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stupid walmart people

Old 05-12-06, 12:58 PM
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stupid walmart people

I was in walmart today looking at the bicycles, and some of them are so poorly assembled that I wouldn't let my worst enamy ride them. I had my allen wrenches with me, so I started making some adjustmants on some of the bikes (properly positioning brake levers, tightening brakes, etc.) Suddenly this guy comes up to me and asks me what I'm doing, and I told him. He then tells me that he is the bike assembler, which kind of surprised me because he didn't have a store uniform on. He gives me the blah blah blah about not working on the bikes since I don't work there. I talked to the manager about the unsafe bicycle assembly, though I seriously dought anything will be done. Should I have attempted to make the bikes a little safer by adjusting them, or shoud I have just said to heck with it and hoped for the best for anyone who rides them?
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Old 05-12-06, 01:05 PM
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Don't touch what you don't own.
Plus, they should take issue with what you were doing due to liability reasons. However, I'm sure what you were doing could actually improve such a worthless product walmart sells. Thus, reducing their potential liability problems.
Not that they would see it that way.
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Old 05-12-06, 01:15 PM
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You shouldn't be messing with them. Liability issues aside, it means that the bike mechanic (apologies to any real bike mechanics reading this) isn't learning what they are doing wrong. Write to the store manager and send copies to Walmart head office, local business standards office and a range of local media outlets as well as anyone else that Walmart may be particularly embaressed to have find out about their incompetence. Focus on the danger to kids and you could well inspire a valuable mix of outrage and action.
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Old 05-12-06, 02:08 PM
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Is it boring up there or what?
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Old 05-12-06, 02:11 PM
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Sounds like there may be a job opening for you.
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Old 05-12-06, 02:15 PM
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I dunno if this is true or not but either way, if it were, i would also suggest you go look in the rest room. There are likely some dirty toilets that could use a little cleaning.
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Old 05-12-06, 02:20 PM
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eh, walmart is in canada?

Good try, anyway!

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Old 05-12-06, 02:25 PM
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Regional, I suspect, as our Walmart's bycycles and assemblers both seem well adjusted. Bigger problem here is kids riding the bikes in the store. Of course, me, being an adult, I'm not a problem when I ride a bike in the store.
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Old 05-12-06, 02:35 PM
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Originally Posted by Knudsen
Regional, I suspect, as our Walmart's bycycles and assemblers both seem well adjusted. Bigger problem here is kids riding the bikes in the store. Of course, me, being an adult, I'm not a problem when I ride a bike in the store.
At least Wal-Mart has more space for a bicycle criterium, it use to get really crowded in the LBS when the mechanics held a criterium among themselves.
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Old 05-12-06, 04:28 PM
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Originally Posted by canuckbiker
I was in walmart today looking at the bicycles, and some of them are so poorly assembled that I wouldn't let my worst enamy ride them. I had my allen wrenches with me, so I started making some adjustmants on some of the bikes (properly positioning brake levers, tightening brakes, etc.)
Is it ok for me to come in your house and rearrange your furniture?

And a sincere "up yours" from many of the people who work at WalMart to put food on thier tables or try and make a better life for thier children.
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Old 05-12-06, 09:17 PM
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Originally Posted by canuckbiker
... stupid walmart people ... enamy ... adjustmants ... dought ...
Hmmm ....
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Old 05-12-06, 09:22 PM
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You buy your self one hell of a can of worms if someone buys one of the bikes you adjusted and crashes. Wal Mart will just say "he messed with the bikes on the rack, our sales people saw him do it, and he wrote to our managers about it". Suddenly it looks a lot like you negligently messed with the bikes... Just not worth the trouble.
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Old 05-12-06, 10:09 PM
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I can understand what you were doing and why. I think it's laudable.

Nonetheless, there are so many "it's all about me" posts on this forum that I assume you will get hammered.
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Old 05-12-06, 10:28 PM
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Originally Posted by canuckbiker
stupid walmart people.... enamy .... adjustmants .... dought .... shoud ....?
That's what they get for hiring locally.

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Old 05-12-06, 10:30 PM
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Here, let me give you a hand:

"And a sincere "up yours" from many of the people who work at WalMart while lying in the fetal position with drool on their chins, to put food on thier tables, and smoked weed to try and make a better life for thier children."

Now isn't that better!

I wouldn't read too much into the bikes at those places. If you buy one, they assenble it from a box, and the ones I have bought, either there, or at Toy's are Us, were all pretty much fine. I mean really, don't you think people, even people in Canada, want to sue the hell out of Walmart if given an even chance. The rack bikes were not always fine at all. Remember, any money not spent on the Rat Ba$tards bikes goes straight into my showpiece.
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Old 05-12-06, 10:45 PM
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What I think is funny is someone calling "walmart people" stupid after they spent the afternoon looking at bikes at Walmart.
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Old 05-12-06, 11:04 PM
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Wally-World needs all the help it can get . . . so next time go look at bikes in the local bike shop (and don't bring those !*&^? allen wrenches!).
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Old 05-12-06, 11:35 PM
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Originally Posted by canuckbiker
I was in walmart today looking at the bicycles, and some of them are so poorly assembled that I wouldn't let my worst enamy ride them. I had my allen wrenches with me, so I started making some adjustmants on some of the bikes (properly positioning brake levers, tightening brakes, etc.) Should I have attempted to make the bikes a little safer by adjusting them, or shoud I have just said to heck with it and hoped for the best for anyone who rides them?

Pretty darn presumptuous IMO.
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Old 05-13-06, 02:30 AM
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Don't listen to these chuckleheads, You did a good thing canuck. At least the people who bought those bikes will have a head start on proper set-up. It took me a few bikes to realize that most assemblers just sling together a bike without care. Even in a decent bike shop.
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Old 05-13-06, 05:27 AM
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Good initiative, poor judgement, Canuckbiker. I agree that Wal-Mart bikes are badly assembled junk, but by adjusting them in the store you took the onus of liability off Wal-Mart and put it on yourself.

You're heart's in the right place, though.
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Old 05-13-06, 06:36 AM
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Originally Posted by Peterpan1
Now isn't that better!
I guess it is, if you're the kind of person that gets off on making fun of people who have the misfortune of not being at a higher social-economic position.

But I think you're just compensating, see a doctor for a free sample and always seek prompt medical attention if it lasts more than 4 hours.
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Old 05-13-06, 07:40 AM
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Originally Posted by CommuterRun
Good initiative, poor judgement, Canuckbiker. I agree that Wal-Mart bikes are badly assembled junk, but by adjusting them in the store you took the onus of liability off Wal-Mart and put it on yourself.

You're heart's in the right place, though.
Hey, I'll agree too. It was the nice-guy thing to do, especially if your set up actually prevents an injury. Problem is it could backfire on you easily given the way things work today.
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Old 05-13-06, 07:54 AM
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I do the same thing in the women's garment section.




What?
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Old 05-13-06, 08:26 AM
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At department stores, builders who are typicaly untrained are paid per bike built. Thats why you see so much stupid **** like this.
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Old 05-13-06, 09:47 AM
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I had a friend who wrenched part-time at mass marketers between stints at lbss' In east LA and Orange county. Are you still out there Hugh Freed? And how is Betty? For the rest of you if someone just has to buy at a mass-marketer because they can't afford any better see if the assembly was done in-house or if they had an outside contractor do it.
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