Alright ATS, This Food Stamp President Stigma Crap Has Ruined My Christmas. Enough is Enough!

Originally posted by Nite_wing

Let me look at this a bit more closely. You have had a crap load of altercations with the police. Then you say a slap on the wrist should be sufficient.

Apparently you did not learn with your first slap on the wrist and had still more altercations with the cops. Here is a hint. When they approach you and ask for ID, they are checking for warrants but they also get your past record. If you had a slap on the wrist, they know. If you got arrested, they know the slap didn't work so they keep arresting you until you learn. Perhaps you will but I doubt it. Anyway, it is guys like you that kept us from being unemployed. Thank you.

Yikes, I guess that did come out a bit wrong. Let the record show that I have perfectly clean record and have never been charged with a crime in my entire life.

By altercations with the police, I meant something entirely different. A good chunk of them involve domestic disputes between my parents, others involve my friends and brothers getting into trouble. I have also been through 2 separate foster homes, had my bike stolen at gunpoint which I called the police for, and a bunch of other stuff. I was just trying to illustrate that I have experience with law enforcement and they are usually rather lenient and understanding. As for the checking for ID bit, I don't have one as for my parents lost my birth certificate and social security card, and I have just recently gotten my birth certificate so I will soon get my license anyways.

In any case, how would me having altercations with police affect your employment status? I find it more likely that your unemployment could be due to you not trying hard enough. Heck, I barely tried with no experience and just a high school diploma and I got a job just fine, so maybe your doing it wrong. Anyways, sorry for the misunderstanding.

You could fight it in court, but lawyers are expensive, and even if you get legal aid to pay for it, are you going to feel welcome returning to a store where they treated you like that?

Perhaps a neighbour or a friend could take you shopping in future? That way you have someone who can take you to and from nicer stores, and will also keep an eye out to make sure you don't miss anything.

For the record, I totally believe it was an accident. Accidents happen all the time.
I know people don't like being made a special deal of when they have an impairment, but given that you're blind, he could have cut you a little slack. Why steal a $5 pack of beer when you could be shop lifting a $15 pack of meat?

Originally posted by Lulzaroonie
You could fight it in court, but lawyers are expensive, and even if you get legal aid to pay for it, are you going to feel welcome returning to a store where they treated you like that?

Perhaps a neighbour or a friend could take you shopping in future? That way you have someone who can take you to and from nicer stores, and will also keep an eye out to make sure you don't miss anything.

For the record, I totally believe it was an accident. Accidents happen all the time.
I know people don't like being made a special deal of when they have an impairment, but given that you're blind, he could have cut you a little slack. Why steal a $5 pack of beer when you could be shop lifting a $15 pack of meat?

Very true, thats the logic I used when the officer hung up on me. I will be returning back to that store as soon as this crap is worked out, because it was just the totalitarian officer not any of the employees. I just found out he was a volunteer security gaurd, but is LEO reserve as well. Thanks for the comment.

What a sad story, and an even sadder commentary on a gung-ho cop who is so eager to bust people that he cannot admit that he nabbed people who were visually impaired and made a mistake.

This thread has gone off on a tangent about the beer, but it's not just about forgetting to pay for a six pack, it's about the stigma and harassment of people who rely on food stamps to eat.

I was a food stamp worker after I graduated from college. While in college, I used food stamps. Nowadays, at least in Texas, it is all on a card which looks, for all intents and purposes, like a credit card. Back in the 80s, it was a coupon book of actual stamps, and it was always a total embarassment to use them, because people would look at me and my child like I was a piece of garbage. I've had some grocery clerks make nasty comments under their breath about how they had to work hard for their money, but I got a free ride.

I only bought basic foods, but I was still made to feel like garbage. I used to have a friend stay with my little daughter late at night so I could shop in the middle of the night and avoid the stares and the ugliness from other shoppers. And this wasn't in Texas, this was in a liberal, northern California town.

Later, as a food stamp case worker myself, I felt badly for people, but understood that, without the food stamps, they and their kids wouldn't eat at all. It is a social safety net that, as a taxpayer, I am happy to pay for.

I know the shame others try to put upon you, I feel where you're coming from. Someday, you will finish your education, you will no longer need the assistance, and you will have a greater understanding and infinite compassion for those who will be in the shoes you are now.

If anybody reading this has an attitude with people who use food stamps, shame on you. Don't buy the hype, either....food stamps cannot be used for things like alcohol, cigarettes and toiletries. It is used for food. If you want to get mad at government handouts, get angry at all the obscene amounts of corporate welfare and bank bailouts for rich bastards who do not deserve it. Nobody ever gripes about that, but if a poor mother uses stamps to buy food for her family, some people feel no compunction about insults and put-downs. Wake up.

As for the arrest, a poster suggested going to the local news. EXCELLENT IDEA!! If you can get the public opinion to come down on that Kroger, Johnny Rent-A-Cop will be out on his sorry butt, and Kroger will be forced to make it right. Use the media to your advantage. It's near Christmas, people love to right a wrong, particularly at this time of year.

Best of luck to you and your family.

Keeping you and your family in my heart and prayers... I was a single mom with two children and received food stamps to feed them. It was not enough but it helped, and there is a stigmatism that is attached to the programs that are available to those that need it... That stigmatism comes from the people that can and choose not to get off the program, it sets the example for all of the reciepents of the programs.... One bad apple spoils the cart so to speak....

Call the local media and tell them what happend... It would be a special interest story and at this time of the year it would get a lot more attention. There was more than likely quite a few customers and employees who witnessed the entire episode and will vouch for you and your family.... Don't discount the public and their voice.. they will be the very ones to help!!

Good luck and keep your chin up;

I wasn't aware that the cops are the food stamp police.

Call your locat Attorney General's office.

My God what a complete arsehole that guy was.
So sorry that you and yours had to go through that kind of harrasment. There's a putrescent stench of disgust and hatred for the underdog all over the western world as of late, make's me sick to my stomach.

Hope you can get this sorted and have a Happy Christmas. You deserve a bloody truck full of beer, nevermind a six pack.

Does no one actually read the post anymore? From what I gathered he is saying he bought food with his food stamps. He then used some of his inheritance money to buy some beer. 2-3 or whatever 6 packs. He forgot to pay for one and was stopped for it. As a officer myself I have ran into this a few times. If he had paid for all of that and 2 of the 3 six packs I would have just made him pay for the third one that he forgot it happens. Here in Louisiana we can either arrest or issue a misdemeanor summons which is basically a ticket with a mandatory court date instead of putting them in jail. I have run into it a few times with the vagrants we have here. If a homeless guy is stealing something cheap like hot dogs or such I usually try to talk the store out of charges and just ban them from the store. If they insist then they get a summons. HOWEVER if they are stealing steaks, beer, cigarettes, or other high end items it is off to jail with you.

Now to comment on what the other guy has said I also do not agree with you buying beer. If you are eating 1 meal a day and sleeping less than three hours then you should not be buying beer. Just because it is “socially acceptable” as a “coping mechanism” doesn’t make it right. How about giving up the beer and getting yourself another meal. If it was 3 six packs you were buying for say around $15-$18 then how about you don’t get it. Do you have any idea how many packs of hotdogs you can buy for $15-$18?!?!? So until you can support yourself to where your entire family can eat 3 meals a day ( INCLUDING you) how about you drop the beer? Then you would have way more time for sleep and food. Oh and before you say beer helps you sleep, Nyquil is WAY cheaper and last WAY longer per bottle. And I would also like to add that I absolutely REFUSE to give vagrants money but I will buy any man a meal. A good hint for people that I use out here is when I eat burger king or whatever else there is that has those stupid games. If you win a free burger or fries give the coupon to a vagrant. They have to get food on it and its not like you use them anyway lol.

Id like to add something here.....I am not asking you to post your criminal history...but as being a cop myself one of the first things I do in a situation like this is I look for prior incidents...involving your name. If you were to come in our computer with past incidents with Kroger...or have a history of burglary, theft, etc....Im probably going to be more willing to think you were trying to steal. If you left the final register with an unpaid item it is technically theft so the officer has done nothing wrong I see...maybe he pushed a little for a minor incident...sure..but nothing wrong. And as for signing a paper.....I don't think I have ever in my entire career made a suspect sign a sheet of paper or threatened to take their kids if they didn't. Not saying it didn't happen...its just odd. One last thing....when times get tough you cut out things you don't need....like beer, cigarettes, etc. Imagine cutting out beer for a year and putting that money into a savings account...or even investing it. Maybe that month you had a little extra cash but it seems you're in a rut and could use that cushion for another time. I do wish you luck and hope things get better for you. More and more it seems people are getting pretty desperate....I can't explain how dramatic the change in violent crimes have been by us..which in turn probably keeps most officers a little on edge. Hang in there and good luck.

reply to post by nixie_nox


I consider myself the food stamp police. I work security for a local food store chain. And I can tell you some of the stuff I see on food stamps is crazy. There are several people that come in and buy the huge boxes of candy and then sell them out of their house (sweet shops) and I can promise that if I catch them I report them. This IS NOT what food stamps are used for!!!! There should be some kind of system that monitors what you buy on food stamps. If you are buys excessive candy, steaks, and the such it should flag that card immediately. I have personally seen a woman go completely ape $h!t over not being able to buy her dog food on food stamps. So what did she do, held up the line, bought him 5 T bone steak, and had the nerve to tell the cashier to just put that on the card as he likes steaks better! And you can all call me the Gestapo police all you want, you can bet you @ss I reported her. We are currently working with the SSI people to get the excessive false claims stopped. There are a lot of people where I work that claim they are disable and have perfected the “retarded walk” as they call it to get put on it. However we then catch them selling dope and chase them for 5 blocks jumping fences and such. I’m sorry but if you can do that then you can find a job somewhere! If more people would stand up to it and stop the massive drain on our society then perhaps we would have the money to fix some of our problems. Maybe the people that actually need it (like the OP) would get enough that they aren’t just surviving. And before you think I am all high and mighty let me tell you that I have a live in GF with 2 children. She recently lost her job and is in the process of getting another one. However until then she is claim her unemployment and gets about $200 a month in food stamps. And without them we would not survive. However I can promise we aren’t eating steak and other than the occasional BBQ burger it’s mostly cereal, PB&J, and hot dogs.

reply to post by ShotGunRum

39 total posts and you're already that jaded and impatient? Apparently there is nothing wrong with your vision so expend just a modicum of effort to read, and comprehend that a legally blind person "wrote" the post!

Originally posted by sempul
reply to post by nixie_nox

 

I consider myself the food stamp police. I work security for a local food store chain. And I can tell you some of the stuff I see on food stamps is crazy. There are several people that come in and buy the huge boxes of candy and then sell them out of their house (sweet shops) and I can promise that if I catch them I report them. This IS NOT what food stamps are used for!!!! There should be some kind of system that monitors what you buy on food stamps. If you are buys excessive candy, steaks, and the such it should flag that card immediately. I have personally seen a woman go completely ape $h!t over not being able to buy her dog food on food stamps. So what did she do, held up the line, bought him 5 T bone steak, and had the nerve to tell the cashier to just put that on the card as he likes steaks better! And you can all call me the Gestapo police all you want, you can bet you @ss I reported her. We are currently working with the SSI people to get the excessive false claims stopped. There are a lot of people where I work that claim they are disable and have perfected the “retarded walk” as they call it to get put on it."

Well said! I am blind still work and that is just for rent. I go to school yet my sister and boyfriend are perfectly fine and receive over 500 dollars in food stamps! I am furious and PB and J is the number one meal inthis household. If you dealt with what I had to you would want just a beer and an AUDIOBOOK after the kids went to bed as well. My Father whom happens to be my last living relative and friend died at exactly this time last year, so an occasional bruski should be alright. Thanks for the comment.

PS.

In my town there are people who get disability for Bipolarmania, and they seem just fine to me. Some of these moms just load there kids up with junk all day, and I have a good example of this. I know this lady who feeds her kids up with 4 bags of Popcorn all day, they always have coke, they eat nothing but junk and she " has no reason to worry about anything because she has food and kids." I think tha putting forth some guidelines to starve out the idiots needs to take place for sure. I only receive 60 dollars to feed 4 people, while my sister and boyfriend who have nothing wrong with them get 500 for just the two of them.

Originally posted by sempul
Does no one actually read the post anymore? From what I gathered he is saying he bought food with his food stamps. He then used some of his inheritance money to buy some beer. 2-3 or whatever 6 packs. He forgot to pay for one and was stopped for it. As a officer myself I have ran into this a few times. If he had paid for all of that and 2 of the 3 six packs I would have just made him pay for the third one that he forgot it happens. Here in Louisiana we can either arrest or issue a misdemeanor summons which is basically a ticket with a mandatory court date instead of putting them in jail. Now to comment on what the other guy has said I also do not agree with you buying beer. If you are eating 1 meal a day and sleeping less than three hours then you should not be buying beer. Just because it is “socially acceptable” as a “coping mechanism” doesn’t make it right. How about giving up the beer and getting yourself another meal. If it was 3 six packs you were buying for say around $15-$18 then how about you don’t get it. Do you have any idea how many packs of hotdogs you can buy for $15-$18?!?!? So until you can support yourself to where your entire family can eat 3 meals a day ( INCLUDING you) how about you drop the beer? Then you would have way more time for sleep and food. Oh and before you say beer helps you sleep, Nyquil is WAY cheaper and last WAY longer per bottle. And I would also like to add that I absolutely REFUSE to give vagrants money but I will buy any man a meal. A good hint for people that I use out here is when I eat burger king or whatever else there is that has those stupid games. If you win a free burger or fries give the coupon to a vagrant. They have to get food on it and its not like you use them anyway lol.

As I mentioned though, I work 38 hours a week, I lost my only family member and friend exactly this time last year,my kids are hyper and never sleep, society is demanding, 12 plus hours of houmework 4 days out of the week, it takes 2 and a half hours just to get somewhere on the bus, I am broke, and the list goes on. The beer takes the edge off of my back pains, and if you went through what I do, you'd want an AUDIOBOOK and a beer after the kid went to bed as well. I know it is no excuse, but I need something to look foward to if you know what I mean? I make a total of 908 dollarsby the end of the month, and this all goes to a ran down duplex, which has house centipedes which is th creepiest thing known to man, especiall a blind man at that. lol That is a different story though, thanks for joining the conversation.

Well I do like your upbeat attitude lol. I can sympathize with what you are saying as I lost my last remaining family member I have any contact with 3 years ago. It was also my father. He passed due to Hepatitis C that he got in a blood transfusion 20 years ago. And I can tell you it’s not a nice way to go. I agree that sometimes a beer is a good thing. Myself I prefer a Jack and coke. The only point I was trying to impress is if your situation is as dire as your were describing I just wouldn’t get beer. Not until everyone had enough. I can also sympathize with self medicating with beer as long as it’s not in excess as it is MUCH better that the chemical crap doctors shove down your throat for pain. I’m pretty sure my dad started smoking marijuana for the pain instead of taking all the Morphine that they doctors kept forcing on him. And I can honestly say that as the police I would never have told him anything about it if he was. I personally think it should be legalized as it is a much better pain alternative. Of course your tree hugging hippies just abuse it and you have all kind of people that all of the sudden NEED it to survive that stops that. Give the whole thing a horrible stigma that stops the legislature from passing it.

Originally posted by sempul
reply to post by nixie_nox

 

There should be some kind of system that monitors what you buy on food stamps. If you are buys excessive candy, steaks, and the such it should flag that card immediately.

If food stamps are now paid via a card, I don't doubt that there is automatically information about what is getting bought being saved in some database somewhere.
Any time those cards are scanned, I would bet my last penny that it is fed back to whomever those cards are issued by.
How much, what on, when it's bought, where it's bought. Every little detail.

Let me get this straight... you and your wife are blind and she is becoming a chef? I would love to hear what you are going to school for. By the way, if you didn't choose the beer (you wouldn't have gott'n in trouble) you could have bought more food for your children.

reply to post by superman2012


HELLO, it's about the cop using excessive force for what 6 beers? Threatening blind people to take their kid away, babbling about a cell phone. Somebody looking for an easy target to vent his crap on.

Originally posted by D1Useek
Let me get this straight... you and your wife are blind and she is becoming a chef? I would love to hear what you are going to school for. By the way, if you didn't choose the beer (you wouldn't have gott'n in trouble) you could have bought more food for your children.

A bit skeptical are we? Do you not think we're capable? Take a look at mmy blind friend who has starred in many plays, or maybe th other who has climed som of the largest mountans in the world.

I feel for you man I really do but to blame your treatment on "the far right" is short sighted in the extreme.

The bottom line is most of the people on the "far right" are struggling to feed house and clothe their families just like you and tend to resent having their money STOLEN from them so a vanishingly small percentage of it can be GIVEN to you (Imagine how many bureaucrats making gs-13 salaries it takes to administer the national food stamp program for a second) The reality is any time government takes money from one person to "give" to another it's a MAJOR net economic loss for EVERYONE INVOLVED.

So the next time you want to get angry at getting a raw deal... Fine get angry but don't blame it on the imaginary bogeyman of the "far right" Because realistically if certain forces (a great many of them masquerading as far left leaning politicos might i add) weren't choking the life out of the economy you'd have a job that paid a living wage and wouldn't "need" $70 dollars a month in food stamps!!!

Oh yeah and just as a side rant for all of you people out there that somehow think those that get food stamps are getting some sort of good deal or living in the lap of luxury consider how far $70 dollars would actually go when you're trying to feed a family of four!

Also as a fellow college student I'd like to make a suggestion.. at my college they have a student assistance pantry which any enrolled student can access up to 3 times per term. My guess is if you were to go in and explain your circumstances they'd probably be not only willing to help you more than 3 times but would also possibly be able to point you towards additional resources.

there is actually an exact process you need to go through

Raise hell with customer service...

www.kroger.com...

I used to work there you can cause issues...


Send a copy of your wife medical determination for percentage blindness...

be polite... Mention the officer was biased against your wife being disabled...because you had food stamps..

do not yell or cuss or get mad...


Ask them to review the tape... If she is largely blind and you send proof..
Also mention the fact Kroger policy is that the Cashier missed it and you wife forgot it..

add in the amount of money you spent shopping there in the past... get the receipts and send them copies

Tell them you will have to tell your disabled friends and family that Kroger LP is discriminating against the disabled...

You want an apology from the LP...explain there behavior and everything you said here


then if they do not fix it... Go to legal aid...contact the ACLU... and email a local news reporter... most have an on your side reporter... do not bring this up with Kroger only if it fails


Make sure you also call the store and ask for the district manager...ask if it is common practice for a male security officer to take a female back to a security office with no female stand by (big no no)

Ask him if Kroger policy is to discriminate against disabled people...


you probably will not win but it is fun to make the lp/security guy have a bad day...Sexual harassment is no joke...