PUBLIX WHERE SHOPPING IS A PLEASURE
Written by Captain Mary on Sunday, April 26, 2009This has always been an accurate statement from my shopping experience. I use two Publix groceries in my area on a regular basis. It seems like a usual day, it was a Wednesday and I was in need of just a couple of items. Some toilet paper, macaroni salad and coffee. I made my purchase and even donated money to the March of Dimes.
I headed toward the exit and out into the parking lot, it was about 3pm on a normal sunny afternoon.
There wasn't a lot of people in the lot, so it was easy to notice someone seemed to be following me. A tall man, dressed in a normal way, as I got closer to my truck, I noticed that he was looking directly at me and had picked up his pace. I was only a few feet from my truck, I jumped in and tossed my groceries across the seat. Suddenly the man was there, right outside my truck, I yelled "Back Off", he did not. I grabbed my truck door and tried to close it, my heart was racing when he grabbed the door and was forcefully opening it. We played a tug of war with the door, I then began yelling and beeping my horn. The man still did not say anything and I feared for my life. He finally said to me "I need to see your receipt", I replied with "what the hell for", "if you are accusing me of stealing you better call the police". At least I would have felt safe, still pulling on my door and demanding my receipt, I focused more on him and noticed he had a manager name tag, this still didn't make me feel better. I thought that a Publix employee would never do this, he had to be an amateur. I grabbed the receipt and passed it to him, he still would not let go of my door. He simply said at this point "very good", while looking at the sales receipt and then walked away.
I was completely shocked and could not even function. I watched the man, grab a shopping cart and enter the store. I dialed the police and made my report, they wanted me to stay there and wait, but I wanted out of there as fast as I could, to a place where I felt safe.
As soon as I got home, I emailed Publix corporate and told my story. I didn't hear anything on Thursday, and still nothing Friday morning. I thought that I should stop by my house pick up my camera and take some photos of this guy in the store, tell my story to the news. It always seems to get a rise when the news team is involved. I checked my answering machine before going out the door on my way to Publix. The messages were from the corporate office of Publix, which seems very urgent and concerned, I returned the message to the private cell phone of one of the big guys.
Our conversation was very concerning and he apologized several times, offering me a gift card of $100 to get me to come back. I was also told the the Assistant manager who forced my car door open has since been removed from his position. I asked if he thought I was some kind of thief or threat and that is why the man chased me through the parking lot. The man on the phone replied with "I don't care what his excuse was", he was pleased that both the manager and my stories matched.
I was told to go to the Publix the following Monday to pick up my gift card and he asked if I would sign a "Hold harmless" release. I agreed, to hold Publix not responsible, but I think that they cannot guarantee that this man won't try to retaliate against me. Besides that, wouldn't it be great if everyday until the Statue of limitation was up that he thought about the little lady he forcefully detained in the Publix Parking Lot!
Tell me what you think, should I sign the release for a couple of bags of groceries?
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