# Surrealism at Walmart **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [August 12, 2002, 6:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/surrealism-at-walmart/123576 "2002-08-12T18:32:02Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Sunshine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/3ec8ea/32.png) [@Sunshine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunshine)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2002, 11:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/surrealism-at-walmart/123576/21 "2002-08-12T23:12:32Z")
My first thought was that she was asking what religion you were and was about to start evangelizing. I had my own parking lot encounter last night at about 10pm at the supermarket. A very obviously drunk kid, maybe 22, came up and said, “Excuse me ma’am…do you know the name of the person that started the underground railroad?” Which I know I know but could not think of it at the time so I had to tell him I knew what he was talking about but I couldn’t think of the name. And he said, “Aw…that’s what everybody keeps saying!” and then went on to a man nearby and asked him the same thing. Still can’t think of the name, and I didn’t think anything of it but now I wonder if there’s a joke there somewhere that I’m missing. ---
**Author:** ![Ferrous](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8e7dd6/32.png) [@Ferrous](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferrous)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2002, 11:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/surrealism-at-walmart/123576/22 "2002-08-12T23:22:29Z")
Harriet Tubman? ---
**Author:** ![matt\_mcl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7ab992/32.png) [@matt\_mcl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/matt_mcl)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2002, 11:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/surrealism-at-walmart/123576/23 "2002-08-12T23:25:43Z")
Harriet Tubman ---
**Author:** ![MandaJo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ac91a4/32.png) [@MandaJo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MandaJo)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2002, 11:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/surrealism-at-walmart/123576/24 "2002-08-12T23:53:34Z")
They were probably thinking about Harriet Tubman ,but she didsn’t start the underground railroad, she was just very instumental in moving people through it. I’m no expert, but it is my understanding that the Underground Railroad evolved from dozens of individuals all working independently who worked together on an informal basis. ---
**Author:** ![Sue\_Duhnym](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/91b2a8/32.png) [@Sue\_Duhnym](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sue_Duhnym)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2002, 12:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/surrealism-at-walmart/123576/25 "2002-08-13T00:18:41Z")
Forget the chick at Walmart, how the heck did you fit a grill into your car? What did you do, strap it into the passanger seat? ---
**Author:** ![black\_rabbit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/f19dbf/32.png) [@black\_rabbit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/black_rabbit)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2002, 12:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/surrealism-at-walmart/123576/26 "2002-08-13T00:33:01Z")
“I am dingo. I take your baby.” ---
**Author:** ![Scylla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a5b964/32.png) [@Scylla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scylla)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2002, 2:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/surrealism-at-walmart/123576/27 "2002-08-13T02:32:34Z")
I didn’t buy the grill. I just looked at it. ---
**Author:** ![Jurhael](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/cab0a1/32.png) [@Jurhael](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jurhael)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2002, 2:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/surrealism-at-walmart/123576/28 "2002-08-13T02:33:44Z")
Whoa…that is odd… So, Scylla, what IS your job? I’m nosy…eehehehehe… ---
**Author:** ![MrVisible](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/46a35a/32.png) [@MrVisible](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrVisible)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2002, 3:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/surrealism-at-walmart/123576/29 "2002-08-13T03:24:42Z")
Scylla is an international spy, a weapon forged in the heat of battle, ready to be wielded by the mysterious cabal which Scylla himself can’t even name. He walks in shadow only, draws the eyes of no-one, until it is too late; only those who perish by his hand get to see him. Except his wife and his daughter; they skate on that one. He strikes terror into the hearts of men, lust into the hearts of women, and can paralyze a groundhog at fifty meters just by thinking really mean thoughts about them. He’s the ultimate fighting machine, born and raised to rain death upon the enemy, and currently employed in the finance sector. ---
**Author:** ![ataraxy22](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ataraxy22/32/307_2.png) [@ataraxy22](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ataraxy22)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2002, 3:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/surrealism-at-walmart/123576/30 "2002-08-13T03:27:47Z")
At the Wal-Mart I frequent, the loud tone + authoratative male “…you have activated the Walmart inventory control system” goes off about every minute or so. Everytime I’ve been there, over the past year. No one seems to notice, or care. ---
**Author:** ![Krisfer\_the\_Cat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Krisfer\_the\_Cat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Krisfer_the_Cat)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2002, 3:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/surrealism-at-walmart/123576/31 "2002-08-13T03:32:41Z")
At least she was outside! My sister is an assistant manger for Walmart…she is currently in Vancouver, WA but she has worked in half the Walmarts here in Utah. So whenever I go in someone working there usually asks me “Do you have a sister?” I often tell them “no but my brother does” ---
**Author:** ![SWABLR](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f475e1/32.png) [@SWABLR](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SWABLR)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2002, 3:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/surrealism-at-walmart/123576/32 "2002-08-13T03:35:20Z")
“Thank you for shopping at Wal-mart” ---
**Author:** ![Rilchiam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/2bfe46/32.png) [@Rilchiam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rilchiam)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2002, 8:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/surrealism-at-walmart/123576/33 "2002-08-13T08:18:21Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Scylla \* > \*\*As I open my car door, I hear this voice. > > “Excuse me?” The voice is attached to a dumpy looking woman with a hard face. She’s about my age, 35, wearing jeans and a plain shirt. She has just stepped out of a minivan that must be fifteen years old. Instantly I categorize her: > > Frizzy hair, never went to college, single parent, waitress or menial worker, unintelligent, well-meaning. > > I raise my eyebrows as she walks over, on guard. “Yes?” I ask politely. > > “I hope you don’t think it’s nosy, and I hope you don’t mind, but I wanted to ask, what are you?” > > What an affront to ask such a thing! Particularly as she appears to have none of my attributes. The truth is she **appears** weak, stupid, poor, friendless, uncertain, and not particularly nice. > \*\* Hmm…what are you? Maybe…a snob? ---
**Author:** ![Sue\_Duhnym](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/91b2a8/32.png) [@Sue\_Duhnym](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sue_Duhnym)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2002, 9:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/surrealism-at-walmart/123576/34 "2002-08-13T09:58:09Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Scylla \* > I didn’t buy the grill. I just looked at it. So you went to Walmart to _look_? Some “handsome, strong, wealthy, powerful, confident, intelligent, and …kind” person you are! Don’t you know you should be shopping for grills at [Frontgate?](http://www.frontgate.com/fg/cat.jsp?category_key=-10645) ---
**Author:** ![SPOOFE](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c5a1d2/32.png) [@SPOOFE](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SPOOFE)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2002, 11:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/surrealism-at-walmart/123576/35 "2002-08-13T11:16:03Z")
I got you topped on surrealism, Scylla, on my encounter with God. Yes, God. THE God. Supreme Being. And apparently, God agrees with Douglas Adams. See, I was sitting in the mall, resting my legs while waiting for a movie’s start time to arrive. As I’m sitting there, watching people walk by, an older couple - probably in their mid-50’s to early 60’s in appearance - approach. Both appear to be fit (though not athletic), and both are wearing comfortable, light-colored clothes. The woman has a straw hat on. Both have calm, pleasant, joyful faces. They stop right in front of me. The man leans over and says, “Excuse me.” When I look up, he grins, and says, “The answer… is 42.” Without missing a beat, I grin, and reply, “Ah… but what’s the _question_?” I’ve seen this scenario so many times that response has become automatic. Again, without missing a beat, the man winks, grins a bit more, and says, “Ah… now that’s what we all have to find out, isn’t it?” Then he straightens up, and the two walk away. I spoke with God. At the mall. While waiting to see _The Fellowship of the Ring_. Damn, I’m cool. ---
**Author:** ![Beagle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/85f322/32.png) [@Beagle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beagle)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2002, 11:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/surrealism-at-walmart/123576/36 "2002-08-13T11:35:26Z")
> [@](#): > > All of a sudden this complete stranger of a cat just jumps up on my lap, and starts to purr. Then it did the weird claw thing for a while. Your familiar obviously. You are tampering with powers you cannot control. Turn back now. A protective spell requires an extra donut. In that respect you are lucky. ---
**Author:** ![dantheman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dantheman/32/9421_2.png) [@dantheman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dantheman)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2002, 1:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/surrealism-at-walmart/123576/37 "2002-08-13T13:46:04Z")
She was playing the game “Questions” - you should have replied, “What’s the frequency, Kenneth?” then drove off. ---
**Author:** ![Scylla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a5b964/32.png) [@Scylla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scylla)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2002, 1:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/surrealism-at-walmart/123576/38 "2002-08-13T13:46:27Z")
Rilchiam: > [@](#): > > Hmm…what are you? Maybe…a snob? Maybe. I don’t like being accosted in parking lots by complete strangers with inquiries as to my nature. Had the person in question been wearing a suit and driving a Porsche I would have been more on guard and uneasy than I was. ---
**Author:** ![Rilchiam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/2bfe46/32.png) [@Rilchiam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rilchiam)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2002, 2:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/surrealism-at-walmart/123576/39 "2002-08-13T14:26:27Z")
But would you have assumed they were “weak, stupid, poor, friendless, uncertain, and not particularly nice”? ---
**Author:** ![BlinkingDuck](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/eada6e/32.png) [@BlinkingDuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BlinkingDuck)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2002, 2:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/surrealism-at-walmart/123576/40 "2002-08-13T14:27:15Z")
SPOOFE, I was in an interview and they filled a room with about 20 people. I got to stand up in front and answer questions for over an hour being zinged at me left and right. Toward the end, a man in the back said, “oh, just tell us the answer to everything!”. Without missing a beat, I just said “42”. Everyone else thought it was just a smart-aleky answer to a smart aleky question but I could see by his eyes that he got it. I’m sure it helped, but I didn’t get the job. I was told informally that I did extremely well but that I was a white male, so out. But that is another story. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/surrealism-at-walmart/123576.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/surrealism-at-walmart/123576.md?page=3)