The big box store Home Depot reported that it lost 24% in the 2nd quarter. (although they were expecting to lose more, so it's all right) With the housing market down and the public afraid of the economy's future, folks aren't building extra rooms, back yard decks, let alone whole houses right now. One of the ways the Depot wants to remedy this problem is to put more sales people out on the floor.

News flash: Putting more teenagers on the floor that don't know where anything is or what a 3/4 to 1/2 inch pipe coupler is, won't help Home Depot lure in the customers.

I live about four miles from a Home Depot, yet I drive an extra ten miles to go Lowe's. Why??? Maybe its because I'm not treated like a thief every time I leave the store. Years ago Home Depot adopted a 'Guilty until proven innocent by a minimum wage earner's pink highlighter drawing a stripe on your receipt' policy. Just like most retail outlets, they have the sensors that read the magnetic material embedded in the item. The magnetic field is nullified at the check out register, yet they prefer to accuse every person that purchases something (and even a few that don't) of stealing by checking each item in the cart against the customer's receipt. Even though this policy has been challenged and proven to be against the law in itself, most people simply go along with it like bad cell service or Microsoft products.

Once you do make it past the law and they are satisfied that that's not a wrench in your pants, its time to brave the Day Laborer infested parking lot. For many years Home Depots have not only allowed day laborers to hangout in the parking lot, they even built them a Day Laborer Center. This place has all the amenities. Restrooms, benches, interpreters and agents. Yes, I said agents! It seems the laborers thought the they were getting ripped off. Even if you did need two guys to help you move that 2000 pound concrete fountain, the agent is going to make darn sure they each get a decant wage as well as breaks and only work eight hours. What's the point in hiring day laborers if you can't pay them next to nothing and make them work long hours. What's next? Will I have to start contributing to their 401Ks? Home depot is ruining it for everyone. Thanks, thanks a lot!