Dollar General — Local services in Walnutport

I stopped here, Thursday, to do some holiday shopping. I expected to buy quite a bit; it’s been 4 years since I last decorated. I pulled into the parking lot and backed into a disabled space; I am physically impaired. I turned off my car, released my seat belt, and opened the door. As I was about to exit my car, a woman started screaming at the top of her lungs “YOU CANT PARK THERE!” 3 times. I turned to find a woman in her 40’s or 50’s, with black and grey/white hair just below her shoulders, disheveled in her appearance as-if she had been sleeping in her clothes and hair unkempt coming towards me from the border between their parking lot and Rite Aid’s. The woman had a scowl on her face and was waving her hand/finger at me as if she was a teacher scolding a petulant student in elementary school.

Utterly confused why this complete stranger was screaming at me and telling me I could not park in this space, I replied “excuse me?”. Now yelling (screaming less the screech) she says “YOU’RE BLOCKING THE DOOR!”. I replied “I’m parked in the handicap space”, and looked in my rear view mirror verifying the handicap parking sign was behind my car. By this time she reached viewing distance of my license plate which was not previously visible to her. My license plate is a disabled plate. Suddenly, the expression on her face turned from scowl to one of embarrassment. Still yelling, she responded “WELL, YOU’RE OVER THE LINE!!”

I turned back towards my open drivers door to look at the ground for the parking lines. She was correct…but, I was less than 4 inches over the line. This was not a line to another parking space, it was a line framing the blue ‘buffer’ space with diagonal blue lines found in-between most handicap spaces. I looked back at the woman and said “really, WOW!”. The woman darted into the store. I started my car and moved it the 4 inches to be inside the line. Please note: the door that was on my side of the blue box was the LEFT entry door and it was LOCKED; no one could use it anyway! I entered the store and looked up and down all aisles; she was nowhere to be found. I am left with only one plausible conclusion…she must be an employee who ran to the office or storeroom to hide from me.

I believe she was an employee coming back to work from a lunch break or maybe shopping at another store in the strip mall.; it was just after 12pm. When she saw me backing my car into the handicapped parking space, she lashed out in what can best be described as a hate-filled screaming rant. Why I ask myself? The ONLY reason I can think of is that she saw my car was a convertible and thought I was not disabled. A disabled person driving a convertible… Heaven forbid!! 🙄 To her credit and my being disabled for nearly 20 years, I’ve seen far too many drivers parking in handicap parking spaces who aren’t disabled. Some people ‘borrow’ placards and utilize them to save time shopping by parking in handicap spaces. I cannot walk without the aid of a walking device.

If I choose to give her the benefit of the doubt, FAR more courtesy than she afforded me, she might have been trying to keep an able-bodied person from using a handicap space. I would thank her but due to her verbal attack upon myself I cannot. First make sure you have ALL the facts, then POLITELY explain to the driver the parking space is reserved for disabled persons. It could have been an honest oversight by the driver or perhaps the driver forgot to hang their placard in the windshield. I hadn’t exited the car yet or she would have seen my cane. Screaming at someone without provocation these days could have serious repercussions; it could have easily provoked some to a violent response.

Her actions resulted in losing my business. I am a very kind and courteous shopper who is loyal to equally minded businesses. I decided I had had enough and chose to shop elsewhere. Instead I went 3 doors down and spent just over $200 at Dollar Tree. Sadly, this is your store’s loss not mine. Giovanni Torriano said it best; “you attract more flies with honey...

DG is a great store, lots of items, most are less in cost than the business chain stores. The only problem is: Depending on the store location, the Employee's are helpful & go out of they're way to help. In other stores, not to helpful and have an attitude. I had a problem with the website for coupons. The system was fine then I was told that I need to down load the application for an updated version. I can get in because I don't have enough memory. That system is getting more complicated with every upgrade. Some doesn't realize that the older generation that trys to use it to save money can't...

Not only this location. All 3 of the dollar generals in this area. They are so short staff. They have racks in alot of isles. Waiting for product to be put out on the shelves. It's hard to shop,find stuff n get through the isles. The staff is friendly and help you. It's the idea of trying to shop ! Again not only this location! I feel bad for the staff,all the stress their under! DOLLAR GENERAL YOU NEED TO HIRE MORE HELP AND NOT THINK YOUR WORKERS ARE ROBOTS! THEY ARE HUMANS! SO TREAT THEM...