Got Busted

[Ria]

The closet CDrs will relate to this. I went to return a movie at the DVD rental place. I'm wearing guy cloths of course. Except under my jeans I'm wearing moca colored pantyhose. I didn't wear socks because it was just a quick jaunt down the street, my jeans cover my ankles, I like the feeling of nylons without socks.

I walk into the store and the security beeper goes off. I look at the staff and smile, lift my hands, "I didn't steel anything". The women says "ok, do have anything in your pockets that could set it off" No I don't, I have my wallet and thats it. COnvinced there machine is broken I picked my movie and paid for it.

As I walk out, the damn thing goes off again and the kid is on me like white on rice. "what do you think it is?" as he's checking me out. I don't know? get away from me dude? He thinks its my shoes and wants me to lift them up to the sensors. Regretably I did comply only to flash my nylon clad ankles.

The lady says, "are those Old Navy Jeans?" Yeah, "oh yeah they often don't undo the security patches after purchase." she says, see ya later.

By now the kid was back to his duties, leaving me with the feeling he had a funny story to tell his workmate.

Sucks for me hey. I'm 35, I drive a premium vehical, they can see this, yet I'm a potential security threat? I might have sticky fingers in there?

I was a bit pissed my personal space was invaded.

[Emily Ann Brown]

Get used to it dear....the worse the world gets the less private space we are gonna have.


Emily Ann

[Amy Hepker]

Oh Ya, just the begining of no privacy.

[ElaineB]

I was a bit pissed my personal space was invaded.

Next time, tell him to f*#k off when he tries to search you.

It does not matter how many noisy alarms they put up with flashing red searchlights, they still have no right to detain you unless they have a good reason to believe you've stolen something ... and they have no right to search you or lay a hand on you *at all*!

Why do people put up with this from stores?

P.S. Which shop was this? Rogers? What is the address? Perhaps I will stop by (in drab) with a new pair of Old Navy jeans and make a nuisance of myself! :)

[RobertaFermina]

So, uh, well, could there be DVD in your shoe ? Let me have them !

We are supposed to do anything reasonable that a police officer requests...however, last I recall, Video Store clerks can be redirected, ignored, or confronted when they are out of line.

It's the whole Benjiman Franklin quote thingy "Those Who Sacrifice Liberty For <a sense of> Security Deserve Neither."

I have done this too....give up a piece of my personal space just to "get it over with." I now realize that those people who dig in and say NO are not all mean pains-in-the-whatsis. Many are recognizing the value of their Liberty and personal boundaries, and doing what is appropriate to maintain them.

:rose: Feeling Guilty? :rose:

[Cristi]

Whenever I hear those doorway alarms go off as I pass through, I just keep walking. I don't really CARE what their 'policy' is, I don't appreciate being treated like a potential criminal just because a machine they have makes a beeping noise!

Legally, they can't stop you or block you in any way, much less search you. The MOST they can do is call the police and hope that they get there before you leave the parking lot!

These 'security measures' only work because the sheep in this country accept them.

The ones I really love are at places like 'Best Buy' where they ask you if they can look in your bag and examine the receipt for things you just paid for! I just say 'no thank you' like I misunderstood the question and keep walking.

[Tracy_Victoria]

Next time, tell him to f*#k off when he tries to search you.

It does not matter how many noisy alarms they put up with flashing red searchlights, they still have no right to detain you unless they have a good reason to believe you've stolen something ... and they have no right to search you or lay a hand on you *at all*!

Why do people put up with this from stores?



Because shops lose millions of pounds each year to theft!

No they don't have a right to search you, however they do have the right to detain you, and call the police. I begin to wonder which would be the more embaressing, ie to comply or be strip searched and then release with maybe a small letter of appoligy if your lucky?

Better just to be amicable, and comply!




Sucks for me hey. I'm 35, I drive a premium vehical, they can see this, yet I'm a potential security threat? I might have sticky fingers in there?



Makes no difference, criminals come in all guises, and who ever said crime doesn't pay didn't make exceptions for those that drive round in mercs and rollers.

Believe me, I've seen some really flash cars, driven by shopplifters! To some it a proffession, and as quoted in Poridge some would say "getting caught is an occupational hazzard!"

[ElaineB]

No they don't have a right to search you, however they do have the right to detain you, and call the police.

No, they do not have the right to arbitrarily detain you. Only the police can do that, and even they have to show cause to keep you detained. Habeus Corpus ... which thankfully still applies in our country and yours (altho apparently not in the USA :Angry3:).

They can make a Citizen's Arrest if they see a crime being committed. Note the *IF*. For your part - you can charge them with unlawful confinement and (if they are dumb enough to lay hands on you) assault too. So --- every such case opens the possibility of legal trouble on both sides.

There is a big nasty grey area around the whole business of store keepers stopping people -- that is; mostly it is nasty for *them* and not for you (altho underdressing raises the stakes just a tad).

Insofar as there is any safe rule at all, the rule for shopkeepers would be that you need reasonable grounds to lawfully stop somebody or else you are asking for trouble. The rule for customers is even simpler. If you have not done anything wrong your only obligations are to leave the store if they ask you to.

In the case above the shop staff should have been watching him from the moment the alarm went off when he walked in; and they probably were. So there was no reason to stop him on the way out and definitely no reason for a body search. This was just way out of line.

The real problem is not them being suspicious but the way they treat people. For me --- I am reasonable about security but I will not roll over and let obnoxious kids in stores treat me like a criminal. There are sensible and tactful and respectful ways to handle these matters.

Not long ago some blockhead at Best Buy wanted to slap stickers on my things as I went in (and I did not set off any alarms). I told him no and walked out again, and they lost a bit of business.

A longer time ago I went into some other store and the security alarm went off. The person at the door said `Hey, let me swipe that for you so the alarms aren't always going off'. Probably just an excuse to snoop but fine, that I will accept. This is one of the smart ways to handle such problems.

[Tracy_Victoria]

No, they do not have the right to arbitrarily detain you. Only the police can do that, and even they have to show cause to keep you detained. Habeus Corpus ... which thankfully still applies in our country and yours (altho apparently not in the USA :Angry3:).

They can make a Citizen's Arrest if they see a crime being committed. Note the *IF*. For your part - you can charge them with unlawful confinement and (if they are dumb enough to lay hands on you) assault too. So --- every such case opens the possibility of legal trouble on both sides.


even if this is so, I'm not an expert on Law, however I do know the rules on citizens arrest having worked as a security guard many years ago! How ever, the point of the fact is if you make the fuss, and they do restrain you only to find it is all a mistake. you then have to go through the courts to get any form of satisfaction, and they then raise the question as to why you were walking around there shop in hose/womans clothing either full or part dressed. Ie they just have to say your action or mannerisms and dress alerted then to the fact you might be up to no good, and as you were unwilling to comply only re-enforced there view.

If your lucky as I said, you might get a letter saying sorry, if your really lucky you might get a few quid for the trouble (minimal damages) however there nothing the press love more than local court actions, and is the risk of having your names and action plastered all over the local (national new on a slow day) is it really worth that sort of hastle, specially for those CD's/TV's partners and families, that don't know!!!

[ElaineB]

How ever, the point of the fact is if you make the fuss, and they do restrain you only to find it is all a mistake. ...

From "making the fuss" to being restrained is a pretty big step. And the possibility of somebody attempting to restrain me is not enough reason to take abuse.

In this case -- simply shouting `No you do NOT have permission to search me. Step back NOW!' and walking out the door would very likely have ended it all.

[KandisTX]

1. The alarm went off when you entered, they should have remembered that when you left.

2. Even with a security guard, they are only SUPPOSED to observe and report to actual law enforcement officials actions they found suspicious.

3. They can NOT legally forcibly detain you, they can however ask you to wait for the police IF they have "just cause" to call them. Otherwise they have no choice but to let you go on your merry way.

4. When the alarms go off when exiting the store, they can do one of two things. They can ask you if they can look in your bags and IF they find stolen goods they can call the police, but they cannot MAKE you stay there waiting for them.

It has been my experience that if there is an issue the best thing to do is contact the manager either at that time, or get a number to contact them later and possibly the corporate offices to lodge a complaint. If these two options do not lend themselves to resolving the issue to your satisfaction, your recourse is to take them to court (usually recommend small claims but the max allowable there is $5,000.00).

Kandis:love:

((I am NOT a lawyer, nor a law enforcement officer, but I have worked security and retail for way too many years to not know these rules))

[Alice B]

The kid was a bit out of line, but the woman sales lady handled it well. I bet the whole thing was a bit unplesent, but now it makes for a good story, although the audience is limited.:heehee:

[Sally24]

Sucks for me hey. I'm 35, I drive a premium vehical, they can see this, yet I'm a potential security threat? I might have sticky fingers in there?

I was a bit pissed my personal space was invaded.
Hey...there are thieves in every social strata and income bracket. Just because you look normal and drive a nice vehicle doesn't mean you wouldn't shoplift. Feel bad for the guy making minimum wage who has to hassle people who are in a bad mood!

[Melora]

He's a Kid.. Probably did not know you.. Dont worry, he probably does it too.. Hehe.. :happy:

[teresa jeen]

thank god you live in a free society!! think what could've happened. the alarm goes off, to them you've stolen something. mistakes do happen, don't stress over it.