My Wal-Mart "Settlement"

It's not news that I disapprove of the way Wal-Mart has been treating its neighbors. After all, they've violated the Rosemead noise ordinance every night since they've opened (not that you see our city "leaders" doing anything about that).

I once vowed that I'd never set foot in that store. But I had to break that vow. A few weeks ago, they sent a $5 gift card to pretty much everyone in Rosemead (and possibly bordering cities--I don't know).

Why, heck, I figured: If I can't get them to pay for double-paned windows for everyone living near their illegally noisy store, the least I can do is make them pay for $5 worth of stuff I need. So I went to Wal-Mart and bought a box of Band-Aids, a bag of hamburger buns and a half-gallon of milk. Total cost: About $5.65.

My dad did me one better. He said he spent a total of $5.15 on his visit to Wal-Mart.