Back In 2020, (read about it here) I had an incident at Best Buy where they said I was required to wear a face mask while inside their establishment. I challenged that and spoke to the manager and he ultimately told me that, per corporate, I and others could come inside Best Buy and shop without a face mask. The only catch was that if you need to ask questions to an associate you would need to wear a mask. So, my understanding was I and others could walk in, select the items, and then pay for it without wearing a “ritualistic shame muzzle”.
Well on May 1, 2021 I entered into Best Buy and was greeted by a roped off area “herding” people into the store past an associate. The associate says “here’s a mask for you”. I said to him that I had religious and medical objections to wearing a face mask. He says “sorry, but that is a requirement to enter the store”. I told him to call the manager. He says “I’m the manager”. I asked him if he was the store manager and he says that he was a manager and the store manager was not there. I then told him that I had dealt with this issue before and was told that I could enter without a face mask. He says “I’m not familiar with that”. He then starts to try and tell me about online ordering and I asked him if he was a doctor. (I asked that since he’s clearly giving me medical advice by telling me to restrict my breathing while on their property). He answered that no, he was not a doctor. I then asked him if he wanted my money. He continued his “script” acting like a someone who clearly cannot think for himself. I then said goodbye, there’s no reason to keep talking to a fool like this and I left.
I decided to go to another Best Buy and basically ran into the same rhetoric. I asked for the manager and of course the store manager was not there, just “a manager”. I asked this manger if the associates there were doctors and he said no. I asked why were they giving medical advice to customers. He said “they are just doing what corporate tells them to do”. I then asked him if corporate said that the customers could come in and hit others with a bat would they allow it. His answer was “no”, followed by some script. I then told him that I ask myself why do I want to spend my money with a company that treats it’s customers like this. I then told him that this type of behavior is going to be the downfall of these corporations. I gave him a card with my website on it and told him instead of going on facebook or watching the idiot box tonight, to go to my website and learn about real life.
People, stop spending your money at any business that does not respect your freedoms. As hard as it may be for me to not be able to purchase the items I need, I will not spend my money at such a business. The only way we get their attention is to hit them in their wallet. The problem is, too many people don’t have the discipline to say no to such businesses. They will give in and put on the muzzle to get to go inside. Don’t be such a wussie! Share these types of experiences on the web and in the reviews of these businesses. Just because I did not get to buy the $1500.00 computer from Best Buy, that does not mean it’s the end of the world. There are others that will allow me to walk in without a muzzle and I will be happy to spend my money with such a freedom respecting business.