Shelves in Walmart stores in Springhill and Mansfield, LA were reportedly cleared Saturday night, when the stores allowed purchases on EBT cards even though they were not showing limits. The chaos that followed ultimately required intervention from local police, and left behind numerous carts filled to overflowing, apparently abandoned when the glitch-spurred shopping frenzy ended.
Springhill Police Chief Will Lynd confirms they were called in to help the employees at Walmart because there were so many people clearing off the shelves. He says Walmart was so packed, “It was worse than any black Friday” that he’s ever seen.
Lynd explained the cards weren’t showing limits and they called corporate Walmart, whose spokesman said to let the people use the cards anyway. From 7 to 9 p.m., people were loading up their carts, but when the cards began showing limits again around 9, one woman was detained because she rang up a bill of $700.00 and only had .49 on her card. She was held by police until corporate Walmart said they wouldn’t press charges if she left the food. Lynd says at 9 p.m., when the cards came back online and it was announced over the loud speaker, people just left their carts full of food in the aisles and left.
“Just about everything is gone, I’ve never seen it in that condition,” said Mansfield Walmart customer Anthony Fuller.
Walmart employees could still be seen putting food from the carts away as late as Sunday afternoon. “I was just thinking, I’m so glad my mom doesn’t work here [Walmart] anymore, that’s the only thing I could think about, those employees working, that would have to restock all that stuff,” said O.J Evans who took cell phone video of the overflowing shopping carts at the Mansfield Walmart.
Evans believes it was natural human reaction that led people to fill up their carts during the glitch, but Walmart shoppers Stan and Judy Garcia feel very differently. “That’s plain theft, that’s stealing that’s all I got to say about it,” said Garcia.
I would expect this type of behavior in a real emergency….this doesn’t qualify. How about setting an $100.00 limit until the system returns, wouldn’t that make more sense?
That’s what happens when you throw a bunch of leaches a bucket of blood. They suck it up until it is all gone.
Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) is an electronic system that automates the delivery, redemption, and reconciliation of issued public assistance benefits. /// So…isn’t the real story here that Obama is using Wallmart Management to run his healthcare program?
This polar thinking is always amusing to watch FU in action. Call me bobbo who thinks there is nothing wrong with child porn but I’d think the humanitarian concerns of WM which were and are Laudible were crippled by this lack of judgment reflected in my own name.
Why not say “Your card is not showing limits so we can only honor it up to $30 max.” That would be 2-3 days worth of food and time for the glitch to clear.
Call me a child predator for being reasonable.
Ha, ha.
Sorry McCullough–I stopped reading before the end.
Goes to show what has been true all along: bobbo is a fiscal conservative. I could never be as liberal as you. $100?????? My my. You be letting these trailer trash live pretty high on the hog.
Maybe we could compromise in the middle….. or just bring out our guns?
How are you going to feed 12 – 13 kids on $30.00?
Sparingly.
…………..next.
(In)Human Centipede??
http://youtube.com/watch?v=sglZGSwK6ow
Probably the Elbonia Mud Eating people from Dilbert is a closer fit. I love SP though. Love how Chef quit the show when his own chestnuts got roasted.
I personally dislike Wal Mart for their products selection and poor customer service
Feel better?
Need more proof that you’re government can’t save you? Hmmm?
Wanna think for even 2 minutes and post your correction?
2 seconds, same conclusion….always.
Nothing in this issue raises the issue of being “saved” by the government other than the programs that use EBT–yes, those programs DO save people.
Maybe by “you” you mean me and you? But I DO feel better about my society when I know a minimum safety net is out there to protect those who need the help. I would not like being on those programs myself, so I do not envy those who can’t make their way otherwise. Why do you?==if you do??
The main import of the story is not that there was a failure of the EBT system for a few hours which happens ALL THE TIME for anyone using electronic anything, but rather Walmarts response. Walmart was well motivated but incompetent in execution. compare and contrast how that matches your own character and skills?
You were challenged to think—not just respond.
Try.
There’s them’s that need, and them’s that want.
Learn the difference.
Everybody wants.
Only a minority of folks qualify for the programs at issue here.
Did I miss anything. fyi==I haven’t missed that you did not address the utter self centered inanity of your original and following post. You most recent above is a good start on a different conversation.
You got potential. Did you get enough protein during your wonder years?
You know, I’d love to argue with you, but I need to get back to work, pay my taxes, so your EBT card can buy you plenty of Beer and Doritos.
+1
All I know about Walmart, besides having some of the lowest prices around (but not on everything). That during the Christmas shopping season, they hire temps who like to short change the customers a dollar, every so often. They’re counting on the pressure of the long lines, that you won’t notice or make a fuss if you do. I let this pass, last year. I won’t let it pass this year. I’m sure these dishonest temp cashiers just pocket the extra dollars, so the cash drawer count isn’t higher than it should be. And the stores aren’t doing anything about it, if these counts aren’t incorrect. Even if their overhead cameras can see them cheating. Only if enough customers complained about a particular cashier, too often. But a couple bucks a day, probably goes unnoticed, in the grand scheme of Walmart.
In the past, I had issues with Walmart posting the wrong price on shelved items. And charging the correct, higher, price at the checkout. Hoping you wouldn’t notice it going on a charge card. That’s when I stopped going there, for a few years. And I guess they got the message, because they vastly improved things. And a pricing problem rarely seems to happen anymore. If it weren’t for the traffic and cramped parking lot. I’d shop there more often. But it’s even harder to get to, for me, than a local KMart.
I’ve shopped WM for their longer than most return policy on electronic items. I don’t quite spend enough for Costco to make sense although most likely when I buy my next Big Screen I will rejoin Costco for that reason alone.
Pity the poor and be glad you don’t cheat people for a few dollars here and there. Its like tipping, you know?
The working poor. Lets push on the boot that is already on their throats. They don’t work hard enough I tells ya.
Way to go! SUPPORT CHINA!
Kill your local economy (if it isn’t dead already) and shop where you can get the best price on that Chinese television or playthings for junior (which are laced with lead).
Walmart truly is an AMERICAN company!
Walmart should be held responsible for every cent of this and not go looking to the taxpayers to make it good since they knew there was a problem and authorized the sales anyway.
Not unlike the Bankers and Brokers LOOTING THE US ECONOMY !!!
Are you kidding me?!
Those Bankers and Brokers can’t do a damn thing without CUSTOMERS!
Now, do I have to point out (ignorant, conceited, arrogant) VOTERS in this whole mess too? Or can you start to see the real problem? (I’m betting the answer is, no.)
Erm, sorry for pointing out the bleeding obvious, but if you read the article and look over the pictures, isn’t it just *really sad* that people in the richest country in the world were trying to buy *food* because of this glitch?
As the police had to be called in, this classifies as a “riot” so how about re-posting the article as “Food riot in Louisiana caused by EBT glitch”?
Sad indeed…
If they could have purchased HDTVs with the card they would have. I’m guessing they can only buy food with them.
Wal-Mart is being held accountable and they have to eat the loss, at least the MSM is reporting it that way this morning.
The only reason the people did this is because they are thieves and leeches. They heard through word of mouth on their fucking Obomba phones that they could get free food, so they did.
Wal-Mart is being held accountable, and for the cost of the food that walked out the door, they get a ton of MSM coverage (free advertising) and social media sympathy from folks who think these poor people “took advantage of little ol’ Walmart and would steal anything they could” – well played, Walmart.
Good point Brendon… clever PR on Walmart’s part.
All of you are forgetting as THE biggest retailer they get to deduct the losses from corporate taxes, in addition to the free pub and goodwill generated. So the home office person who approved this will, more than likely, get a bonus!
“Likely”?
Try, DEFINITELY!
…And just WHO do you think PAYS for it?!
They should go back to actual food stamps, and have people pick them up in person.
Food stamps are just too inefficient. They waste paper and create meaningless jobs for those who deliver them.
Besides, bringing in the major banks to help distribute the money is what it’s all about! (If you’re a politician with corporate mouths to feed, that is.)
…And if you’re a recipient, you get that warm fuzzy feeling as though you have a job and good credit. Although I have to wonder if that warm fuzzy feeling is what it’s really like to be bribed!
Tuesday is Soylent Green Day.
Probably went something like this.
http://youtube.com/watch?v=rQmxm1YSrF8
A possible solution, let the balances on the EBT cards stand. Next week when card holder comes in say “I’m sorry you seem to have used up your benefits for the rest of your life.”
An education in deficit spending.
Damn!
Poor people finally got enough to eat!
Let’s shut down the government over it.
Your comment proves to me that Liberals are insane.
Meanwhile, you can bet that Visa and Mastercard (big banking) is making money on this whole fiasco.
Some might even say, literally! Because just who do you think (partly/wholly) owns the Federal Reserve where it all gets started? …Or for that matter, Walmart?!
Ya. Ya. We can mince words and point out the common knowledge that the Walton family is who owns Walmart. At least on PAPER — which is the same stuff your Constitution is written on.
You too can own Walmart. It closed at $75.71 per share on the New York Stock Exchange. It pays a dividend of 2.48% which is a lot better than money in the bank. Yes you can be an avaricious capitalist.