Food Stamp Rush Hour
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Just before midnight on Nov. 30, swarms of shoppers at the Wal-Mart Supercenter in North Bergen, N.J., fill their carts with milk, bread, cereal, vegetables, baby food, and more. Some hold crying or sleeping infants. Others have brought along elderly relatives who cruise the aisles in scooter carts. Nearly everyone is yawning.
At about 11:50 p.m., long, winding lines start to form at the three open checkout lanes. The manager takes to the storewide PA to summon all cashiers to their posts. As the clock strikes 12, the lines move slowly forward. Almost all the customers pay with swipe cards and linger over brimming carts to double-check foot-long receipts for errors.