I know facts are the last thing any of you really care about, but I'll attempt to inject a couple just in case.
First, Chairboy, Wal Mart does have Loss Prevention people. Thats all they do. They wear plainclothes, they watch cameras, and they go out in the stores and follow potential shoplifters and try to catch them. Because of lawsuits, they have to cross all their T's and dot all their I's, everything has to be perfect. I think their SYSTEM needs to be better managed, but the people doing the work try. It's just dang near impossible with the restraints they have. The other things are there as roadblocks. Wal Mart's system is, put as many things in the way of a potential shoplifter as possible, and make it not worth the time and effort to get away with. Thats why some of them have switched to trying to run cons on the workers, and get someone to stop them without any merchandise on them so they can sue. I do agree with your comments on the health care though. They once had excellent insurance benefits, but those are largely gone now.
Sandman, you'd be surprised just how few cameras there really are in a Wal Mart store. All those black domes you see are there so you dont know where the cameras REALLY are. Most of the store is covered, yes. But only minimally so, the most coverage is in the likely spots. Watching the cashiers, the jewelry dept, electronics, and sporting goods (esp. if they sell guns). Entrances and exits have cameras. Probably one in the management office. All the rest of those "domes" are empty. They are just there to keep you guessing. Ever heard those announcements on the PA "Security switch cameras to zones 2, 5 and 9" or something like that? Heh. They dont "switch" cameras. They made it up. Its so potential shoplifters think someone has spotted them and they are switching the cameras to cover them. You are no more surveilled at Wal Mart than you are at the local 7-11. You just feel that way because Wal Mart is a convenient target for your ire. Mostly their fault, because they no longer try to cultivate their customers. A little bad press, one or two bad experiences, and suddenly everythign they do gets more scrutiny from you and a bad rap. Just sayin. They need to get their heads out of their butts for sure, but they arent as bad as you make them.
