I went to my local supermarket this afternoon to pick up a few bits and pieces. We’re in a big city and I’m in there almost every day. There’s only one checkout with a person working it; the rest are self-checkouts.
I got chosen for a random check. No drama, it happens a lot. Then I was told I hadn’t scanned my bag for life. No , I said, it’s mine. I just took it out of my pocket. The woman repeated that I hadn’t scanned it, and I repeated that it was mine and had just come out of my pocket. She called a supervisor and they told me to wait.
A few minutes later the supervisor came back, and the first woman said (without looking at me), “You can go”. Nothing was said about what had happened but I assume they reviewed security tape or something and saw that yes, my bag had in fact come out of my own pocket.
I pointed out that they had been quite rude and was pointedly ignored. I was shaking. I’m shy in public at the best of times and I really didn’t know what was going on or what was going to happen. I mean, you wouldn’t expect they’d call the cops over a bag for life but I had no way of proving I hadn’t stolen it. They were, if anything, even more rude once they said I could go.
What should I do? I’m honestly quite scared to go back. None of the usual staff seemed to be working today (I’ve been in there perhaps every second day for over a decade, quite a few of them know me by sight.) But it’s my local shop…
(By the way I am well aware that regulars steal things too, and I have no issue with being checked. The attitude, though, was awful. When I questioned it I was basically told to leave the shop now please madam!)