Migraine: 5 Things I Dislike About Walmart

There are more than 5 things that I hate about shopping in stores, or in the mall. Or, more often than I care to think about, Walmart.

"Walmart-itus" is what my family calls this aversion. Yes, I could shop somewhere else, but I know that I won't because "I am Lazy". It's on the way to... everywhere I go. So for the sake of convenience, I put up with the potential triggers and well thought out and marketed layout to get my daily essentials.

Here are 5 reasons I dislike shopping at Walmart, in no particular order. You may have some of your own that should be added to this list.

1. The lighting. The fact that it is fluorescent is bad enough, but they use too much lighting.
Even my non-migraine friends dislike the lighting in these stores.

2. The new layout. I've been in three different stores that recently remodeled. Each one of them has a very similar layout (except the oddball, which is lefty instead of righty). They moved electronics to the very back, forcing me to travel through All of the clothing departments, just to look at the new geek stuff. Haarummph.

The food and the toiletries are on opposite sides of the store, forcing a sea of people going back and forth! As my niece, Katie, always says, "Mylanta!!" (Don't ask me, its just her way of exclamation). Please quit trying to herd us poor shoppers back and forth in front of items we are not searching for.

3. Parking. Need I say more?

4. The lack of sound dampening. Metal roof and structure open for all to see. Tile on top of a concrete floor. As an architect, I always see things in a different way. Looking at ways things could be done better. So, I know there are ways they could suppress some of the noise, so that I don't hear the 10 year-old throwing a tantrum at the other end of the store.

5. The smell. No, I'm not saying that Walmart smells baaaad. I am just saying that my olfactory senses are offended at every turn by a new and overpowering odor.

Most of the time, it is several strong aromas at the same time. I use to like the coffee isle. I really like the smell of fresh ground coffee beans. Now, they have it facing the candy shelves. Somehow the smell of mint trumps the wonderful smell of coffee and I am allergic to wintergreen. Actually I'm allergic to salicylates and salicylic acid (wintergreen).

Don't even get me started on the smell of fingernail polish and the smell of permed hair at the front of the store. Talk about olfactory overload.

You don't want to get me started on the overpowering perfume or musk worn by the cashiers and the other shoppers. Some people really need to learn some proper product application techniques.