Now I'm Just Fucking Mad.

I need to start this off by acknowledging and letting the readers know that I may get fired for writing this. But it needs to be done.

I've tried being nice. The world needs desperately to know what it's like working for Walmart, especially during this pandemic. I've tried censoring myself but after today's events at work I can no longer stay silent or write in fear of retaliation. Enough is fucking enough.

Working for Walmart is no picnic when there ISN'T a pandemic. Working on the sales floor during this breakout is what I imagine hell would be like, sans having a heavy period.

Being extremely late to the party, Walmart hasn't done much in the way of protecting us. 'Too little, too late' would be a good phrase to use. Just like our country's leadership, Walmart has rolled out half-assed precautions too late. At first, the customers would come in masses a load up carts full of water, toilet paper, paper towels, etc. This went on for at least a week before the company started putting limits on things. Then they adjusted store hours which is probably one of the best things they've done. Then I saw social distancing stickers on the floor and the first thing I thought to myself was, "these fucking people don't look up at the signs, what makes Walmart think they'll look at stickers on the fucking floor?!". Then they started to let only a certain amount of customers in at a time. This is shit. Walmart says so many people per 1,000 square feet but you can't use measurements like that because all the customers go to the same two areas- grocery and toiletries. Social distancing is impossible in my store. Today I was stuck in the baking aisle for ten minutes....TEN!

You see, I'm an online grocery shopper. This is what every customer SHOULD be doing. Unfortunately, we are only operating with half our staff because of the virus. Our amount of picks is way too much for us to handle on a good day. When there are too many people in the aisles I face a choice, do I want to put myself at risk and get close to these people in order to get an item on my list or do I want to stand there six feet away and wait another five minutes for Karen to choose between cherry or lime jello?

The measures have been trickling in over the course of two months. Today was the first day they starting taking our temperatures. They ask a few questions about symptoms then take our temps. If you get a 100 you get sent home. Makes me wish I had it.

My job is timed. Orders must be picked in a timely manner so that when the customer gets to us everything runs smoothly- they get their order and can leave in a timely manner. But this influx of people who obviously don't give a shit about anyone else but themselves hinders our job immensely. If they did give a shit they'd be fucking home.

Then I get customers coming up to me way too close and when I back away they get offended. Excuse you. I don't know what you might be carrying and I don't want to take it home to my father that has a heart condition, diabetes, and skin cancer. Don't get offended, get away!

When random people touch anything on my cart I hide it away. Some 'lady' got mad when I took my produce bags off the cart and put them inside my tote. Screw you lady. I don't know where your hands have been and there are plenty of produce bags all around the fucking department!

I've been threatened physically by a 'lady' who claims I got too close to her. Bitch, go home then. I have to be at work, you do not have to be out of your house. The associates have the right of way because, at this time, WE ARE ESSENTIAL, you have been ordered by our governor to stay home unless absolutely necessary and I'm sure you don't need more cookies since I've seen you three times this week!

Then you have the people that are just hanging out in sporting goods playing with the basketballs. Do I really have to say it?

There are always the customers in the toy department picking out toys for their bored children. Oh, my god. Learn to use your brain. Invent a game. I overhear them saying, "oh, my kids are driving me crazy" to the other parents browsing in toy department. Imagine what the teachers must feel like.

I love all the dumb questions too. That's my favorite part of the day. Everyday is the same thing- where's your toilet paper?, do you have any toilet paper?, do you know when you'll get some in?, when is your next shipment?, can you check in the back?

No.

I can tell you where it should be, if we had any. If we'll ever have any again. Don't ask us when that will be, ask the manufacturers themselves. Ask them what they're doing with all their toilet paper, then shut up.

I call these dumb questions because you don't NEED to ask us these questions. We have SIGNS for all that shit. Unless it's something obscure like Madagascan pine nut paste, then using your eyes and common sense will get you there eventually. And for god's sake PLEEEEEASE do not come straight in the store and go to the first person that works there that you see where something is, that is what signs are for. If you really can't find something after searching for it then yes we're happy to help but bothering us for every little thing on your list not only wastes our time but yours as well because what if we don't know where it is?

*GASP! I know, it's Walmart- we're supposed to have everything, all the time, forever, always and everyone that works there is supposed to know where everything is in the store and how much it is, off the tops of our heads. That's fucking impossible. Unless we all had photographic memories...and then we definitely wouldn't be working there.

I had a 'lady', and that's being EXTREMELY generous, more like a ratchet, raggedy, old....thing. Anyway, I was doing my job, shopping for a customer that actually is practicing social distancing well, when a customer comes around the corner and asks where something is. We were in the general area of it, it was literally a few feet away, so I pointed over my shoulder and told her very politely that it was most likely in one of the sections behind me. She walked by me and with disdain said,

"Well, you're VERY helpful"

"You're welcome!"

"You're just a bitch," trying to get the attention of other customers, "everyone that works here are bitches."

By this time there are at least two other ladies caught in the crossfire, bad for them because this thing not only just called me a bitch but my hardworking associates. I was beyond fed up. The kind of fed up that comes with 17 years of pent up fury. So I went off. I whirled around to face her as the steam started to rise,

"You do NOT need to call me that! That is totally uncalled for. I can't do your shopping for you too while I'm already shopping for someone else!"

"I bet if you needed it, you'd find it!"

"Damn right I would find it because I look for things myself when I go shopping! I'm self-sufficient!"

Then she proceeded to tell me I'm lucky I still have a job to which I replied yes I am. Then, fumbling over her words she actually had the nerve to say, you should be glad you're not dead. EXCUSE me?!

This whole time she is complaining to anyone who'll listen- other customers, who look at her like she has Covid-19, and associates who just shake their heads and back away. I know we're going through a crisis right now and tensions are high but that is absolutely no excuse for her nasty behavior.

And I let her know.

I've never, EVER been called a name while working. NEVER. This customer picked the wrong person.

I heard from my manager, who she complained to, that she was a regular that ALWAYS asked for a manager to complain to about anything, the littlest things too. She said as soon as she saw her she thought, "oh here we go".

The two women who were caught in the crossfire both told me not to worry about her and thanked me for even coming to work. Customers aren't all bad, I know. It's just when you get a bad one, you get a BAD one. And you can't forget it because their behavior is not right.

When I was caught in the baking aisle for ten minutes I had a nice conversation with a co-worker. Unfortunately, he had some bad experiences too. Somebody called him a son of a bitch because he wasn't able to get out of her way, this man is elderly too and super nice to everyone. Then as we were talking, instead of saying 'excuse me' like a normal person, this lady barrels through and hits him with her cart. Doesn't say anything, doesn't even acknowledge his presence. Shame.

This is what we live with, what we deal with. The combination of Walmart not protecting us, not having our backs, not lightening the workload or giving us support or help to deal, and the nastiness of some customers steals our souls. When I get home I am EXHAUSTED. I don't want to do anything. Then you realize you have to go back and do it all again tomorrow for a pittance. I'm not even going to get started about the pay...

I don't see these half measures helping at all. I don't see a mandatory quarantine. I don't see an end. All I see is cases of Coronavirus deaths going up. I also see everyone in my store getting sick because who knows what these customers are bringing in with them. Just stay home. It's not hard. You literally have to do nothing. Just wake up.

Some are not fortunate enough to do that...because they contracted the disease.