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Wal-Mart Incident Today

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ThomasMcKean

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So as I was leaving Wal-Mart today, I picked up my radio and told the employees that a customer was leaving happy and to please have a good night.

The manager then approached me and said if I ever did that again, he was going to ban me from the store.

The frequency was 154.570 - a public MURS band frequency broadcast at a low power of 1 watt.

Just a little true story that happened to me today.
 

gewecke

Completely Banned for the Greater Good
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How did the mgr know it was you?
Even though you were on a murs ch. many of the corporate clan have little to no idea they are on a shared service with the public. Back when I worked at walmart years ago, I had the pleasure of educating my dept mgr how it works.
Even found them a cheaper source for batteries, and that's where bentonville gets them now. :)

73,
n9zas
 

n5ims

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What did you expect would happen? This is (to them at any rate) similar to you entering the store through their delivery only entrance and although you weren't attempting to do anything improper (I assume at least) would get a negative response from them. On your next visit, do you plan to pick up one of the employee phones and page throughout the store "Clean-up on isle 5"?
 

gewecke

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What did you expect would happen? This is (to them at any rate) similar to you entering the store through their delivery only entrance and although you weren't attempting to do anything improper (I assume at least) would get a negative response from them. On your next visit, do you plan to pick up one of the employee phones and page throughout the store "Clean-up on isle 5"?

Funny you should mention that... #97 is page on many of the walmart phones! :lol:
If you see someone you know you can tell them, their vehicle is ready in TLE. (tire,lube & express)


73,
n9zas
 
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ThomasMcKean

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There was no doubt in my mind when I posted this that some of yew would take my side and some would take Wal-Mart's. I just thought that since it really did happen, it might make for good conversation....as long as we keep it civil.... :)
 

ThomasMcKean

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Funny you should mention that... #97 is page on many of the walmart phones! :lol:
If you see someone you know you can tell them, their vehicle is ready in TLE. (tire,lube & express)


73,
n9zas

I am already tempted enough by the public frequency. I do not need further tempting by the #97 number! :)
 

gewecke

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There was no doubt in my mind when I posted this that some of yew would take my side and some would take Wal-Mart's. I just thought that since it really did happen, it might make for good conversation....as long as we keep it civil.... :)

SO, how did the mgr know it was you he heard?

73,
n9zas
 

wb4wdu

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Clanton, Alabama
One night after looking for my wife in Walmart for what seemed like hours. I saw one of there workers pick up a phone and page someone. I noticed the paging code and a few minutes later I picked up a phone and paged my wife." Dorothy, get to the car, I am tired of waiting on you!"... I slept on the sofa for about a week after that.
 

SCPD

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Not much going on in Bedford, eh? Seems like you're creating conflict where it simply doesn't need to be. Sure, your action was legal. Was it really necessary on your part? You know you were instigationg, or at least inserting yourself into their world for your own amusement, in my opinion.

But like I said, slow news day in Bedford...
 

gewecke

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One night after looking for my wife in Walmart for what seemed like hours. I saw one of there workers pick up a phone and page someone. I noticed the paging code and a few minutes later I picked up a phone and paged my wife." Dorothy, get to the car, I am tired of waiting on you!"... I slept on the sofa for about a week after that.

Only did that once at my hometown walmart, to get my wife to come over to the lingerie dept! :wink:

73,
n9zas
 

ThomasMcKean

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Not much going on in Bedford, eh? Seems like you're creating conflict where it simply doesn't need to be. Sure, your action was legal. Was it really necessary on your part? You know you were instigationg, or at least inserting yourself into their world for your own amusement, in my opinion.

But like I said, slow news day in Bedford...

Yeah that's one of the problems of living in a small town. EVERY day is a slow news day. :)
 

ThomasMcKean

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SO, how did the mgr know it was you he heard?

73,
n9zas

Good question. I dunno? He musta seen me cuz he was right there before I got out the door. I was walking towards the door when I said good night but before I got there, then there he was! I mighta still had the radio in my hand at that point as well. It isn't like I had much time to put it away...

I could see it if maybe I was screaming and yelling the F word into the radio, but heck I was being NICE!
 

canav844

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The manager of a store can ban you because they don't like the color of your shirt. But I'd look up WalMart's national customer service line and contact them, about how a happy customer thanked the staff and the manager made it an unhappy experience.

If you want to play ball, I don't think there's anything wrong with making the same MURS channel the equivalent of FRS CH1 between conversations, if the frequency is not in use on a shared band. Don't interfere, don't jam, don't broadcast; just keep it busy with chit chat that has nothing to do with walmart as you travel about town, to and from their property but not on/in it. You may just convince them to get a license afterall, which is nominal overhead for them; and then it's illegal to thank them. Or they ban scanners from there stores and ask their greeter to refuse entry to anyone seen with one the same way the police for video cameras. There used to be a time you could go into stores like walmart go to the scanner display turn the radio to one of the store frequencies turn the volume up and wait; now they really only seem to carry scanners online.
 

Thayne

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With all the depressing stuff nowadays, frivolous things like this make the days brighter.
Just don't get in the habit too much as I have found it is human nature to visit the well too often:p
 

gewecke

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I take my talkie in there with me all the time to eavesdrop but I keep it under wraps so video cams don't even see it. I follow the same practice if I have my pro-106 as well because There is always a city cop in there too with one of their walmart talkies due to all of the riff raff that come in.
This is a large city where anything happens quite often! Walmart isn't any exception,lol!

73,
n9zas
 

kpoe_28

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Kennett Missouri
Not saying that I've ever done this........ ;) go up there with a radio that has a scrambler like a puxing PX888 and start talking to them, That will REALLY get them going LOL
 

ThomasMcKean

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Thanks for the responses so far both positive and negative. Some of the suggestions on the messages here border on harrassment. Shame on yew. :) Tempted as I am due to the idiot manager, it also goes against everything I believe radio should be. (See note below.)

My intention is NOT to stir up trouble. I just wanna say HELLO and GOOD-BYE and maybe occasionally ask where a specific product is that I might be looking for. Personally, I would think Wal-Mart would welcome this. I did chat with employees in the Lynchburg, VA store and they were very friendly and helpful. But unfortunately the guy in Bedford where I live seems to have an ego problem or be on a power trip. But as Canav844 said above, it is his right to ban me if he sees fit. Indeed, I am sure it is part of his very job description!

As for checking in with national customer service, that has already been done. A few hours ago I wrote the following to them:

-------
Hello, Wal-Mart.

I just wanted to send a quick note about an employee, DAVID, who appears to be managing the Wal-Mart store in Bedford, VA. Since as far as I know, there is only one Wal-Mart in Bedford, it should be easy to find.

Know first that I am a loyal customer who has been shopping at this store for over 10 years and I have given thousands upon thousands of dollars to your store in that time for groceries and other good and services. That said, today while I was shopping, I was checking out at register 15. I pulled out a little hand held radio and said, "Attention Wal-Mart. This is a happy customer leaving Wal-Mart. Please have a good night."

Now the only people who heard this are the employees at Wal-Mart who happened to be carrying radios. The frequency was 154.570 - which is a public unlicensed frequency. To be more technical, I was broadcasting at a power output of 1 watt, which is half the legal limit.

This man, DAVID, then approached me and told me that if I did it again, I would be BANNED from the store.

If I was yelling and screaming the F word over the radio, then maybe I could see it. But being NICE to the employees and saying good night? On a LEGAL frequency? Is this truly grounds to be BANNED from Wal-Mart?

This man wants to ban me for being NICE to employees in your store and I feel this is WRONG. Again, if I was being disruptive, then I could see it. But I have not been, and never will be, because it goes against everything I believe radio is all about.

Please consider having a talk with this man. Because to ban (or even threaten to ban) a loyal 10 year customer only for saying "good night" is pretty much the opposite of good customer service.

Thanks for your attention in this matter.

If you have a moment, please click here...

Appearance on Oprah - Thomas A. McKean's Media Gallery

..for a report the Oprah Winfrey Show did on me, featuring that very same Bedford Wal-Mart location.

Thomas
-------

Whether the Oprah link will help or hurt is yet to be known. But it is valid and y'all are welcome to see me make a brief appearance on Oprah at the Wal-Mart in question should yew want to. Just click the link.

I am certainly not expecting a favorable response, but who knows what will happen? My guess is that Wal-Mart will switch to a licensed business frequency and that will be the end of it.
 

kf5qgf

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Feb 12, 2012
Messages
145
Location
Olive Branch, MS
I'm sure FCC part 97 applies to this situation. Part 97.101(d) states: (d) No amateur operator shall willfully or maliciously interfere with or cause interference to any radio communication or signal. Now I'm not saying that the manager was in the right, nor am I saying you were in the wrong, but public frequency or not, if you know it's in use by wal-mart, perhaps so restraint. Like using a repeater in the ham bands, while I could just talk over everyone and pump in 50 watts from a mile away, common courtesy, and part 97, section 101, paragraph d, states that i need to play fair to others in the radio world.

Craig
KF5QGF
 
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