THE HOAX THAT CAUSED A RIOT

[Barbarella]

It's a story that's a few years old but this made a bit of an impression on me. What is it with people?
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/10/14/woman-pretends-to-win-lot_n_321761.html
A few years ago, some weird lady in a rented limo shows up at a store and claims to have won the lottery and will pay for everyone's stuff. Turns out she was lying, had no money, the customers are miffed, chaos ensues and store employees are caught in the crossfire.

Later reports indicated she has mental issues.

This story is so ridiculous, I just couldn't let it pass by without comment, even if it's old.

[Ultimate Paragon]

Maybe she thought she was Ashton Kutcher?  If that's the case, she ignored the reasons Kutcher went after celebrities.

[Barbarella]

Maybe she thought she was Ashton Kutcher?  If that's the case, she ignored the reasons Kutcher went after celebrities.

The thing is, you ALMOST feel for the customers....until they started trashing the place and stealing stuff.

The prank was malicious but the reaction was stupid.

Why would she do this? Was she a troll? A troublemaker? I know she had "issues" but *YEESH*!

Another take on the story adds that she told folks after they expressed doubt that she was "abused growing up" and wanted to "give back". They saw benevolence but I see the obvious in that cryptic statement.

[Dakota Bob]

This woman's troll game is off the charts!

[Old Viking]

Funny stuff!  I might go so far as to say inspired.

[Kat S.]

Oh yeah, I remember her...

I've searched the internet for updates, but I haven't found any on her.  Like what Barbarella has stated, her daughter came forward after the incident to claim that her mother had a history of behavioral health problems. So, I don't believe this was a case of trolling IRL, but a lady who may have been acting upon a delusional belief.

As for the customers who were out of control because the whole debacle, they should be ashamed of themselves.  I remember something similar to this happened in around October 2013 when two Wal-Mart stores in Louisiana weren't able to read the remaining balances on Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) cards, so food qualified for EBT purchase went through regardless of how much was actually left on the card.  As soon as this was happening, word of the technical glitches spread very quickly, and soon Wal-Mart was flooded with people piling shopping carts full of hundreds of dollars worth of food.  Shelves of food were emptied as people tried to get what they could, but as soon as the EBT system started working again, people quickly abandoned their carts full of food.

Wal-Mart workers were left having to re-stock the groceries from the dozens and dozens of carts left behind, and the Wal-Mart stores that the incident occurred in were left to cover the cost of purchases made.  That incident also did not help in fighting the stereotype about government assistance recipients.

[Barbarella]

Oh yeah, I remember her...

I've searched the internet for updates, but I haven't found any on her.  Like what Barbarella has stated, her daughter came forward after the incident to claim that her mother had a history of behavioral health problems. So, I don't believe this was a case of trolling IRL, but a lady who may have been acting upon a delusional belief.

As for the customers who were out of control because the whole debacle, they should be ashamed of themselves.  I remember something similar to this happened in around October 2013 when two Wal-Mart stores in Louisiana weren't able to read the remaining balances on Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) cards, so food qualified for EBT purchase went through regardless of how much was actually left on the card.  As soon as this was happening, word of the technical glitches spread very quickly, and soon Wal-Mart was flooded with people piling shopping carts full of hundreds of dollars worth of food.  Shelves of food were emptied as people tried to get what they could, but as soon as the EBT system started working again, people quickly abandoned their carts full of food.

Wal-Mart workers were left having to re-stock the groceries from the dozens and dozens of carts left behind, and the Wal-Mart stores that the incident occurred in were left to cover the cost of purchases made.  That incident also did not help in fighting the stereotype about government assistance recipients.

Well, at least they abandoned those carts rather than taking them. While their reaction was no doubt goofy, it's a tad more understandable for low-income people to get goofy over food due to an EBT card dysfunction than some boneheads getting greedy over fancy coats.

That incident also did not help in fighting the stereotype about government assistance recipients.

I'll say! I could only imagine the B.S. being said on FAUX Noise about this incident. 

[Ironchew]

That incident also did not help in fighting the stereotype about government assistance recipients.

Welfare recipients are in a similar boat as atheists. Most of the anecdotes about them have no basis in reality and only serve to frighten a political base.

[Kat S.]

Many people, other than those on conservative media sites, commented how these people were being really selfish taking as many items as they could.  It wasn't, "Hey, I think I'll get myself some essentials (bread, milk, cheese, eggs, fruit, etc.) for a few weeks so I can be ok and have a surplus of food at home."  Unfortunately, it was more like "EBT is down? Oh s***! Quick! Grab the steaks, soda, chips, and pizza! Grab what you can! It's "free" y'all!"  Because so many people were there, more than what Wal-Mart employees would see on Black Friday, police were on the scene to keep order in place.  I think that would explain why people simply left the carts behind than try to make a run for it with the food when EBT was restored.

What was also so bad about the Wal-Mart incident was how all the food being cleared off the shelves left no more food for other people, who aren't on government assistance, to purchase.  Because this occurred during the same month and year as the government shutdown, there were people who commented that they believed this was "a test" by the government to see what would happen if government assistance programs went haywire.  I don't believe it was a test by the government, but sadly a testament to the greedy nature of human beings.

[Ironchew]

I think the fact that Wal-Mart relies on SNAP to subsidize their employees' income is a testament to the greedy nature of unchecked corporate power.