Follow me...

[Lace Neil Singer]

Apparently, the security staff at a certain large store have a list of what potential shoplifters wear and at the top of the list is "a hoodie". XD I say this cuz I went to the store to take a look around and price stuff in anticipation of Christmas shopping... and the security guard started following me around. True, I had my hands in my pockets and was stopping to look at stuff... anyway, I decided to take the security guard for a nice little walk all over the store right before I left without buying anything. I guess I'm just so easily amused.

[PepperElf]

heh. well it's better than what some people do... where they confront the LP and play the "I'm offended" card. (which is even more amusing if they actually stole something).

[Sheldonrs]

The only problem with this is now the guard thinks you WERE there to steal, since all he or she saw was someone in a hoodie checking things out all over the store and not buying anything.

[Lace Neil Singer]

So what? They can hardly confront me and accuse me of being a thief, since I never touched anything. Besides, there were lots of people doing what I was doing, that's why it was so funny to me; while that security guard was wasting his time following me over the store, that woman in the designer coat could have been stuffing handfuls of merchandise into her bag.

[Sparky]

I had a friend who shaved her head. No, I don't understand why. She discovered that having a bare scalp is cold. She wore a hoodie to a shopping mall, and had the hood up to keep her head warm. She was told to put her hood down or leave.

Because....? Um, okay I don't get it.

[Limescale]

We had that as a rule at one of my previous work places, even though we all agreed a hoodie really wasn't the best attire for shoplifting in the first place (not enough space for stashing ill gotten gains, and with the hoodie up their peripheral vision was greatly reduced so they couldn't check if anyone was watching them).

Ironically such a rule DID help us weed out a few of the more abusive folk who we'd never have welcomed regardless of their intent so it wasn't entirely a waste of time.

[blas]

Hooded sweaters are a big one for people to be randomly pulled for a search with airport security.

Not zip hoodies or pull-over hoodies, but plain old hoodies with the pouch in the front.

My poor mom.

[Andara Bledin]

Hoodies are so ubiquitous these days, that unless the weather is warm, it's a useless indicator on its own.

I've been followed by LP once. Nekojin & I, both quite obviously over 30, were at a Target shopping for stuff for our home. We have no idea what set LP off to watching us, but they followed us for about half an hour while we talked to each other, sotto voce, and had a good laugh at how unsubtle and off target the guy was.

^-.-^

[MoonCat]

When I was in my teens, the local Sears store had a habit of having their employees follow you around if you were a kid. My brother and I used to joke that they thought we were planning to shove a couple refrigerators under our coats.

It was a smaller store in a mall, most of the merchandise was stoves, washers, dryers, refrigerators, lawn mowers, etc. They had very little stuff small enough to hide on your person.

[Gerrinson]

When I was in my late teens I went to the local department store with my stepmom & siblings. They all went off together while I did my own shopping but some quick math showed I couldn't afford everything. After hemming and hawing for a bit, I put back one of my purchases.

In the meantime, one of the employees had showed up in the aisle with a broom, and walked up one side and down the other. Pretty standard if you're going to get a whole aisle clean. Then he did it again. And again. And again. Subtle...like a brick to the head.

I met up with my family and we walked through the store looking at some stuff that my stepmom wanted my opinon on. The whole time, broom guy is walking about 6 ft behind me, stopping when we stopped, and just staring at me the whole time. Even through the check out.

The really weird part is that I had been shopping at this store 2-3 times a week for several years because I worked in the next store over. I have no idea why they thought I was a theft risk on this particular day.

[Maria]

And now I'm going to be humming Uncle Kracker all day, thanks.

Hooded sweaters are a big one for people to be randomly pulled for a search with airport security.

Eek. I'm suddenly glad that I'm required to dress business-casual or better. Last time I flew, I was carrying the research for my paper on how flight deck layout can affect the risk of pilot error. Poor guys probably would have had a meltdown!

The really weird part is that I had been shopping at this store 2-3 times a week for several years because I worked in the next store over. I have no idea why they thought I was a theft risk on this particular day.

That happened to my sister and me once when we were teens, shopping at the neighborhood grocery store we'd been going to 3-5 times a week since forever, and one night the security guy decided to follow us. I sort of see why his "uhoh" sense went on full alert. We came in at 2am on a Friday night, wearing hoodies in the middle of summer in Arizona, picking up stuff like toilet paper and brake fluid.

But even still, we knew all the employees, most of them knew where we lived, and Mom sent us every Friday night for last-minute supplies to repair the race car. And our house didn't have air conditioning so we always wore jackets in stores or we'd freeze. No idea what that was about, that night... maybe they had recently discovered a big theft problem, or somebody in management had gotten wound-up about something or other. Maybe he was just practicing following customers discreetly... if so, he definitely needed the practice!

[Lace Neil Singer]

That's just the thing; if you know a security guard is tailing you, then they obviously need to practice a bit more. XD

[KatherineB]

I had that happen once. I turned around and asked the guard if he wanted anything. Clearly he was new at the job because he turned bright red and almost ran away.

Now am I really that scary...?

[mharbourgirl]

When I was in my teens, the local Sears store had a habit of having their employees follow you around if you were a kid. My brother and I used to joke that they thought we were planning to shove a couple refrigerators under our coats.

It was a smaller store in a mall, most of the merchandise was stoves, washers, dryers, refrigerators, lawn mowers, etc. They had very little stuff small enough to hide on your person.

I'd guess it wasn't so much that you might be planning to steal stuff, but kids are notorious for just messing with things and accidentally breaking stuff. They probably just wanted to keep an eye out to make sure you didn't get into anything you shouldn't.

[Mr. Anubite]

I used to get followed around all the time when I was a little younger than I am now. I'm 19 now, and it doesn't happen as often as it used to, when I was 16 and 17, but it still happens from time to time. I'm not sure why.