Shoplifters

[BumbleFlump]

I’ve noticed a couple of times people loitering around the exit of a shop, waiting until I walk through the barrier and then either walking out at the same time or directly behind. Then, lo and behold the alarm goes off.

This happened to me today and I actually stopped so the lady behind couldn’t get past me and walked off when the store’s security came over, explaining that shed deliberately walked out at the same time as me. She was directly behind me, way too close for comfort. I told her and the security guard in no uncertain terms what I thought she was up to.

Am I right in assuming this is a tactic shoplifters use to confuse security so the don’t know who set off the barrier?

The woman and her friend caught up with me in the car park and told me I’d been rude. She said the security guard checker her receipt (not her bag/buggy) but that would have just shown that she’s paid for the items on the receipt 🤷🏻‍♀️ She could easily have had other things squirrelled away in her bag. To me, this shows that she probably had been stealing and was trying to divert it all onto me and my rudeness.

So was I being unreasonable? I wouldn’t normally get involved in anything like that, but it was all just so damn obvious.

I think you were bloody brave to do that. If they approached you after and they really were shoplifters you don't know what kind of people they are.
I wouldn't have personally, and I'd leave it up to security to catch them in future because of possible repercussions.

Your assumption is that these people are waiting until you leave the shop to go through the barrier, but that really is all that it is right now... an assumption.

The security guard should have checked both of you but like you say if he just checked bags/receipts who knows what the truth is. One of you obviously did have something that set the barrier off and if it wasn't you it probably was the other person. That's not proof they actually stole anything or aimed to go through the barrier at the same time as you though.

YANBU but let's please stop using the term 'shoplifters' - it is theft and they are thieves.

I knew it wasn’t me as I’d only bought clothes (supermarket) and checked every single item carefully to see that the tag had been removed as I’ve bought things from there before only to get home and find the tag still on. So I was 100% certain I hadn’t set it off by mistake.

If she were an actual legit shoplifter I doubt she'd want to hang around in the car park and catch up with you afterwards to explain that you were rude 🤷🏻‍♀️.

Judging from what I hear over the police radio, shoplifters are far more inclined to make a swift exit.
They certainly wouldn't have been looking for you in the carpark afterwards.

I live in v posh area and the shoplifters you pick stuff and run out of Sainsburys laughing. Teens x 3
with a crate of beer each.

I just stand back. It's up to the security of lack there of to sort out. I dont want to be confronted. Your braver than me

I have heard of people doing what you describe however OP, rushing through the security barriers with other customers. Just never experienced it.

I was just so annoyed that it seemed they were trying to make out that it was me who’d set the barrier off. As I said, I’ve noticed this happening with security alarms at the exit of shops once or twice before so have started to notice a pattern.

At the moment, if someone tries tailgating you, I'd stop just before the detectors and make a fuss about social distancing. That way it draws attention to them and prevents them from tailgating without making it look like you're accusing them of stealing and risking repercussions.

Otherwise, stop just before you go through and pretend to rummage in your bag or answer your phone, ushering them ahead of you with "Sorry, am I in your way? After you"

@KarenofSparta

If she were an actual legit shoplifter I doubt she'd want to hang around in the car park and catch up with you afterwards to explain that you were rude 🤷🏻‍♀️.

This. More likely you accused an innocent woman of shoplifting.

Otherwise, stop just before you go through and pretend to rummage in your bag or answer your phone, ushering them ahead of you with "Sorry, am I in your way? After you

Excellent tactic. I would not want to get involved with these people. Let security handle it.

@fiftyval

YANBU but let's please stop using the term 'shoplifters' - it is theft and they are thieves.

Ffs, is the term shop lifters offensive or something? Stop trying tk police what other people say. What a ridiculous post.

OP if you have noticed this several times what makes you think that the security guards haven't noticed this tactic? It's not confusing them, they just don't care that much.

If I did that around here I'd probably get knifed in the car park.

Also, you can't go around accusing people of shoplifting no matter what tactic you think you have uncovered. You made a fool of yourself and embarrassed a woman who probably did nothing wrong.

@fiftyval

YANBU but let's please stop using the term 'shoplifters' - it is theft and they are thieves.

Shoplifter is the correct term . It doesn't minimise the crime if that's where you're coming from.

She was directly behind me, way too close for comfort

Hopefully she's learnt to socially distance then.

I've been stopped a couple of times recently when the alarms went off, and the security guards have only ever taken the most cursory look at my receipt before waving me on. To be honest it did cross my mind that it would be easy to slip off with stolen goods while a legitimate customer was being checked like this.

I’ve done something similar on the tube - walking really slowly to stop the thieving toe rag behind squeezing through the barrier behind me. Theft is not a victimless crime, we all pay. To avoid getting stabbed though I would be discrete - maybe develop a limp or cramp

In my local Sainsburys clothes always set the beeper off, even with no tags. The security man comes over, sees you have clothes as part of your shopping and just waves you through.
So it may have been you after all?

Good job you aren't a judge.
Guilty until proven innocent. When apparentely found innocent you still say they must be guilty

If someone is leaving the shop after you it doesn’t make them a shoplifter. You put an innocent person through an embarrassing and maybe intimidating experience.

If you really think people are following you could it be because you walk down the middle of the available space or take up more space than most in some other way. Maybe you move slowly? People don’t want to squeeze past because of social distancing but also want to leave the shop.

Going out at the same time is how you jump ticket barriers at train stations. Shoplifters remove/deactivate the alarms on high ticket items not go for the absolutely sh*te technique of walking through the barrier with someone. Do you think security guards can only see one person at a time?

So was I being unreasonable? I wouldn’t normally get involved in anything like that, but it was all just so damn obvious.

I don't think it's at all obvious that a thief would accuse you of being rude. Any sane thief would avoid you.

The fact that you still insist you are right and you think it happens to you all the time suggests you have difficulty assessing situations in a rational way and read too much into coincidences.

You'd probably accuse me of this OP but the reason I come up behind people going in or out of a shop is because I walk fast and the majority of people walk so darned slow.

I'd have something to say if you accused me of shoplifting theft with no evidence, Good job the person concerned had a receipt, I buy everything from the self-serve tills and don't bother with a receipt. Might have to start getting one now to protect myself from judgemental slow walkers.

So did the alarm go off again after security stopped her?

I think there were other ways you could have dealt with this OP, not accused someone of a crime without evidence.

Once I was shopping with my 2 month old baby and a cashier stopped me saying I was a thief and would be put in a room with a security guard and they were calling the police. Turns out she'd seen something I'd bought in another shop in the back of the buggy. I told the manager and he said she would no longer be working there.