Security guard follows me with buggy

[MollyP1]

Since having a baby I’ve noticed security guards following me around shops when I’m with the buggy. Today, I walked into Tesco and the security guard ran after me, shouting hello repeatedly. He walked in front of me with his body cam on and asked me why I hadn’t picked up a basket when I came in. I said I’m only getting one item. He didn’t step aside, he continued to position himself to ensure he was recording my face as he clearly thought I was a thief (I am not). Then every aisle I walked down, he appeared. It made me feel so anxious. Is this normal behaviour from security guards? Why do I have to take a basket?? I can’t push a buggy easily with one hand if I’m holding a basket!! It has really bothered me and I keep thinking about it. I don’t think it’s acceptable behaviour from him!

Because people load up prams with stuff to steal it.

Who'd a' thought it!

He sounds like a jobsworth tbh although I got constant stares from the security guards when dd was little

Even though I went to the same lidl every single Monday 🙄🙄

How ridiculous, I don’t always take a basket if I’m getting 1-2 things, I wouldn’t shop there again.

It’s funny, I’ve always chucked stuff in the bottom of my pram instead of using a basket and I’ve never been followed (that I’ve noticed) or stopped.

Crazy. I have a double buggy and there’s no way someone’s forcing me to take a bloody basket

I would hate that. It would really put me off shopping there. Im not normally one to ask for a manager but I would in this case make a complaint

Sadly though I'm sure a lot of people do take the buggy round and hide stuff in it.

Of course they do. But people with hand scanners don’t scan everything in their trolleys. Is the security guard going to follow those round aswell?

It's his job to watch people.

It's a very common tactic for shoplifters to use prams to steal. He won't know if you are a shoplifter unless he watches you.

I get that it’s their job to watch people. That’s fine. But singling someone out and running after them as soon as they walk in the shop to demand to know why they haven’t picked up a basket is quite another.

He saw you with a buggy walk in and not pick up a basket. This looked suspicious to him so he approached you to challenge you as he will be trained to

His body cam will likely always be on when interacting with customers. In case there is an issue

Something about your reply probably then came across as suspicious so he kept an eye on you

If it happens again thank him for offering to carry a basket for you as you can’t manage one

I've had if a few times. I have a massive double buggy. If I get a security guard following me, I either say, great you can lend me a hand with my shopping, or if they seem OK, I say.... Do you think I could outrun you? Then laugh.
Generally I am left alone by most now though. They can search my pram, bag or anything.

But I've also seen friends end up with stuff in their pram completely by accident.

Some people also load up their prams and steal huge amounts.

Prams are very very commonly used to shoplift with. Just think of the amount of places to stash stuff

Its odd behaviour. If ge does it again next time you go in, ask for the store manager as nd say you feel hes harrassing you. I used to pop bits on top of my pushchair hood. As long as you pay before leaving the shop, i dont see the problem

This thread has made me feel a lot better, two weeks ago I had my double buggy in Aldi and I was feeling really stressed with the bright lights and the busy aisles and 3 kids, and a security officer asked to search my bag hanging on the back of the buggy. Just had the kids snacks and bottles in. I was mortified they thought I’d stolen something. I’ve never stolen anything.

I used to work in a a large supermarket when I was at university. Some men used to steal alcohol, hiding them in their jackets. Not once did we start running over & approach every man in a jacket that entered the shop.

Targeting someone based on how they look, due to the actions of others, is surely discrimination. I am a mum but also a professional working woman. Not a thief.

I'd open my bag in the store but would not go into a back room with them to be searched when I was part way through shopping. You haven't stolen anything until you leave the shop with it without paying. The way most self service shops work is you put things in a receptacle and may change your mind and put things back and eventually when you have chosen your items you pay at the till. A sale and purchase contract is not created by putting an item in the basket, or buggy.

They did this to one of my friends when her kids were little. She has a double buggy and a basket balanced ontop of the hood. She was a young mum.
She has far more guts than me as she basically turned round to the security bloke and told him to either sod off and leave her to do her shopping or if he insisted upon following her round the shop he might as well carry her basket for her 😂

These threads fascinate me. I try really hard to understand why it bothers people and I never quite get there. If it felt like there was racial profiling going on, then sure, I could see how that would be bad. However when guards are just doing the job they are paid to do, keep people from stealing, why take it so personally?

It has never bothered me in the slightest when security or other staff raise concerns with me. They want you on camera to be able to compare you to known shoplifters or if you get confrontational surely. No big deal. They follow you, because it is their job too. No big deal.

I've been followed, asked to take things out of my shopping bag and had my paid for items rechecked on my way out (all separate instances) and it has never given me any emotion, certainly not upset or mortified. Thoes of you who do find it humiliating can you explain to me exactly why it causes that emotion in you?

My friend has a disability that has just progressed to her needing an electric wheelchair when we go out shopping. After a few times we noticed we were getting followed more by security guards and in one occasion we were asked what was in her bag she she keeps on the side of the chair with her phone, purse, keys etc in.

When we questioned why we kept getting followed and why they needed to check the bag the security guard told us that people fake needing a chair and use it to steal. She can actually walk but not for long and it’s painful to stand, she got out of that chair though and said “go on then, bet you can’t catch me!”
He actually made like he was getting ready to chase her, it was meant to be a joke but he didn’t find it funny at all and accused her of faking her disability.

It was partly our own fault for winding him up but it felt horrible to be followed round. He was a nasty person and he said he was going to have us banned from the supermarket but we told him we weren’t going back anyway after being treated like criminals. In the end we complained and the store manager told us to shop somewhere cheaper if we couldn’t afford to shop there, they just didn’t get it at all that we had made a joke in an uncomfortable situation and hadn’t done anything wrong, we had only been in the shop a few minutes!

This was in Sainsbury’s and we were directed to the nearest Aldi, when I mentioned the many claims to price match Aldi they really hated us 😂.

I was going to email and complain but there didn’t seem any point when we were never going to return. I can understand the security guard being annoyed when my friend took the piss out of him but the manager was told we hadn’t stolen anything though and still treated us like peasants who weren’t respectable enough to shop there. If we ever do go back I might take a doll in a pram whilst my friend is in her chair just to wind him up more 😂.

I always used to be followed in Boots (years ago, pre covid time) and it was almost comical at times because it would be the same plain clothed security guard peering at me around the aisles. Almost like a comedy sketch show scene where it is really obvious and obnoxious!

I confess that I do look shifty sometimes due to high anxiety and nervous sweating when out in public. But I always take and use a basket. I have never stolen and always get a receipt. I have no problem with being stopped to have my bag checked though and know they're just doing their job. I was in Boots yesterday and no longer get followed or at least I don't notice if I do anymore.

Talk to the store manager. His behaviour is over the top and making you anxious.