I Am Suspected Of Shoplifting. You're KIDDING?!

[Locutus of Bored]

I'm confused at why people wear backpacks into supermarkets.

Do you people also wear your backpacks into movie theaters?

I guess you don't walk or ride a bike much then, because it's perfectly normal to carry a backpack around with you in those situations. I have three supermarkets, a drug store, and two department stores within a couple minutes walking distance of my house. Why take the car when you can enjoy a good walk and carry your groceries or other items home in your backpack?

And yes, I see plenty of people with backpacks in movie theaters. That's usually how they smuggle candy and sodas past The Fuzz.

 

[Kestra]

When I was still in Chicago and was doing a full grocery run, I'd walk the few blocks to the store but had one of those dorky little carts with me. You can fit a surprising amount of groceries in them and they're quite strong! We keep ours in the trunk now and it's handy just for carting groceries up from the garage.

 

[An Officer]

Who knew the inner security workings of a supermarket! By those standards then, I have also been a suspected shoplifter of my local supermarket for several years... plastic bags are so damaging to the environment, unsightly, and truly uncomfortable to carry. When I know I'll be grocery shopping, I take a large backpack with nice padding on the shoulders... I walk everywhere, so why torture yourself!

I think the story of the member of staff seems a bit flimsy, you would think after 8 years, they would have made up their minds whether or not you are a thief, and if you hypothetically had been stealing, but they had not managed to catch you, you would think you'd be considered a lost cause by now!

 

[iguana_tonante]

It's a pity that carrying a purse is only socially acceptable for women. Sure, a guy can carry a bag but if it's too small it looks too dainty or purse like and they are less likely to. I've taken to carrying totes rather than smaller purses.

It's not uncommon in Europe, especially in Italy. Lots of guy here wear satchels or what you may call sling bags. They are mighty useful for carrying around stuff like keys, mobile phones, tissues, sunglasses, etc. especially in summer where it's uncomfortable to stuff all that into light clothes' pockets.

I'm confused at why people wear backpacks into supermarkets.

Do you people also wear your backpacks into movie theaters?

I guess you don't walk or ride a bike much then, because it's perfectly normal to carry a backpack around with you in those situations.

Yep, when I'm not wearing a sling bag or a satchel, I'm often wearing a backpack. When I take the train to work, I carry around books, papers, sometimes my laptop, and having a backpack is the most comfortable way to haul them around.

 

[Trekker4747]

I'd say just having a backpack isn't enough, it's overall behavior. I suspect "wandering around the store" plays a slightly larger role than the backpack. Usually we take that as a sign of a potentital shop lifter looking for an opening to go out the front door when no one is looking. Again, it's overall behavior not one or two things that set off alarms. And, yes, sometimes it's just pure judging a person by their looks. Which isn't always a great indicator either.

We caught a woman stealing once who was the friendliest, most chatty customer we ever had. Wouldn't have suspected her for a minute with how friendly and well dressed she was. But, sure enough, she was caught trying to steal almost $100 once by just walking right out the doors without going through the registers.

 

[thestrangequark]

It's a pity that carrying a purse is only socially acceptable for women. Sure, a guy can carry a bag but if it's too small it looks too dainty or purse like and they are less likely to. I've taken to carrying totes rather than smaller purses.

It's not uncommon in Europe, especially in Italy. Lots of guy here wear satchels or what you may call sling bags. They are mighty useful for carrying around stuff like keys, mobile phones, tissues, sunglasses, etc. especially in summer where it's uncomfortable to stuff all that into light clothes' pockets.

It's the same in NYC. I'd say about half of men here carry messenger bags, totes, or satchels. And I find myself attracted to the more stylish and finely designed bags as much as I do a fine suit or shoes.

 

[SeerSGB]

I'd say just having a backpack isn't enough, it's overall behavior. I suspect "wandering around the store" plays a slightly larger role than the backpack. Usually we take that as a sign of a potentital shop lifter looking for an opening to go out the front door when no one is looking. Again, it's overall behavior not one or two things that set off alarms. And, yes, sometimes it's just pure judging a person by their looks. Which isn't always a great indicator either.

We caught a woman stealing once who was the friendliest, most chatty customer we ever had. Wouldn't have suspected her for a minute with how friendly and well dressed she was. But, sure enough, she was caught trying to steal almost $100 once by just walking right out the doors without going through the registers.

My experience from summers spent in retail-hell was that the ones that didn't look like they would in a million years were the ones that were shoplifting. Everything from a lawyer's wife that pulled a variant of the whole "Do you know who I'm married to? He'll sue your ass out of business!" defense to the local football hero.

My favorite as at a friend's store, not mine: Security officer detained and called the law on a black teenager on the word of two other white teenagers. Cops got there, gave him shit, they pulled the tapes, OOOOPS! The two snitches were the ones ripped the place off to the tune of a few hundred dollars while the black teenager didn't even know what was going on. Security officer got fired and the store manager had to write a letter of apology to teenager they detained.

 

[iguana_tonante]

I do have a rather complete collection of bags: 3 backpacks in different measures, 2 satchels, 1 haversack, 2 sling bags, even a couple of old fanny packs that I really shouldn't own. So that's my vice: bags.

Well, bags and hats.

I don't particularly care for shoes, tho. I am most often in sneakers, even with suits. (If it's good enough for the Doctor, it's good enough for me.)

 

[thestrangequark]

I do have a rather complete collection of bags: 3 backpacks in different measures, 2 satchels, 1 haversack, 2 sling bags, even a couple of old fanny packs that I really shouldn't own. So that's my vice: bags.

Well, bags and hats.

OMG. MY TWIN!

I don't particularly care for shoes, tho.

Oh, never mind.

 

[iguana_tonante]

 

[SeerSGB]

I've a black leather satchel that I got in highschool (no one ask when that was) that I carried up till about two years ago--when the connection point for the strap finally gave in to wear and tear. That bag went every where with me. Haven't been able to find a replacement for it damn near half as good.

 

[Tora Ziyal]

I'm confused at why people wear backpacks into supermarkets.

Do you people also wear your backpacks into movie theaters?

Yes. I didn't carry a purse or briefcase anywhere for years. A backpack is much more comfortable.

 

[propita]

Propita is right in a legal sense. It's shoplifting if you take something without intending to pay for it even if you haven't left the store. However, as a practical matter, it's far easier to prove that you didn't intend to pay for it if you actually left and didn't pay for it, since you're legally allowed to put items in a backpack or purse if you want to as long as you remember to pay for it.

Thanks!

Yup, I remember Judge C's Crim Law class! It didn't make sense. But even the judge said that, while it IS shoplifting, few store managers/owners will press charges while the alleged thief is in the store because "intent" is difficult to prove. Unless, as I posted, they've taken actions to hide the merchandise--and even then it's still arguable.

 

[Alidar Jarok]

Yeah. If they're caught on camera looking really shady before putting it in a bag, I'd say there's a solid case for intent. But it's far easier to say they didn't intend to pay after they didn't pay.

 

[sonak]

I can see why the guy's pissed. It's not exactly a pleasant thing to be accused of criminal acts, especially if you've been a loyal customer for eight years. A friend of mine was once falsely accused of an act of minor shoplifting, it's not a fun thing.

This cashier though is an idiot. Obviously management wasn't concerned enough to say anything all this time, and now she just potentially pissed off a regular customer for nothing.

 

[Kemaiku]

I've a black leather satchel that I got in highschool (no one ask when that was) that I carried up till about two years ago--when the connection point for the strap finally gave in to wear and tear. That bag went every where with me. Haven't been able to find a replacement for it damn near half as good.

I bought myself a woven satchel a few years ago and pretty much the same here, take it everywhere with me.

 

[Mr. Adventure]

I've a black leather satchel that I got in highschool (no one ask when that was) that I carried up till about two years ago--when the connection point for the strap finally gave in to wear and tear. That bag went every where with me. Haven't been able to find a replacement for it damn near half as good.

My college backpack is so old it was made in the USA. Still in awesome shape though.

 

[Jan]

I don't know how it's done in retail these days but I wonder if there might not have recently been a training session (or memo) on security at the store. The OP *does* exhibit some of the signs that employees and managers are trained to watch for, after all, so a sensitized employee or manager would be on the lookout for that.

It probably wouldn't hurt anything to have a talk with the manager, but it would best be done by appointment set up in advance and at least a few shopping trips after being told and having checked out with other cashiers. "It's come to my attention that..." works fine as an opening and doesn't implicate any of the employees for telling what they never should have.

 

[DonIago]

I'm not sure that the employee doesn't deserve to be implicated, myself, especially when there's no proof that she wasn't making the whole thing up.

 

[Marc]

If stores don't want you carrying backpacks around, perhaps they should provide a safe place to keep them.

When you just leave it by the counter, what's to stop some-one else just walking off with.

Going to work I took a back pack and now to college. Given it usually has my tablet in it I'd be reluctact to to leave it somewhere.

Used to be the case that shops could ask you to present you bag for inspection - what ever happen to doing that? (or maybe it was just in Australia)

And here's a curly one - what about people in wheelchairs? they frequenly have backpacks (my wife for one). Now depending on the person they can't always get to them but others can.