Michael Lamm writes:
“Walmart isn’t the only store that doesn’t say thank you.
”A few months ago, I was waiting at a red light on Wakeman Drive, the street that goes behind Lowe’s in north Stockton. The driver ahead of me suddenly decided to ignore the red light, went through it, crossed Holman Road and moved slowly along the curb behind Lowe’s.
“My light turned green, and as I crossed Holman, I saw a man bolt out of the back door of Lowe’s. He was carrying a big box. He ran to the car, hopped in, and off they sped.
“By this time, I happened to be right behind the getaway car, so I wrote down its license number on the palm of my hand. I then doubled back and saw a group of Lowe’s employees rushing out from the same door the robber had just used.
“I stopped, transferred the getaway car’s license number to the back of my business card and handed it to the Lowe’s employee I judged to be of the highest rank – a manager of some sort. Without a word, he took the card, and they all went back into the store.
“I never heard a word of thanks from anyone at Lowe’s, nor did I hear whether they tracked down the robbers.
“My point is that Walmart isn’t the only company reluctant to thank a good Samaritan, and Lowe’s even had my business card.”
It’s understood corporate managers must hew to restrictive policies. These polices appear to breeding a generation of timid bean-counters too cosseted for common human decency.
