Path: utzoo!utgpu!watserv1!watmath!att!att!linac!uwm.edu!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!wuarchive!emory!hubcap!rbrink
From: rbrink@hubcap.clemson.edu (Rick Brink)
Newsgroups: sci.electronics
Subject: Re: Stock Control Tags and Theft
Message-ID: <11315@hubcap.clemson.edu>
Date: 1 Nov 90 14:55:08 GMT
References: <46609@prls.UUCP>
Organization: Clemson University, Clemson, SC
Lines: 46

From article <46609@prls.UUCP>, by gordon@prls.UUCP (Gordon Vickers):
>>	What's your problem?  The security guy's job is to make sure that
>>people don't walk out of the store without paying for stuff, a perfectly
> 
>       One doesn't make accusations irresponsably.  There are alot of valid
>    reasons why a customer may put something that they themselves own, into
>    a pocket.  The guard had no reason to suspect that the object was store
>    property.
>       Wouldn't you feel several differant emotions if it were YOU the guard
>    had stopped ?
>       I had a similar experiance when I was a kid.  I was shopping for a
>    small ("Tot") stapler.  The guard saw me looking at them, and he also

>       I think the gentalman above acted properly.  The guard will prehaps
>    be more respectful of the rights of others, choosing to be more carefull
>    and avoid wasting time on a conjucture.
> 

Gordon and others overly sympathic:
  Like most everything else in life, store security is not perfect.  It may
be one of the least perfect things we can think of.  But what are the      
alternatives.  Right.  I know you probably have suggestions, and more war 
stories to share, but who pays for your comfort?  
  I managed a bookstore for
4 years in florida.  (Aside from the lowlife that thinks all books are in
libraries, ie. free to read) the biggest day to day problem a retailer faces
is how to control stock. Your but 10 items from the distributor, sell 3 and
have none on the shelves.  Where did they go?  A lot of it goes out the back
door with dishonest employees.  But unless you hired a real thief, most of
it goes out the front, under the shirts, in the trosers, purses, bags, etc.
of your customers.  It is very unconfortable being stopped and questioned.
If some real creton does it, it's positively outrageous.  But we lost 10
to 15 percent of our stock to thieves each year.  If your freinds came
over for Pizza, once a week, and only stold 1 in 10 of the CD's, Software
packages, guns, Video tapes, etc., it would not be ok with you.  You'd
look for new friends!  In business, you're not always dealing with friends.
You have even less patience with people who are looking at merchandise
that you have real $$$$s invested in, puting things into their pockets.
If you are standing looking at refrigrators, security guards might not be
too suspicious.  But if you are standing at a cosmetics counter? (Yea, 
guys steal mascaria too).  Expect to be watched.
  If you get treated unfairly, ask to speak to the manager.  If s/he is
as bad an ass as the guard, call the police yourself.  Don't let your
rights get tromped, but remember, your at the stores party.  They're
just trying to separete their friends from the theives.
  Who pays for the thieves pizza?  You do.