imported post
Okay, it's MY turn. Let's just get a few things straight right now cause I ain't a happy camper.
Anything I post under my name is my PERSONAL opinion. And ask anyone who knows me in real life and they'll tell you I have a LOT of opinions. And many of them you won't like.But at least they are based on fairness and honesty.
As Gary has said I am technically NOT an "employee" of Arlington Regional. Since I am disabled and have a real physical disability I cannot be employed anywhere on a regular schedule. My health just won't allow it. Some days my body works and some days it doesn't. Living on SS benefits also means I cannot work for pay. So on the days I feel like a human and can actually walk I can either sit at home staring at a CRT or I can get up and volunteer somewhere. Due to my experience and knowledge the original manager of Arlington Regional,Steve, brought me on board as a "volunteer member of staff". That means I work when I physicaly can and/or when they need me and I'm up to it. It just so happens I just now returned home after working 5 to 9 there tonight. I had planned to be there this past Saturday but just couldn't make it.I look forward to working more with Gary and everyone else at Arlington in the future. It's a slow process but I believe the place has real potential.I have never claimed to be a "spokesperson" for them. I have never claimed to have any importance or influence there except for a few discount coupons which have by now all expired.
Actingpersonally or professionally I have never bad-mouthed Sam's range while at Arlington or in any other forum. If you read my posts you will find I have stated that I like Sam's. I freely admit that I don't like it as much as I used to, but I still like it.Especially the range part. I don't like Alfey's Pizza as much as I used to either but I still eat there and think it's good. I STILL refer people to Sam's. Heck I even did it tonight. I had a customer who was looking for .280 Remington ammo in the Lynnwood area so I referred him to Sam's and Adventure Sports. In that order.
I have NEVER, EVER,put anything on lay-a-way at Sam's gunshop. I merely mentioned in passing why several of my friends will no longer deal there. I didn't intend for it to turn into a major bruhaha. I don't know exactly how long Kay had anything on Lay-a-way. I'm not exactly sure how much money she paid and then lost. I have a reasonable idea but I'm not sure. She and I don't discuss it because it's a very sore spot with her.As for the so-called "attempts" to reach her,just exactly what number in GEORGIA were you trying to call? Yes Georgia. Because that's where she was with her dying mother. And, if the Lay-a-way had been under both of our names (which it wasn't) why didn't anyone call me? Or say anything to me during my WEEKLY trips to the range? Possibly because they had no idea I was associated with her because they looked at me like I was crazy when I asked about making a payment. And yes I was most certainly told to "not worry about making a payment" because "it'll still be here when she gets back".Now I will conceed the fact that they did indeed hold it until she came in.They just weren't holding it FOR her.I knowit was still in the back room when she asked for it because I saw him rip the paperwork off the box and then bring it out, open the box and place it in the for sale rack. The simple fact is she was ridiculed,laughed at, and publicly embarassed in front of several of her friends as well as a few strangers. And that sort of treatment is unexcuseable anytime, anywhere. I have never and will never treat a customer that badly in public. (Sheeeiiiit, I've treated most of the prople I've arrested better than that and I was a real jerk.) A week of so later I had a friend drive me over and I tried to smooth it out but I could never get anyone to talk to her. It was always give me a few weeks to talk to Betty about it. And a few weeks later it was. "Give me another few weeks, she's (been) out of town" and I seem to recall one reason was that a family member was ill. Which ironically is what got Kay behind to begin with. But I guess that excuse only works one way. So she finally decided to just take the loss and forget about it.
And another thing. I do not have a wife. I do not have a girlfriend (right now). Kay is my best friend and also my state certified caregiver. We have been best friends for years and before my injury I rented her extra room when I wasn't on the road. After my accident she movedinto a different house (with no steps) just so I didn't have to continue to live in a nursing home. Now that's a friend! But what she does in her name is her business. The membership at Sam's and at Arlington (yes, I PAID FULL PRICE for both of the memberships)is in both of our names simply because since we live under the same roofwe qualify for a family membership. Just because you often see a man and a woman together doesn't mean they're married. Even if they both are old and fat and you wouldn't want them. Hmmmm I wonder if thepeople that only see me when I'm out with my other best friend Tom think I'm gay??? So, for the record I am neither Married nor Gay. AND I have no desire nor intentionto become either.
As for Cascade Pawn??? Why are we even discussing them? They went out of business. I'm really sorry, but at this very minute I just can't recall the owner's name. However he was always very nice to me. In fact on the last day he gave me a Smith & Wesson sign and a half dozen of the blue S&W handgun pegs. That sign is on my wall right now. I also have fond memories of playingwith that lab puppy even though she did knock me out of my walker once. So as far as I know I have never had a problem with anyone there. If I did, it's sure as hellnews to me.I started buying ammo from them when I moved here over 10 years ago. So when Karen first moved here in 2000 I took her there too. A couple of years later she started using them for FFL transfers for guns she bought on Gunbroker. She used them for several until all at once they raised the price AND started addingsales tax. Tax? on a transfer? That's bullshit. So she found a better deal with another FFL. Most dealers in the Lynwood/Edmonds area have high transfer fees anyway. But even still we continued to shop there. We used to buy lots of ammo there. They had pretty good prices onthe RBCS. And for a while had a killer deal on some .30-06 in Garand Clips that wasn't that Korean corrosive crap.In a moment of weakness I even bought some of that A-MERC junk fromthem. That's when I found out just what crapammoit was and then the forums had been right. But I didn't blame them I just didn't buy any more.
While I was in the home Kay bought her son some sort of fancy graphing calculator he needed for AP Maththat they had a great price on. SHe also bought me a CD player that I used at the home. After I got out of the home Ibought a camera, a betterCD player and a Palm PDAfrom them. And probably some other stuff that I can't remember. I was always treated very nice there and was sorry to see them close, so I have no idea what you're talking about with all of this "taking advantage of a friend" bullshit. Perhaps you have me confused with someone else?
The only thing that Iever pawned at Cascade weresome musical instrumentsbut that was before I went into the hospital. Most of it was forfeited and sold while I was in the hospital. There was a Peavey Bass Amplifier I lost there, that was out for sale that sat on the floor for months unsold.And as I recall Karen purchased it shortly before they lost their lease. Knowing her I'm sure she asked, "What's your best price". She's a smart shopper and she always asks that question. I've never paid sticker price for anything over $20 at a pawn shop. Hell's Bell™, I don't know anyone who has. I know I used to go in there and put a half dozen or more boxes of ammo on the counter and ask, "How much for all this?" I then paid the price quoted. Is that taking advantage of anyone? We all know that pawn shops don't pay or loan jackshit for anything. It's a very lucrative business. In the past I have worked in two very large ones and I know how it goes. Believe me, they made money on me.
Now while I was in the hospital Karen did pawn some guns there. But I have no idea which ones. I spent seven months laying on my backin the hospital and nursing homein various casts and braces. As far as I know she didn't lose any guns there butI'm not exactly sure what she owned back then. While I was laid up and I needed some money for my bills I simply sold a few guns. I got a LOT more by selling them to an individual than I would if I had pawned them.
Now I don't know who called Arlington Regional today and complained about this thread. And I really don't care. How anyone could think I was hiding behind Arlington Regional to attack Sam's is beyond me. My opions can be found all over the errornet. Ain't if funny that I never attacked them before? Look around I don't hold a gridge. I let them escape immediately. This is not a pissing match. I have never said anything against Sam's while at work and damn little about in in private. In fact the most I have ever said in one place about this entire dealis what I have said in this thread. I, personally,have no real problem with Sam's. And professionally I would NOT say anything against them even if I did. Here's a question for ya... Has any employee of Sam's ever said anything negative about any other shop/range? Think real hard now because I know the answer and I'm sure a few others do to. And if you read my previous posts in this very thread have I not been anything but cordial and polite to Agent 47?
All too often at Sam's range you have to wait in line to get a lane. That day will soon happen at Arlington as well. There are more than enough shooters to go around. I don't expect anyone living in Lynnwood to drive all the way over to Arlington Regionaljust as I don't expectmany would drive from Marysville to Sam's. THere's no reason to have any comflict between the two.
Now I must admit that it's best to never ask me my opinion about Wade's. As long as I am associated with Arlington Regional it would be unethicalfor me to discuss the one time I was there. So I won't.
This shitstormgot started because I make a passing comment about something that happened to a friend and someone else had to stir the pot to make it stink even more. As for me I'm done with it. If anyone else feels the need to discuss it further, have at it. Just don't expect to hear another peep out of me about it. I'll leave the slander, lies and personal attacks to those better qualified.
edited to add: So if you ever want my personal opinion on anything just ask. Except for this topic. This one thing is now off limits. I have no intention of ever discussing it again.I sincerely hope everyone else will drop it too. In fact Iwould gladly delete any reference to any of it if everyone else would too.
I knew I shouldn't have logged on before I ate my dinner. I read this at 10:15 and it's now 12:50 and I still haven't eaten. But now that I've said all I'm going to say on this matterI'm going to go eat my now cold dinner, watch the shows I tivoedand once again be a happy camper.