<sigh> Security people in stores... <rant>

dai-atlas2000 · Post by **dai-atlas2000** » Sun Mar 30, 2003 2:20 am

Picture this: Friday afternoon after work. Finished 10/15 minutes early and thought: Great! I'll have time to wander around some of the music shops. HMV has lots of cheap DVDs on sale at the moment.

So I went to HMV and went upstairs to the DVDs section. Behind me a security came walking up the stairs at the samne time as I did. I was looking around in the SALE DVDs and found Blair Witch Project for £7.99. Great! I'd been looking to buy that! I then wandered in and out of the other SALE DVDs section and that same security guard man stood watching me, like he was making sure I wasn't trying to steal anything.

Maybe I'm just paranoid, but that really bugged me...so much so that I left some of the DVDs I was going to buy back on the shelves, paid for Blair Witch and left. I hate that feeling that the security guards are standing watching you, as if you are going to start robbing stuff. It bugs me so much as I'd absolutely never steal anything from anyone and I'm honest as the day is long. While that guy was standing watching me, a real thief could have been making out like bandits.

I appreciate the fact that many shops get such a degree of shop-lifters and theft and fair-play to them being careful, but when it makes you uncomfortable in a shop when all you want to do is a little browsing to see what's for sale, it most definitely puts you off going into that shop.

Anyone else here ever get "the eye" put on you by security guards in shops? Anyone else agree with me? Feel free to express your opinions on the subject if you like.

<rant over

Post by **Denyer** » Sun Mar 30, 2003 2:30 am

Well, the fact that I own a trench coat in which it's possible to fit litre bottles means I accept that by not looking like bleating livestock I'm more suspicious... but, in the event of anyone ever actually being stupid enough to accuse me of anything, a loud (and public) confrontation will occur, and any 'reasonable force' will be met with equally reasonable resistance. If you're going to have a confrontation with anyone, always get it on record (ie, with a large audience)... oh, and always take disputes directly to management and be viciously reasonable and mannered.

Cliffjumper · Post by **Cliffjumper** » Sun Mar 30, 2003 2:34 am

Reminds me of a time I bought a second-hand video at Cardiff market, walked into HMV and all the alarms went off... it took up 45 minutes of my day as the fools watched a CCTV tape, and realised I'd walked into the ****ing store...

Dinobot · Post by **Dinobot** » Sun Mar 30, 2003 4:08 am

Originally posted by Cliffjumper
Reminds me of a time I bought a second-hand video at Cardiff market, walked into HMV and all the alarms went off... it took up 45 minutes of my day as the fools watched a CCTV tape, and realised I'd walked into the ****ing store...

Hahahahahaha!

DrSpengler · Post by **DrSpengler** » Sun Mar 30, 2003 5:15 am

Just got back from work. Tonight we had 11 DVDs/games stolen right out of their locked cases.

I wish I knew who kept doing that...

Silly Cow · Post by **Silly Cow** » Sun Mar 30, 2003 7:23 am

Watching people is their job. Of course it's disturbing if you haven't done anything and never will, but they don't know that. They can't know just by looking at someone if they are gonna steal something so they have to go on gut-feeling.

If you haven't done anything just ignore them and continue your shopping. And if for some reason they stop you the easiest thing would be to cooperate. The loud and public confrontation will not do any good. Infact most of the people I've seen doing that are the ones who have taken something.

Sir Auros · Post by **Sir Auros** » Sun Mar 30, 2003 7:36 am

Actually, if you're ever confronted by anyone in a store and they demand to search you...they can't. Unless someone has the power to arrest, they can't touch you.

Example-I'm leaving Walmart and because of their incompetent cashiers or shoddy computer system, something in my bags causes the alarm to go off...they can ASK me to stay so they can check my bags, but they have no legal power to make me stay unless it's a security guard requesting it.

Auntie Slag · Post by **Auntie Slag** » Sun Mar 30, 2003 1:34 pm

One of my old flatmates used to work for W.H. Smith (a high street retail outlet), and she told me of all the stealing that goes on. The best way to avoid those sensors is to go in with a bag that you've lined with foil and stuff all the gear into it.

They caught some people doing this, and the bag was full to bursting with Nintendo gear; gameboys, N64's, games etc (this story is from a few years back). Leads me to question how effective the foil trick is, but maybe they were caught because they were acting too suspiciously. Whatever the case, hundreds of pounds are lost a day in various bits and peices, and now I've just told you of a good way to steal more!

And just in case you forget, my name is Strafe and I live in the Ivory Tower.

Reverend Shrapnel · Post by **Reverend Shrapnel** » Sun Mar 30, 2003 4:19 pm

Foil bags? Methinks not...from working in retail for a bit myself the 'best' way to nick stuff is apparently get hold of whatever you want and wait near the front of the store. Because store alarms are pretty non-specific they go off fairly regularly, so when someone walks through and sets 'em off, they take a few seconds to reset and people slip out in the confusion. It's a bugger when you know some sod's got £20 worth of books under his coat and just slips away...

And yeah, I hate getting followed by security guards as well but as Denyer said, the trenchcoat, sideburns and shaggy hair give people the wrong idea...

StoneCold Skywarp · Post by **StoneCold Skywarp** » Sun Mar 30, 2003 4:27 pm

I've started to play a little game with security guards...

If you notice them watching you, deliberately make your way towards them and stand next to them...when they walk off to watch you from a distance, walk to them again still looking at items.

Really bugs the **** outta them...

either that, or point out that in the time it took to watch you making a genuine perchase at least 2 people have exited their store without paying for their items...

Cliffjumper · Post by **Cliffjumper** » Sun Mar 30, 2003 4:30 pm

Or do a Spaced, engage them in conversation, pretend you're interested in being a security guard, and when asked for details replicate Travis Bickle's false info from Taxi Driver...

Or ask them why the police threw them out...

DrSpengler · Post by **DrSpengler** » Sun Mar 30, 2003 4:55 pm

I had a conversation with a 14 year old last night at work. Here it is, word for word:

Me: Finding everything alright?

Punk: Yeah.

Me: Well, if you need anything just ask. I'll be in this section.

Punk: Why don't you just back off!

Me: Excuse me?

Punk: Get out of my face or I'll step!

Me: You'll what?

Punk: I'll start swingn', man! Now **** off!

Me: So then you're threatening me?

Punk: ....Nah...nah, man.

Me: I'm gonna have to ask you to leave, sir.

By then the entire store had heard him and my manager came to escort the punk out. He beeped on his way out, BTW. He was trying to steal 8 Mile :rolleyes:

Well, we caught him but still had about a dozen products stolen anyway.

Leader-1 · Post by **Leader-1** » Sun Mar 30, 2003 5:06 pm

For example, i was X-Mas shopping, so my mom and sister wet for lunch and turned me loose to shop. after 3 stores, i noticed guards watching me. (keep in mind i had a couple of bags already and was having tyrouble picking out stuff for my mom.) every time i left a store, a guard watched me from about 100 feet away. i dropped off my bags with my mom, they stopped. it was x-mas and all sorts of people had lots of bags. but i was 13, and thusly was some young puk to be watched. but they were doing their job, so WGASA.

Silly Cow · Post by **Silly Cow** » Sun Mar 30, 2003 5:08 pm

Why the heck did he start making trouble if he was going to steal something? Losing his nerves or something?

Once at work I saw a man putting a VCR in his hockey bag right in front of me. He even looked at me and then went on. I was dumbstruck for a couple of seconds. Then I decided that he actually was that arrogant/stupid and informed the security.
I then got a whooping 8,40€ reward for it.

DrSpengler · Post by **DrSpengler** » Sun Mar 30, 2003 5:23 pm

My local mall has a rule:

No person under the age of 18 may enter the mall in groups larger than 2.

It's a way of keeping gangs out of the mall (downtown Springfield is full of them) but it also screws over people at the mall with their friends.

Jonin · Post by **Jonin** » Sun Mar 30, 2003 7:18 pm

Originally posted by Sir Auros
Actually, if you're ever confronted by anyone in a store and they demand to search you...they can't. Unless someone has the power to arrest, they can't touch you.

Example-I'm leaving Walmart and because of their incompetent cashiers or shoddy computer system, something in my bags causes the alarm to go off...they can ASK me to stay so they can check my bags, but they have no legal power to make me stay unless it's a security guard requesting it.

Reminds of what happened to me just this past Friday afternoon.

I had just bought another DVD for myself "The Return of the Living Dead" for $17 Canadian at our Zellers mall that's nearby, and walked out of the mall itself to the hall area where other stores are, and the alarm went off.

I looked back to see if there were any folks that entered Zellers or if anyone else left there, and saw just two people that had entered as I left.

I just shrugged it off and kept on walking.
The heck if I was gonna go back in for them to scan my stuff again of my own will, afterall, it wasn't my fault they forgot to scan it or didn't do it properly.
If they wanted to come chase me they were more than welcome to do it, as I didn't do anything wrong.

RID Scourge · Post by **RID Scourge** » Sun Mar 30, 2003 8:17 pm

One day, I had several people ask me if they could help me within minutes. It gets quite annoying.

Another time, my brother and I were looking at DVDs in Best Buy, and we noticed this guy following us. The guy continued to watch us when our mother got there.

Originally posted by DrSpengler
My local mall has a rule:

No person under the age of 18 may enter the mall in groups larger than 2.

I the corner store had a rule had a rule similar to that. I just figured it was stupid, but I never got a chance to break it. Nowadays, I would have done it on purpose, just to prove how stupid he was, and then I would have made a scene (maybe even get destructive

) if he got confrontational.

BlueBlaster · Post by **BlueBlaster** » Sun Mar 30, 2003 8:26 pm

Sometimes the alarms won't work. My sister went away with a Batman on a motorcycle toy some years ago and nobody noticed it.

Halfshell · Post by **Halfshell** » Sun Mar 30, 2003 8:27 pm

Originally posted by Cliffjumper
Reminds me of a time I bought a second-hand video at Cardiff market, walked into HMV and all the alarms went off... it took up 45 minutes of my day as the fools watched a CCTV tape, and realised I'd walked into the ****ing store...

The alarms in the Bath branch of Dixons get set off by HMV security tags - even after they've been deactivated. And vice versa, for that matter.

Now, as my Saturday afternoons used to consist of browsing the new releases in HMV, then making a trip to the nearest electronics shop to check the footy latest on Ceefax...

Post by **Denyer** » Sun Mar 30, 2003 9:28 pm

Cooperate? No, there's a principle to be observed... take the power into your own hands, be observant of the law, and shuffle them toward making mistakes which you can screw them with. Never be persuaded to leave the shop floor, where you have the best opportunity to publically embarass them for their incompetence.

Mmm... the PC World and Staples tags seem to set each other off all the time, too...

Although the conversations you can have with TV license inspectors are even more amusing...

TFARCHIVE FORUMS

<sigh> Security people in stores... <rant>

<sigh> Security people in stores... <rant>

They automatically distrust teens.