Sam Walton would have been proud

Yesterday evening after about a 30 minute drive on the freeway, I pulled up to the community mailbox which is down the street from the house.  I got out checked my mail and just like every other day, nobody sent me any money.   I got back in the car and it was completely dead.  No overhead lights, no lights on the dash - nothing.   I figured that since it was running fine before that, then it had to be the battery.  The car is a Ford Focus that is just 2 years old so it is a two year old battery.  I didn't bother to read the owners manual to see if it was under warranty since I didn't have time to have it towed, etc. 

Thankfully we have a second vehicle in the household so was able to take the battery out of the car and drive up to the local Wal-Mart.  Normally I would go to O'Reilley's  but they were already closed.

When I arrived at the Wal-Mart automotive department, they had a handy little touch screen display thing that told me I needed a "96R".  The battery shelves seemed to be fully stocked and it appeared that the only empty spot was where they kept the 96Rs.   There was nobody working in the Automotive Department at 11:00pm so I found a guy in a nearby department that was using a box-cutter and unloading a pallet of merchandise.  He didn't work in the Automotive department but I asked him if there were any batteries in the back.  He said he could take a look.  I showed him which one it was and he went back through the door and stayed back there for about 8 minutes or so.  When he came out he seemed disappointed and told me that they didn't have one in the back.  I told him I appreciated him taking the time to look and then I left.  This guy really seemed to give a damn and when I left there I felt more of an obligation to do my part next time I run into someone needing a helping hand. 

I drove the next closest Wal-Mart and they had the battery so I bought it and came home and installed it in the car and it solved the problem.

Rock on Wal-Mart and special thank you goes out to the stocker dude who didn't have a name tag.