not even sure whatever is in those top boxes even arrived in one piece.

This is a view of the magazine aisle from the rear.

You could enter from the front if you wanted to risk it and truly needed some scrapbooking supplies, but you wouldn't be able to get out the back way!

Magazine Aisle Rear

And speaking of the back aisle, which is what the rear of the Magazine Aisle is a part of, take a look at the picture below and see what was on my left when I turned around to leave.

To Left of Magazine Aisle's Rear

How many things do you see wrong in the picture on the right?

The pallet jack still in place for anyone to pull out.

The crushed boxes in front.

The possibly damaged merchandise both on the pallet and maybe in the display on the pallet's left as well created by its presence.

Plus the potential falling hazard of the boxes.

And if that wasn't bad enough, take a look at the other end of the Back Aisle!

The Back Aisle's Other End

Those long boxes are totally blocking that aisle on the right, plus everything else on that pallet looks like it has seen better days.

All I can guess is that either the load was put on the truck incorrectly or else something must have happened to the freight in route to the store.

I did see a few employees here and there trying to work the merchandise onto the store shelves the best they could between customers but I refused to take any pictures of them because as I have said before, the fault is with whoever authorized the pallets to be on the floor and ordered the merchandise to be dealt with during store hours, let alone didn't leave the more dangerous pallets like those in my last two cellphone taken pictures back on the Receiving Dock until they could have been dealt with more properly.

Then again, as usual, all I ever saw during my attempted shopping trip was regular employees and cashiers.

If there were any managers on duty, I never encountered them.

Now for my three personal favorite cellphone pictures from this past expedition.

Trash pallet

I guess someone forgot to collect the trash, for a quick peek showed all the boxes on this pallet were totally empty.

Infants department

This lovely pallet of merchandise is blocking an aisle in the Infants section of the store!

Note the short but haphazardly stacked collection of baby bed mattresses on top.

If they should fall...

Toys for the Toy Department

But THIS pallet is in front of the TOY DEPARTMENT!

If some child should happen to come along, let alone get curious as to what might be there...

I know times are tough right now, but I think I've more than proven my point that some common sense is seriously needed in this situation

Why not just keep the pallets in Receiving and/or the Warehouse sections of the store and use a shopping cart or some other wheeled convenience to work the merchandise on the sales floor?

It may take longer to process everything but considering it was already well after 5 PM when I walked into the store that day...

Besides, if necessary, I still have NINE MORE PHOTOS from July 6 I can share online with everyone if I have to.

Hoping a safe solution to the problem arrives soon,

Lee Houston, Junior

Editor-In-Chief: The Free Choice E-zine

July 11, 2022

THE ABOVE WAS AN EDITORIAL.