So I had to pull out the big guns at Wal-Mart

It's Monday, time for a Wal-Mart story!

Seriously, do any of you just go in, shop, and leave and never have anything funny or weird happen to you?  How sad for you.

Anyway, in light of these economic times, I have been taking a few coupons with me when I shop. Nothing major, just saving a few bucks on items I would buy even without coupons.  

My favorite coupon is on 8 o'clock coffee.  It's very good for grocery store coffee, and for the past few months they have been printing a $1.00 coupon inside the bag.  So, I always save $1.00 on the coffee I would buy anyway.  Its a no-brainer.

However, Wal-Mart's computers do not like this coupon.  I think maybe the oils from the coffee beans mess with the scanner or something.  The cashier always has to manually override this coupon to get it to go through.  They all know the 8 o'clock coffee coupon will do this.  It's never been an issue, until today.

Today, I got a newbie.  It was very important to her that she follow the rules.  So, when the coupon wouldn't go through, she dug through my cart and pulled out the bag of coffee to double check that the coupon and item matched.  I was fine with all of this, she has to learn her job somehow.  Plus, I'm really not that busy.

Anyway, there was a manager nearby (not the molester) and he came over to see what the hold up was about.  She told him that the computer didn't like my coupon, but now that she had seen the item, she was going to override it.

Well, Mr. I AM THE MANAGER decided he should check it out for himself.  He exams the coupon and the bag of coffee and says, "Well your bag of coffee says 'Save $1.00 on your NEXT purchase' so you will have to bring the coupon back next time."

I scream, "Are you a fucking MORON?" (in my head)

I politely say, "There's a coupon inside every bag of that coffee. This coupon is from my LAST purchase, so that bag IS my next purchase."

He says, "We have to be extra careful. Manufacturers are really cracking down on what they reimburse us for.  If we override coupons that aren't valid, that's a lot of loss for the company."

I say, "I spend $150 to $200 in this store every week.  If I go to another store, that's a lot of loss for you personally."

He says, "Override the coupon."

I know it was a "principle of the matter" thing, but still, I argued with a man who gets his raises in twenty-five cent increments over a $1.00 off on an item that I would buy even without a coupon.  

Am I pathetic or just really, really bored?