rude worker in whsmith upset my 8yr old d

[pastapestofor6]

my dd 8 has been saving up to buy some hsm magazine, she has got the required 3.50 so today was the happy day for the long anticipated purchase to take place,
she went into smiths, I sat on bench directly i mean DIRECTLY outside with 2 younger ds's, she entered shop and the shop assistant[who i might add i dont know] said 'where is your mum?'
dd says 'just outside on the bench', woman then says 'what you doing in here' dd replies'just looking around', woman says 'do you have any money?' dd replies 'yes £3.50' to which woman replies'well you wont get anything in here for that' at which point dd fled the shop white as a sheet and shaking
I made to go in the shop and give her what for, but dd begged me to leave it, considering her upset i did so, very reluctantly i might add!
but aibu for letting her go into shop on her own [she is nearly 9]
and if not , then what should i do?

I have read the OP three times now and I really can't see what the big deal is - so she was asking if your DD had money - Yes and...

God it makes me cross, why do they tar all kids with the same brush. It is a bit like the hoody situation. Some of the old codgers in the world think all teenagers are going to knife them and rob them. There are more good kids out there than bad (I hope)!

Flashman, you are missing the point. She humiliated the child and virtually made out she was going to steal something because she only had £3.50 on her and her mother was outside and not in the shop.

Pasta - this wasn't in a market town beginning with G was it? we've had a similar experience with a woman in WHSmith being v rude to my dd - same age.

Humiliated I can't see how - she remarked that £3.50 was ot a lot and the child ran out. And while I am not sayiong it is right if I was working in a shop I would tend to keep an eye on little children as some can be monsters - and no I am not saying it is so in this case

what a horrible bitch. and there's plenty of stuff in Smith's for £3.50 and under. I picked up a really nice photo album for £2.50 in a sale a few months ago.

I can remember being 9 and the thrill of being able to go into a shop by myself and buy things...

mind you this was the early 90's, a halcyon era full of friendly shopkeepers (or so i imagined) who didn't even notice/mind me nicking the odd cola bottle.

.

Flashman, so would you mind being quizzed as to the contents of your purse as you enter a shop? And then being told to p*ss off (I can't see any other way to interpret "well you wont get anything in here for that")
It's been a while since I have bought a newspaper but if they have gone beyond £3.50 then I'll be amazed.

this happened to me in, you've guessed it, WH smiths when i was about ten. it was the first time i'd been allowed to go shopping by myself in town with my little sister and friend (mum was across the road in M&S). a security guard came up while i was looking at those ink stamps (which i had enough money for and wanted to buy) and quizzed me about what i was doing, looked in my bag and checked my purse for money. i felt Unbelievably Sick and didn't go back into that shop until i was 17. had he apologised for his behaviour it would have been quite different, i should say, but he was bullish and rude.

i was too embarrassed to tell my mum, actually, and swore my sis and pal to secrecy (as i'd been made to feel i'd done something wrong) but i was very shaken.

Aitch how sinister. at his motives.

oh no, thinking back he probably wasn't much over 25 himself, he was just an officious twat. but the thing is, it did really affect me because i felt like i was being stared at for years in shops, it was horrible thinking that i was being taken for a shoplifter.

Flashman are you the same Flashman who posts on BBC have your say?

Happened to me when I was 18 in Armani (sp??) and to be fair I was just a lookie lou.

Happened in WHS when I was 16 security guard wanted to check my pockets - what do I care they are not going to find anything.

I have been search by police when walking back in the early hours with friends when young. So what.

Perhaps I just look like a crim?

chickenBurger - nope not me

Oh my god there are two of you

I think there is a vast, nay, planetary difference between what happened to the OP's dd in WH Smith and being in Armani at 18. Sorry!

Yes there is but the question was how would you like it - and as I pointed out it has happened to me.

Or perhaps I should have pointed out to StealthPolarBear that it would be very unlikely I would be carrying a purse.

Not when you are 8 it didn't. How would you like it at 8, when you'd saved up for something, been looking forward to it and were having the experience of buying something on your own for the first time? I suppose you'd shrug your shoulders and waltz off, whistling nonchalantly.

Your name does kind of give that away Sorry, I'm not used to boys joining in on threads I'm on

how awful, YANBU, I would write to manager (possibly local paper also) explaining that I was going to inform all my friends and organise a boycott of smiths unless and until DD received a written apology from manger AND staff member. Show her she doesn't have to put up with such rudeness. Maybe also show her this thread (altho I haven't read it all- but I'm assuming most people think she was treated badly)

Really bad response from them - go higher! Contact the paper!

No I guess not, however it is a total over reaction of the poster. The head office have even explained why they are keeping a close eye on young children and no that is not accepted, and others are saying write a letter. Now why waste the time - just dn't go in WHS again. Simple.

Oh my word go to the paper!! Why are people so precious these days.

it's about improving customer service and letting the self important rude cow get away with it

No its not - the mother feel wronged and is out for blood - the head office has explained why they are looking at children in particular.