I used to have a girlfriend that thought a fun weekend was driving to Falmouth, KY where they had 2 dollar stores-- one was a DG.
Recently Falmouth got a new Dollar General superstore. It's got a lot of everything. It comes close to what Kresge's used to be (before K-Mart).
I used to feel that a basic survival skill was being able to go into a Dollar Store and a Convenience Store and outfit an entire camping trip in under 60 minutes. It freed you up from having to plan a lot ahead. It came in handy; my best friend died with all my gear in a storage locker in Florida. I flew down to get his stuff and mine home, and found my camping gear was tied up in Probate. There I was in the middle of Ocala National Forest with nothing. 30 minutes in the Dollar Store and another 15 minutes in the Convenience Store, and KYHIllChick and I were living like royalty.
1) Dress code is loose, but I would be wearing the same clothes I'd go into a diner-- shirt, shoes, pants. Don't stand out.
2) Use the same sense and awareness you'd have in a Walmart or a supermarket.
3) Don't be a dick. DG usually has a bunch of scared women running the place. They are not trained to handle emergencies well. They are more likely to call the cops, because they don't know how to handle it any better.
4) Don't get involved. If stuff ever starts going down in a DG, just drop your load and leave quietly. DG is not the place to make your stand for Peace, Justice, and the American Way.
