Sam's Club

One of my neighborhood acquaintances took me to Sams (Maplewood store, St. Louis) as I had a fractured ankle and could not drive and what should have been about an hour shopping trip, ended up being a three-hour nightmare. Unable to walk and dependent on boot and crutches, we waited for about half an hour for a scooter for me to use while we shopped. Then my friend went into the store and found (their only one) a scooter in the back of the store, not charged. She sat on the thing for an hour with it plugged in while I waited in the front of the store. While she was waiting about 4 customers also in need of a scooter asked her if she was using it. She told them she was charging it for a friend, but as it turned out, it wouldn't take a charge. While waiting I decided to crutch my way across the football-field-sized store pushing a basket with my crutches, picking up items until a customer came to the rescue and helped me with half my stuff. The rest I thought I could get once the scooter was charged. Then I found out it wouldn't charge. So then I asked an employee if they could please grab me my remaining items. The said yes and disappeared until it was evident he wasn't coming back. So then I asked another employee who dutifully got my things so we could check out. I thought you would like to know that you are losing about 4 disabled customers an hour because of your lack of accommodation for people who can't walk. I can not tell you in words how angry my friend was to the extent that she refuses to take me again unles you offer some restitution and seriously consider your discriminatory behavior with regard to the shopping needs of the disabled. Add to that that I had intended to browse the store and had more things in mind to pick up and I only ended up with half of what I came for. I think this is an issue that goes well above the responsibility of the management of the store. That store should have 4 electric scooters in operation at all times and staff to make sure that the scooters are charged. I can not imagine that the cost of that is as expensive as the business you are losing because people are leaving, unable to shop. I was in a position where I had not shopped in 6 weeks, had no food, could not drive, and that was the only ride I had offered to me to get groceries to fill my empty fridge. I couldn't just come back later. People are not going to help people if you put them through this.