Just putting my neck into the convo...
Sometimes it's not just race, its age... although I'm not overly paranoid
about it, it DOES get me sometimes when I shop at wal-mart. I am a
20 year old girl with my 20 year old boyfriend and we shop very very
late at night because both of us work 10-11 hour days durring the day
and also never want to deal with the crowds. Now, maybe the time of
night, the age and the fact that we purchase DVD's and other electronics
on a regular basis all adds up to always being checked but it's a little
disconcerting when other people with similar or other types of purchases
are not given the same treatment.
It's not the checking that I don't mind. As a computer/gamer geek I frequent
Frys Electronics. And you simply cannot leave the store with ANYTHING in
your hand without them completely checking the reciept and marking it of
as verfied. It's impossible.
HOWEVER, they do it to EVERYONE, with no caring as to what little or what
large ammount you buy. It's blanket treatment and therefore equal.
Walmart is in the bussiness of ease and cheap-ness and therefore will not
hire the 2-3 greeters it would take to perform blanket receipt checks. So
they perform a profiling practice where they teach their greeters who is
most likely and at what times they will shop lift and what items they might
be trying to steal.
While this is unfair to me, the paying customer to feel targeted for things
that are not in my control (age, gender, race) and things that are (purchase
type) it is a simple truth that, since you have purchased your items, they
are now yours. You have proof of ownership on your person and no one, not
even a wal-mart greeter can demand to see your reciept and deny you
exit unless they show you probable cause. Without it, your cooperation is
purely voluntary. I have on one occasion asked the lady at the door:
"Why do you need to see the receipt?"
"Just to verify your purchase.. it'll just take a second..."
"I'm sorry, am I being accused of shoplifting ma'am?"
"No, I just need to verify your purchase..."
"Unfortunately ma'am, without just cause, I do not have to permit you to
look inside MY bags or see MY receipt, now if you had proof or suspicion
of my being a shoplifter I would of course shop you verfication of my
purchase. But you don't. Good-night."
She just stood their in shock. I meant no ill will towards her, but someone
has got to relay to Wal-mart management that not all Americans bend over
backwards for them. And if her story tells them anything, it's that some of
us, regardless of if we shop their, no our rights and will NOT be profiled.
It may not get them to change their policy, but at least it makes them think.
~Ally
Sometimes it's not just race, its age... although I'm not overly paranoid
about it, it DOES get me sometimes when I shop at wal-mart. I am a
20 year old girl with my 20 year old boyfriend and we shop very very
late at night because both of us work 10-11 hour days durring the day
and also never want to deal with the crowds. Now, maybe the time of
night, the age and the fact that we purchase DVD's and other electronics
on a regular basis all adds up to always being checked but it's a little
disconcerting when other people with similar or other types of purchases
are not given the same treatment.
It's not the checking that I don't mind. As a computer/gamer geek I frequent
Frys Electronics. And you simply cannot leave the store with ANYTHING in
your hand without them completely checking the reciept and marking it of
as verfied. It's impossible.
HOWEVER, they do it to EVERYONE, with no caring as to what little or what
large ammount you buy. It's blanket treatment and therefore equal.
Walmart is in the bussiness of ease and cheap-ness and therefore will not
hire the 2-3 greeters it would take to perform blanket receipt checks. So
they perform a profiling practice where they teach their greeters who is
most likely and at what times they will shop lift and what items they might
be trying to steal.
While this is unfair to me, the paying customer to feel targeted for things
that are not in my control (age, gender, race) and things that are (purchase
type) it is a simple truth that, since you have purchased your items, they
are now yours. You have proof of ownership on your person and no one, not
even a wal-mart greeter can demand to see your reciept and deny you
exit unless they show you probable cause. Without it, your cooperation is
purely voluntary. I have on one occasion asked the lady at the door:
"Why do you need to see the receipt?"
"Just to verify your purchase.. it'll just take a second..."
"I'm sorry, am I being accused of shoplifting ma'am?"
"No, I just need to verify your purchase..."
"Unfortunately ma'am, without just cause, I do not have to permit you to
look inside MY bags or see MY receipt, now if you had proof or suspicion
of my being a shoplifter I would of course shop you verfication of my
purchase. But you don't. Good-night."
She just stood their in shock. I meant no ill will towards her, but someone
has got to relay to Wal-mart management that not all Americans bend over
backwards for them. And if her story tells them anything, it's that some of
us, regardless of if we shop their, no our rights and will NOT be profiled.
It may not get them to change their policy, but at least it makes them think.
~Ally
