Yes, this is clearly a recently inspired question. So, do folks really consider Wal-Mart a destination? Have you hung out there before?
ive never been to a walmart and never will go to one
I’ve gone there to kill time with my two kids (let 'em run around in the toy section and torture them with a firm “No” on everything they beg for). I usually do this if we’re in no big hurry to get home as my SO works nights and needs as much quiet as she can get during the afternoon/evening.
I’ve hung out in Genovese. In grade school, Genovese, the park and the library were the spots to waste time. When it got too cold for the park and we got kicked out of the library for being too loud, we’d go to Genovese and try on the makeup, read the magazines or dare each other to steal stuff.
Not really. But I know people hang out at the mall, which is soul-destroying and wallet-emptying whereas hanging out at Wal-mart would merely be mind-numbing.
Whilst in college, Walmart was the only thing in town that was open 24 hours. So, sometimes we’d go there at odd hours. Sometimes we were intoxicated.*
While it was amusing, I don’t know that I’d call Walmart a “destination.” We knew it was sad that it was the only place we could go for amusement, so it was kind of an ironic activity, laced with desparation.
I’m pretty sure we scared some of the employees, wandering around in their highly flourescent dominion, usually with an odd smattering of objects (vegetarian deli slices and a halter top, for instance).
[sub]* We never drove drunk to Walmart. Just thought I’d head this one off at the pass…[/sub]
I used to be a supervisor for JTPA, where troubled kids would clean up the park every day over the summer, and get a paycheck. Easy job. The kids may have been trouble makers, but they were good kids deep down. A few broken homes, a few whose parents worked too much to keep them on the straight and narrow, that sort of thing. Got to know a couple of them, and a few would even say hi to me on the street if they saw me.
When my wife and I began dating, I worked at a bar. Often, she would come down toward the end of my shift, and we’d imbibe. One night, we drunkenly decided to get a cat the next day, so we went to Wal-Mart at something like 3:30AM (after we sobered up and ate) to get a litter box, litter, food, etc.
As we were walking across the lot, I saw 5-6 kids (no more than 16 years old) sitting on the bench outside the store, smoking, giggling, generally carrying on. I remarked to my wife, “What kind of people just hang out at Wal-Mart at 3AM?”
One of the kids looked over, and called out “Hi, Paul!” It was one of the kids from JTPA.
My wife laughed and said “Apparently, the only people that just hang out at Wal-Mart at 3AM are friends of yours.”
Heh, two posts in a row with the phrases “drunk” and “Wal-Mart”. Draw your own conclusion.
Is that where they sell wall stuff? 
I’m not sure if I’ve ever been in a Wal-Mart (been in plenty of Costcos and Sam’s Clubs, though), but I have hung out at a grocery store before. Sweet air-conditioned Albertsons with temperatures outside pushing 105*F and no relief in our home…
I hate to join the snobbish refrain, as I know many people who depend on the low prices to get by, but the two times I’ve been in the local big box, I’ve had to leave quickly because of the feeling of nausea. I don’t know if it’s the people funk or the heat or the fumes emanating from the cheap goods from China (Wal-Mart imports $12 billion worth of merchandise from China every year), but I won’t go back again.
I buy my clothes at Walmart and my wife Thinks I’m a hot dude
and a Fashion swami! She’s always commenting on my GQ looks!
They have cool Flannel Shirts,Long sleeve Beefy-T’s, Golf shorts,
all the cool stuff dudes need to be cool!
I also get Fishing Gear, Audio Components, Car Accessories
Q-tips,Vasoline,Birdseed,Tools…
Walmarts got everything A-Z…They don’t have Surfboards but
they have wax!
I dig the secret codes they announce over the PA system…
Code 4 @ checkstand 15??? Associate needed to assist customer with a BH90210???
I’ve got myself all work up, I’m going to Walmart!
I buy all my DVDs at WalMart simply because they have the lowest prices. They also have good prices on diapers for my one-year-old. I don’t “hang out” in the WalMar, however—I just get what I need and leave.
I grew up in a small town (10k ?) and cool hang out place for years was the high school football stadium. After awhile, the school closed it down after dark so everybody just went across the street to. . . you guessed it. Wal-Mart/Winn Dixie.
Where else can you go in a small town when you’re 16-18 at 2am?
I’ve never been to a Wal-Mart; but then, I’ve never lived near a Wal-Mart (I don’t have a car, so if I can’t walk there or take public transport . . .). Never been to a Costco or a Genovese or a Sam’s Club or any of the places mentioned herein.
I’m sure if I needed something carried there and happened upon one, I would gleefully dance right in.
I’ve been known to go just because my son was bored hanging around the house and playing outside wasn’t an option. We look at the gold fish, eat popcorn in the snack area, that sort of thing.
Yep. They were open 24 hours a day and nothing else was. I’d play video games in the entryway, scope out the video games and music in the electronics, look over the rifles, check out the latest paperback Sci-Fi, and chat with friends. I have always been inclined to stay up all night. When I got old enough I moved to the city that never sleeps, so I don’t hang out in Wal-Mart’s any more.
I had friends that would go to Wal-Mart to find new ways to create bongs. You’d be amazed how many different types of bongs you can make out of stuff you find at Wal Mart. Conan should use that as a bit or something. . .
DaLovin’ Dj
I hate to say that I recently began hanging out at Wal-Mart regularly. I like to get my baby out of the house at least once a day and, if a walk isn’t possible (weather, etc.) or I need to pick something up, Wal-Mart is the easiest place to go. He likes the lights & colors, I could spend hours looking at all the crap, and if I need to buy a couple different things, I only have to get him out of the car and lug the baby carrier once.
The other day, I had his pictures taken, replaced two watch batteries, did some Christmas shopping, and bought cheap diapers and groceries.
Before he was born, I was a Wal-Mart scoffer, but I’ve changed my ways.
Can’t stand the local Wal-mart.
There are three within 30 minutes. One is in a less populated area and is 15 minutes away - all 4 lane 55 MPH road. I like that one much better.
It’s not the store, (though I know Wal-Mart is the new “Evil”) it’s the people that go there.
My brother and I have actually made a point to go sit in the Walmart parking lot all day. As in 7 or 8 hours straight. We go there early in the morning to get a parking spot close to the entrance with maximum view of all people going in and out. We observe the cart collectors, and make up names and personalities for them. We speculate on whether that woman taking a smoke break by the pop machines giving everyone dirty looks is really as bitchy as she appears. We count the number of people parking illegally in the fire lane, and how many people going in are wearing sweatpants (inside joke). Did you know that between March of 2002 and November of 2002, sweatpants appearances declined from .32 sweatpants wearers per minute to .27 sweatpants wearers per minute?
Of lesser importance are semi-monthly trips from college to the local Super Walmart at 2 or 3am (sadly, not drunk, but wearing sweatpants). There are some weird people in there at those times- lots of crying kids and maybe some of you guys! 
Every once in a while I will take the kids and hang out there. We usually end up having lunch/dinner at the sandwich shop and then walk around and just browse. It’s a great way to kill time, but only if you can control the urge to buy anything that is.