 |
 | Home | Contact Us | FAQ | Search & Site Map | Link to Us |
 | Sign In | Join | Other 45 Sites in Network |
Car Forum / Driving, Maintenance, Tuning / Driving / January 2007Yet another reason I hate DC-area drivers.
So today I'm out doing the tour of auto parts stores... I just wanted to get some engine paint and some motor oil. I hit the "Big Three" chain stores near me - AutoZone, Advance, and Pep Boys. None of them sold any kind of synthetic "fleet" oil. I actually walked out of the Advance leaving some paint and gasket sealer on the counter because the cashier literally turned away from me while I was standing at the register after I'd been patiently waiting in line for about 5 minutes to help a different customer. I have no idea why he did this, as I never heard a word of English spoken the whole time I was in the store. I guess AutoZone and the local store around the corner will be getting my business. So anyway, I have to go to Wal-Mart to get my oil. This pisses me off in several ways; first, I hate patronizing Wal-Mart, and secondly, it's about 20 miles away in Fair Lakes. So I'm already in a foul mood by the time I get close to there... anyway, I'd just gotten off of the highway (I-66, for those of you familiar with the area) onto another major, 55 MPH road (Fairfax County Parkway) where I need to merge over all the way to the left fairly quickly as I want to turn left at the next light. I do so and am in the left lane of the two-lane left turn pocket, doing about 40 MPH. To those of you not familiar with this road that may sound excessive but the turn pocket is about 1/4 mile long if not more, and other traffic around me is doing about the same speed. The left turn arrow is green so I'm not planning on slowing until I near the intersection. Suddenly, the minivan in front of me and to my right slows sharply and then flicks into my lane so quickly that I didn't even have time to think, I simply reacted by instinct. Next thing you know my tires are screaming and the car is halfway on the grass and sliding all around. I was leaning on the horn but the minivan never wavered, just filled up the space I was in half as second before and kept on going. At this point I'm livid and shaking, because from what I just saw I was deliberately run off the road for no apparent reason, and had I not been paying attention at the very least the front and passenger side of my car would have been destroyed. At the next light I find myself next to the minivan and I'm still furious, I look over at the driver and yell "WHAT THE HELL WERE YOU THINKING?" The first thing that I notice is that the driver of the minivan is wearing headphones. The next thing that I notice is that both the driver and her passenger speak English with a heavy Greek accent, and they are both shrugging and saying - get this - "other driver cut me off!" I guess I must have missed the part in Driver's Ed where being cut off by another driver absolved one of the responsibility to check one's mirrors... nate  Signaturereplace "fly" with "com" to reply. http://home.comcast.net/~njnagel > So today I'm out doing the tour of auto parts stores... I just wanted to > get some engine paint and some motor oil. I hit the "Big Three" chain [quoted text clipped - 46 lines] > replace "fly" with "com" to reply. > http://home.comcast.net/~njnagel WTF do you expect in an area where the motorists drive as they damn well please? Go into the body shop business; you will make a mint! > The first thing that I notice is that the driver of the minivan is > wearing headphones. The next thing that I notice is that both the > driver and her passenger speak English with a heavy Greek accent, and > they are both shrugging and saying - get this - "other driver cut me off!" They're probably unlicensed drivers, and using drugs. > I guess I must have missed the part in Driver's Ed where being cut off > by another driver absolved one of the responsibility to check one's > mirrors... Was there another driver in the lane, or was the Sloth simply crazy? > So anyway, I have to go to Wal-Mart to get my oil. This pisses me off > in several ways; first, I hate patronizing Wal-Mart I don't understand this.. they don't do anything the other mass retailers don't. I can understand avoiding all mass retailers but not just walmart. >, and secondly, it's > about 20 miles away in Fair Lakes. I'd never drive 20 miles to go walmart. I go to walmart because if I want some excerise I can *walk* there. Maybe a mile and half walk thanks to obstructions I have to go around. > I guess I must have missed the part in Driver's Ed where being cut off > by another driver absolved one of the responsibility to check one's > mirrors... They were lying, nobody cut them off. MFFY. >>So anyway, I have to go to Wal-Mart to get my oil. This pisses me off >>in several ways; first, I hate patronizing Wal-Mart > > I don't understand this.. they don't do anything the other mass retailers > don't. I can understand avoiding all mass retailers but not just walmart. Wal-Mart in particular is notorious for really squeezing suppliers to cut costs so that they can have the lowest prices in town. This means that they are responsible for goods not only at their own stores but elsewhere being of lower quality than they might otherwise be. Besides, I simply hate the whole Wal-Mart shopping experience. It consistently seems to be filled with herds of people walking the exact same way they drive (i.e. badly, without concern for others, and randomly stopping, blocking your way, and bumping into things for no apparent reason) with several ill-behaved children in tow. >>, and secondly, it's >>about 20 miles away in Fair Lakes. > > I'd never drive 20 miles to go walmart. I go to walmart because if I want > some excerise I can *walk* there. Maybe a mile and half walk thanks to > obstructions I have to go around. Yabbut, I don't *have* a Wal-Mart. My local equivalent is a Target and while the shopping experience there is generally equally unpleasant, the store itself doesn't rub me the wrong way as badly, so I'm not really complaining. EXCEPT that Wal-Mart is the ONLY retailer that I've found that sells Shell Rotella-T synthetic and/or Delo synthetic. I bought four gallons and two loose quarts (to carry in the cars) so I hopefully won't have to go back for a long, long time. >>I guess I must have missed the part in Driver's Ed where being cut off >>by another driver absolved one of the responsibility to check one's >>mirrors... > > They were lying, nobody cut them off. MFFY. I don't honestly know and I don't really care. nate Signaturereplace "fly" with "com" to reply. http://home.comcast.net/~njnagel Nate Nagel wrote: <brevity snip> > Wal-Mart in particular is notorious for really squeezing suppliers to > cut costs so that they can have the lowest prices in town. Yeah, right. Getting a product into the Wal-Mart distribution chain is a f.cking goldmine for many retailers. And, contrary to what you seem to believe, they could always say "no", and market their product elsewhere. Wal-Mart doesn't seek products, the manufacturers come to them, hat in hand. > This means > that they are responsible for goods not only at their own stores but > elsewhere being of lower quality than they might otherwise be. Yeah, right. That's why you found your synthetic oil at Wal-Mart when other, vehicle-specific retailers didn't even stock it. > Besides, I simply hate the whole Wal-Mart shopping experience. It > consistently seems to be filled with herds of people walking the exact > same way they drive (i.e. badly, without concern for others, and > randomly stopping, blocking your way, and bumping into things for no > apparent reason) with several ill-behaved children in tow. It's funny how people don't place you first on their list of priorities, isn't it? Bumping into things for no apparent reason?! Methinks you exaggerate, greatly. > EXCEPT that Wal-Mart is the ONLY retailer that I've found > that sells Shell Rotella-T synthetic and/or Delo synthetic. "Ain't that a bitch?"- Johnny "Guitar" Watson Re: Yet another reason I hate DC-area drivers- Just chalk it up to instant karma. ----- - gpsman > Nate Nagel wrote: <brevity snip> > [quoted text clipped - 6 lines] > elsewhere. Wal-Mart doesn't seek products, the manufacturers come to > them, hat in hand. And then the mfgrs. find out a few years later that they've made a bargain with the Devil, so to speak. >>This means >>that they are responsible for goods not only at their own stores but >>elsewhere being of lower quality than they might otherwise be. > > Yeah, right. That's why you found your synthetic oil at Wal-Mart when > other, vehicle-specific retailers didn't even stock it. I can't explain that; I'll be having words with the good independent FLAPS the next time I stop in. >>Besides, I simply hate the whole Wal-Mart shopping experience. It >>consistently seems to be filled with herds of people walking the exact [quoted text clipped - 5 lines] > priorities, isn't it? Bumping into things for no apparent reason?! > Methinks you exaggerate, greatly. You obviously have never shopped in this area. I have never met such a pack of ill-bred people in my life. They literally run right into you and/or park their shopping carts in the middle of the aisle, and I can never tell if they're apologizing or cursing me when they bother to speak at all because the vast majority of the offenders don't even speak English. >>EXCEPT that Wal-Mart is the ONLY retailer that I've found >>that sells Shell Rotella-T synthetic and/or Delo synthetic. [quoted text clipped - 6 lines] > > - gpsman Not sure what your point is, but going on past experiences, I'm just going to assume that you're being an a.shole. nate Signaturereplace "fly" with "com" to reply. http://home.comcast.net/~njnagel > Wal-Mart in particular is notorious for really squeezing suppliers to > cut costs so that they can have the lowest prices in town. This means > that they are responsible for goods not only at their own stores but > elsewhere being of lower quality than they might otherwise be. Many corporations do this. Vendors eventually respond by not doing business with them or going under. Walmart simply has it in the news. A number of good vendors that I liked to have tool up my parts have been driven away or under by the practices of a company I worked for. I would be SHOCKED if home depot, target, kmart, sears, etc weren't doing the same thing. Sears killed the die-hard name going for the lowest cost supplier (exide). The only thing that probably keeps craftsman hand tools made in the USA is that they know if they went with a supplier in China the sales would approach zero overnight. I know home depot does because some of the products I work on now are sold there. Currently trying to do a balancing act where I use a higher quality vendor with looser tolerances to get close to the same cost but a stronger and more durable part all said and done. > Besides, I simply hate the whole Wal-Mart shopping experience. It > consistently seems to be filled with herds of people walking the exact > same way they drive (i.e. badly, without concern for others, and > randomly stopping, blocking your way, and bumping into things for no > apparent reason) with several ill-behaved children in tow. That's every store around here. Well target is usually nearly empty when I go there which is nice, but target doesn't usually have what I need which is bad. For groceries I go to small independents. One store the isles and such are really too small for carts to be practical given the typical number of customers. I use a hand basket... but you get the idiots pushing carts as badly and as rudely without any conern there are other people in the universe as they drive. >>Wal-Mart in particular is notorious for really squeezing suppliers to >>cut costs so that they can have the lowest prices in town. This means [quoted text clipped - 15 lines] > looser tolerances to get close to the same cost but a stronger and more > durable part all said and done. I am sure that that is the case. However, Wal-Mart is so big, that when a company signs on with them, Wal-Mart is generally their biggest customer. Therefore they can put even more pressure on them than you'd think. Apparently Levi Strauss has decontented their product specifically for Wal-Mart and gone completely offshore, also probably due in large part to Wal-Mart and also one pickle company nearly went under - I think maybe Vlasic? - due to Wal-Mart. Those are just examples... > > [quoted text clipped - 13 lines] > as badly and as rudely without any conern there are other people in the > universe as they drive. Yup, grocery stores are the absolute worst. I try to avoid that duty whenever possible as I usually end up returning home full of hatred for my fellow man. nate Signaturereplace "fly" with "com" to reply. http://home.comcast.net/~njnagel >> So anyway, I have to go to Wal-Mart to get my oil. This pisses me off >> in several ways; first, I hate patronizing Wal-Mart > > I don't understand this.. they don't do anything the other mass retailers > don't. Ask the workers. >>> So anyway, I have to go to Wal-Mart to get my oil. This pisses me off >>> in several ways; first, I hate patronizing Wal-Mart [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > > Ask the workers. Retail jobs are shitty, even the union one I had when I was in HS. Comparing that job to minimum wage then and what it required and doing the same with walmart today, walmart would come out way ahead. Nate Nagel <njnagel@flycast.net> said in rec.autos.driving: >I actually walked out of the Advance >leaving some paint and gasket sealer on the counter because the cashier [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] >word of English spoken the whole time I was in the store. I guess >AutoZone and the local store around the corner will be getting my business. Heh heh - I've done the same thing. I especially hate it when some shithead clerk walked away from her register and takes her break even though there are 20 people standing in line. Droids who pull this move should be fired on the spot - you can take your break AFTER you clear the rush, BITCH! >At the next light I find >myself next to the minivan and I'm still furious, I look over at the [quoted text clipped - 8 lines] >by another driver absolved one of the responsibility to check one's >mirrors... Monkey See, Monkey Do... SignatureI'm a wreckless driver and damn proud of it! |
Reply to this Message |
 Sign In
 Join
 My Latest Posts My Monitored Threads My Blog My Photo Gallery My Profile My Homepage Start New Thread Enable EMail Alerts Rate this Thread
|
©2008 Advenet LLC Privacy Policy - Terms of Use
This website includes both content owned or controlled by Advenet as well as content owned or controlled by third parties.