Warning! Incoming rant about supermarket security!

Shoseki

Shoseki

Shoseki

Soldato
Joined
12 Jan 2004
Posts
3,172
Location
Brighton
You have been warned! But damn, I need to get this off my chest.

I have an AV500 Archos that is big, bulky, and has a crap case that doesn't quite fit it. It has eaten into my leather jacket, destroyed the inside pocket through weight alone, so often when I am out and about and am using it, it slips into the inside of my jacket.

This is not usually a problem.

However, supermarket security now is so harsh, that I feel like a criminal walking around. I enter the shop, get an evil stare from the (usually black and 6ft10) bouncer, and he pretty much follows me around the store (I will clearly name this store as Co-op as I am sure it isn't a competitor). Whenever I pass an isle, its like co-ordinate efforts of shop assistants happen to come and put something onto a shelf just as I am walking past etc etc. I feel like a criminal.

This particular shopping trip, my AV500 slips into the inside pocket and I am desperately trying to reach into the inside of my jacket lining to reach it and change the song that is ripping through my ears... as shop assistants drop what they are doing and "pretend to start taking an inventory of the overfull freezer next to me as I queue".

I hate, and I repeat *hate* shopping in supermarkets now. I have never broken any laws, I am in academia (well 50%/50% with a business job), I only went in there for a jar of pickled onions and a jar of honey, and I am psychologically assaulted.

I shop there *every other day* I have been in there hundreds, if not thousands of times. The fact is though, that of course they don't really give a damn about me as a customer, I am another faceless potential shoplifter wastrel that should be treated with contempt.

/rant over



/breath
 
There's nothing wrong with proactive shop security, it's miles better than sitting around trying to catch phantoms by watching cctv footage.
Just get over it, you've stolen nothing, and if you were asked to 'empty your pockets' I'm sure you'd get a sincere apology when they realised they'd made a mistake.
 
I don't wear a tin foil hat... but still I don't like being intimidated.

When I worked for ***** electronic shop, I was told the best way to stop shoplifting was to greet people who entered. Not stalk them.
 
cleanbluesky said:
Stop feeling dodgy and others will cease to treat you as if you are dodgy
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I can't help it. I was in duty free once and my sister suddenly yelled (as a fun joke :rolleyes: ) "don't put that in your pocket!" right as we go through checkout... I think I had a heart murmur as I said "I don't remember stealing anything..."

I hadn't, stupid cow :( but I can't help walking around feeling guilty.
 
I was followed recently in a supermarket until I politely lost him and caught up around the other side, saying he was barking up the wrong tree.

I wasn't angry though, I just thought he would be better off elsewhere so I told him.
 
heh the security man allows follows me cos I look so shady. More funny because I used to work there. Sometimes I look even more dodgy on purpose :p
 
If anything it's good to hear there are security guards who actually do something. Cant tell you how many times ive been in a shop, and the alarms go off, but none of the store staff do ANYTHING at all
 
When people come into the shop and they have been known to pick pocket in the past, I keep an eye and will make it obvious that I'm looking. If they have nothing to hide, they won't bother. If they have something to hide, they start making comments.

However, it's my property, and I'm entitled to make sure nobody steals. If you don't nick anything, then I as the owner have nothing to be inquisitive of you.

If the bouncer sees you a couple of times and you're ok, then he'll start trusting you, and you won't feel too bothered about him following you, if at all.
 
Just fill your pockets full of stock and walk along the row of checkouts, just to freak them out. You can pick items of the shelf and put them in your pocket untill you reach the checkout, where you can just take them out an pay for them. Its totally legal and will really annoy them. Or even better get a bag with a £ on the side of it and fill that up with stock and empty it at the checkouts, could have a bit of a laugh with it.
 
I wouldn't worry about it too much. It happens to me all the time due to an accident I had with an open cupboard when I was 4. Left a rather large scar on my chin/throat, and looks pretty steriotypical to something you'd see in a gangster film. I get told "its not on tonight" when I go to clubs, and police pull over to ask me if I'm ok when I walk home.
 
Shoseki said:
When I worked for ***** electronic shop, I was told the best way to stop shoplifting was to greet people who entered. Not stalk them.
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Bit trickier in a supermarket though because of the volumes of customers and the type of goods. When I worked at Focus DIY over the summer my policy on potential shoplifters was always to go over and ask if they needed assistance on anything - of course this is a lot easier when you're talking about what kind of paint to use rather than whether someone should buy chips or wedges :p
 
Welshy said:
If anything it's good to hear there are security guards who actually do something. Cant tell you how many times ive been in a shop, and the alarms go off, but none of the store staff do ANYTHING at all
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Well, usually because it's not their job. Security issues are dealt with by managers and security guards.

Also, for £5/hour why should they do anything other than what is stated in their contract.
 
I would agree with the OP, until i started working in a supermarket.

The amount of shoplifters is unbelievable, the security guard is just their as a deterrant. If hes suspicious, all he has to do is let the person know thier being watched and they wont steal.

Whenever the secret shopper comes in once a month into my store, he catch's about 10 people an hour.

Its nothing personal, if you reach into your jacket then as long as you havent stole anything, thiers no problem with them following you really.
 
At work, are alarm things at the door go off all the time, for some reason they get set off by woolworths and super drug bags :confused: :confused:

wierd i know

if we know someone is dodgy, eg they have tried to steal in the past or are known to steal, we have 1 or 2 people stock the shelves watching them, usually one of us goes right up behind them and looks at them :p

The other night, a 17 year old stole 2 cans of beer. We hadnt seem him do it, but the guy at the checkout saw it under his coat. He knew who he was etc so didnt confront him. When the kid had left, the girl who was on duty, rang her boyfriend to get the kids phone number. We then rang him, told him to return it or we are calling the police. He denied it, however we said we had eye witnesses (which we did) and that we had it on camera (not sure if it was actually on camera.

He then came rushing in, offering to pay for them as well as returning them :D
 
Shoseki said:
I am psychologically assaulted.
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Yeah, whatever.

Why don't you say "hey dude, I'm not nicking anything - it's just my mp3 player"? *Then* if they carry on being silly, complain.

You can't have a go at them for doing their job. Even if it seems a bit OTT, although also you'd be amazed how often humans see what they want to see :)
 
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