# If I shop at Walmart in a T-shirt critical of thier polices can they force me to leave? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [October 26, 2014, 8:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-i-shop-at-walmart-in-a-t-shirt-critical-of-thier-polices-can-they-force-me-to-leave/702594 "2014-10-26T20:09:19Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 19\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2014, 8:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-i-shop-at-walmart-in-a-t-shirt-critical-of-thier-polices-can-they-force-me-to-leave/702594/1 "2014-10-26T20:09:19Z")
If I strut into Walmart wearing a T-Shirt that says WALMART = SLAVE WAGES or WALMART WORKERS SO POORLY PAID THEY NEED WELFARE! or WALMART WAGES = POVERTY Can they physically force me to leave the premises if I’m shopping and buying? Just curious. ---
**Author:** ![Odesio](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/odesio/32/20003_2.png) [@Odesio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Odesio)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2014, 8:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-i-shop-at-walmart-in-a-t-shirt-critical-of-thier-polices-can-they-force-me-to-leave/702594/2 "2014-10-26T20:24:56Z")
> [@astro](#): > > Can they physically force me to leave the premises if I’m shopping and buying? In most jurisdictions they can ask you to leave and if you refuse to leave you are then trespassing. What they can physically do to you legally at this point varies from state to state but I’m sure there’s a national policy that Wal-Mart employees are suppose to follow. What you can expect to happen is that the local police will show up and you’ll either walk out empty handed or with a shiny pair of bracelets escorted by an unhappy officer who has better things to do. ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2014, 8:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-i-shop-at-walmart-in-a-t-shirt-critical-of-thier-polices-can-they-force-me-to-leave/702594/3 "2014-10-26T20:26:19Z")
Wearing a t-shirt is not a protected class, so yes, they reserve the right to refuse to serve you. ---
**Author:** ![Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eyebrows_0f_doom/32/3119_2.png) [@Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eyebrows_0f_Doom)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2014, 8:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-i-shop-at-walmart-in-a-t-shirt-critical-of-thier-polices-can-they-force-me-to-leave/702594/4 "2014-10-26T20:27:21Z")
Have you \*seen \*what some people are wearing on PeopleOfWalmart? ---
**Author:** ![gaffa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e68b1a/32.png) [@gaffa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gaffa)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2014, 8:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-i-shop-at-walmart-in-a-t-shirt-critical-of-thier-polices-can-they-force-me-to-leave/702594/5 "2014-10-26T20:55:35Z")
Here’s a good one to wear: [Walmart Killed The Country Store](http://www.bigdamnband.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/07/walmartshirt.jpg) AND [they’ve got a song you can sing](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wtac9PZnOg0) while they drag out out. ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2014, 9:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-i-shop-at-walmart-in-a-t-shirt-critical-of-thier-polices-can-they-force-me-to-leave/702594/6 "2014-10-26T21:49:07Z")
So…what if you wear a gay pride t-shirt in Chick-fil-A? Or if I wear my “Food Tastes Better With DNA” t-shirt to Whole Foods? I suspect that large chain establishments would rather not open up a giant can of worms, by trying to ban people wearing garments that proclaim politics/ideologies that the owners don’t subscribe to. ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2014, 9:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-i-shop-at-walmart-in-a-t-shirt-critical-of-thier-polices-can-they-force-me-to-leave/702594/7 "2014-10-26T21:54:52Z")
> [@Jackmannii](#): > > I suspect that large chain establishments would rather not open up a giant can of worms, by trying to ban people wearing garments that proclaim politics/ideologies that the owners don’t subscribe to. It probably wouldn’t be good for business, no. That doesn’t mean that they wouldn’t have the _right_ to. ---
**Author:** ![Iggy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iggy/32/3364_2.png) [@Iggy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Iggy)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2014, 10:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-i-shop-at-walmart-in-a-t-shirt-critical-of-thier-polices-can-they-force-me-to-leave/702594/8 "2014-10-26T22:09:01Z")
> [@Jackmannii](#): > > So…what if you wear a gay pride t-shirt in Chick-fil-A? This would depend upon the state and exactly what the t-shirt says. If the t-shirt identifies the wearer as gay (male wearing a t-shirt with slogan reading "I’m gay and so is my boyfriend) then that may invoke a protected class under some state laws. Not all states are so enlightened. AFAIK, sexual orientation is still not a protected class under federal law. But if the t-shirt does not identify the wearer as a member of a protected class but merely supports some political point of view (t-shirt with slogan stating “Marriage Equality for All”) then then that may not fall under a protected class distinction. The retailer probably could ask the wearer to leave, but it might not be good business to do so. > [@](#): > > Or if I wear my “Food Tastes Better With DNA” t-shirt to Whole Foods? I think you are out of luck. I think this falls outside the realm of any protected class. The retailer can ask you to leave, but again it might not make good business sense to do so. > [@](#): > > I suspect that large chain establishments would rather not open up a giant can of worms, by trying to ban people wearing garments that proclaim politics/ideologies that the owners don’t subscribe to. Unless it is a direct attack on the business, I suspect you are right. ---
**Author:** ![Emtar\_KronJonDerSohn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/58956e/32.png) [@Emtar\_KronJonDerSohn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Emtar_KronJonDerSohn)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2014, 10:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-i-shop-at-walmart-in-a-t-shirt-critical-of-thier-polices-can-they-force-me-to-leave/702594/9 "2014-10-26T22:23:10Z")
One night many years ago when I was a teenager my friends and I were drunk or high or both and went to Wal-Mart to harass our other friends who were working there stocking shelves overnight and presumably less able to get f-ed up. A supervisor or manager started yelling at me and getting in my face, asking who I was under and scolding me about repercussions and consequences for unprofessional behavior. After the initial shock of it all I innocently informed him I was just a consumer comparison shopping for general merchandise at 2:15 and he escorted me to the door. I stood by the car with a big question mark hovering over my head until my friends eventually came out. They reminded me that I was prominently displaying a K-Mart name tag in my shirt identifying me as FUCKYOU that I had an acquaintance make for me when we were harassing her some other night at KMart. ---
**Author:** ![usedtobe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ec9cab/32.png) [@usedtobe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/usedtobe)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2014, 7:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-i-shop-at-walmart-in-a-t-shirt-critical-of-thier-polices-can-they-force-me-to-leave/702594/10 "2014-10-27T07:11:59Z")
Why do so many people think that private businesses are public services? It’s not like the employees are wearing Park Ranger Uniforms. There are very few reasons why a business MUST allow you, personally. I can through out every black person who comes into my store - as long as I can make it appear that the reason is NOT that they are black. Federally protected classes are actually number very few, and none of them include people wearing T-shirts insulting the management of the store. If they tell you to leave, it is up to you to prove that they did so because you were somehow a member of a protected class. As a straight white male, I’m pretty much fair game for anybody to throw me out 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/46a35a/32.png) [@Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_T-Bonham.net)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2014, 7:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-i-shop-at-walmart-in-a-t-shirt-critical-of-thier-polices-can-they-force-me-to-leave/702594/11 "2014-10-27T07:19:48Z")
> [@astro](#): > > Can they physically force me to leave the premises if I’m shopping and buying? They can ask you to leave, for this, or for qny reqson at all (except for legally protected classes). They can’t physically force you – they have to call a police officer to do that. But they won’t. Wal-Mart doesn’t care what you wear, as long as you’re spending money there. ---
**Author:** ![Fleetwood](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fleetwood/32/271_2.png) [@Fleetwood](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fleetwood)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2014, 11:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-i-shop-at-walmart-in-a-t-shirt-critical-of-thier-polices-can-they-force-me-to-leave/702594/12 "2014-10-27T11:28:00Z")
> [@Jackmannii](#): > > So…what if you wear a gay pride t-shirt in Chick-fil-A? They’ll fill your order and take you money. ---
**Author:** ![Amateur\_Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/59ef9b/32.png) [@Amateur\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amateur_Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2014, 12:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-i-shop-at-walmart-in-a-t-shirt-critical-of-thier-polices-can-they-force-me-to-leave/702594/13 "2014-10-27T12:39:15Z")
They’d be correct to throw you out, since you obviously wouldn’t be shopping in a slave labor camp… just trespassing. ---
**Author:** ![Sir\_T-Cups](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ed655f/32.png) [@Sir\_T-Cups](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sir_T-Cups)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2014, 12:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-i-shop-at-walmart-in-a-t-shirt-critical-of-thier-polices-can-they-force-me-to-leave/702594/14 "2014-10-27T12:42:56Z")
> [@astro](#): > > If I strut into Walmart wearing a T-Shirt that says > > WALMART = SLAVE WAGES > > or > > WALMART WORKERS SO POORLY PAID THEY NEED WELFARE! > > or > > WALMART WAGES = POVERTY > > Can they physically force me to leave the premises if I’m shopping and buying? > > Just curious. I would bet that the workers won’t even notice your tshirt, probably laugh when they read it if they DID notice it. Management wouldn’t notice either, and then if they did they would laugh at the irony of you wearing an anti wally tshirt, then buying stuff there. They would chuckle as they bag the items you bought. As long as you aren’t loudly chanting/picketing/berating people I doubt they would really give a rats what’s printed on your tshirt ---
**Author:** ![Hari\_Seldon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hari_seldon/32/5173_2.png) [@Hari\_Seldon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hari_Seldon)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2014, 1:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-i-shop-at-walmart-in-a-t-shirt-critical-of-thier-polices-can-they-force-me-to-leave/702594/15 "2014-10-27T13:22:20Z")
Is there any food without DNA? ---
**Author:** ![asterion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/4da419/32.png) [@asterion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/asterion)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2014, 1:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-i-shop-at-walmart-in-a-t-shirt-critical-of-thier-polices-can-they-force-me-to-leave/702594/16 "2014-10-27T13:33:50Z")
> [@Hari\_Seldon](#): > > Is there any food without DNA? Depends on your definition of food. Sugar, for instance. ---
**Author:** ![Bricker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@Bricker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bricker)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2014, 1:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-i-shop-at-walmart-in-a-t-shirt-critical-of-thier-polices-can-they-force-me-to-leave/702594/17 "2014-10-27T13:55:22Z")
> [@gaffa](#): > > Here’s a good one to wear: [Walmart Killed The Country Store](http://www.bigdamnband.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/07/walmartshirt.jpg) > > AND [they’ve got a song you can sing](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wtac9PZnOg0) while they drag out out. It’s an unfair sentiment. The Great Atlantic & Pacific Tea Company, Inc. killed the country store. ---
**Author:** ![jtur88](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e9c0ed/32.png) [@jtur88](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jtur88)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2014, 1:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-i-shop-at-walmart-in-a-t-shirt-critical-of-thier-polices-can-they-force-me-to-leave/702594/18 "2014-10-27T13:59:32Z")
They can ask you to leave for any behavior that is disruptive to their business, and inflammatory apparel can meet that criteria. You can then sue them later, but I bet they’ve got better lawyers than you can afford. ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2014, 4:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-i-shop-at-walmart-in-a-t-shirt-critical-of-thier-polices-can-they-force-me-to-leave/702594/19 "2014-10-27T16:17:36Z")
> [@usedtobe](#): > > As a straight white male, I’m pretty much fair game for anybody to throw me out 😃 Yes, but they’re afraid to do so for fear we’ll use our positions as members of the ruling elite to smash them like the insects they are.😃