Official Policy
I’ve always been one to give store employees a hard time when they ask to see a receipt. But I’ve never been arrested for it. Anyway, R. Neal has a great idea that never occurred to me:
After reading Joe’s post, it occurs to me that the appropriate response is to walk right back inside and return everything you just bought.
Good idea.
September 5th, 2007 at 8:50 am
I dunno. If they ask to see your receipt while you’re on their property. that brings up the whole property rights angle. The cost of shoplifting is just one of many costs (taxes, regulatory fees, wage controls) that eventually gets passed on to the customers. I don’t have too big a problem with a simple receipt check on the way out the door.
Then again, I wouldn’t have a problem with shoplifters getting stuck in a spiderhole, a la Saddam Hussein, for 30 years, if it helps keep down the price of consumer electronics.
September 5th, 2007 at 10:21 am
Where are ze papers?!?!
No it’s not a property rights issue because he didn’t agree to anything to enter the property, plus he was trying to leave. That is called kidnapping when you don’t let someone leave when they want to.
Oh and we’re completely fucked by this ID issue. Also, did it ever occur to anyone that there are about 11 million people here with no ID or documentation what so ever and they seem to be living here, working, in relative peace from the authorities? Why is it that we conservatives are so obsessed with following every bad law, as well as good ones, just because it happens to be the law that day? Maybe we should just start doing what is right…
September 5th, 2007 at 12:39 pm
Bruce, I think they should ask people who are actually suspected of such and not just random folks.
September 5th, 2007 at 12:54 pm
Someone should make and sell “Official Illegal Alien Identification Cards”, so we’d have something to show the cops when they ask us for ID for no reason.
Flash that sucker, and simply walk away. Any action on the cop’s part would serve as further proof that they care about going after law-abiding citizens more than they do illegals.
September 5th, 2007 at 1:12 pm
Naah! That’s what receipts are for. And these are entry-level kids making $8.00/hr. Just play along. Life’s too short to try to micro-manage the world.
September 5th, 2007 at 2:30 pm
It has never bothered me. But it depends on the attitude.
But if some jerk with attitude played this card on me, I would walk back into the store and demand to see his and the manager’s store identification. Then I would demand to have the phone number and name of the regional supervisor. Then I would ask them if they had probable cause to believe I had shoplifted. Then I would ask them if they wanted a slander lawsuit. Then I would comply with their request.
I have only had this happen a few times at CompUSA and they were very nice about it. It was in the store so it wasn’t a big deal. CompUSA is fine. I have no problem with them.
If this happened in the parking lot it would become a big deal. I don’t do Circuit City or BestBuy. Looks like I am not missing anything.
September 5th, 2007 at 5:40 pm
my comment elsewhere to so many of the other commenters that thought this was properly done.
straightarrow says:
The prick in this story is the badge heavy prima donna who believes he has authority to inspect an “internal passport”. Make no mistake about it, that is what our papers of identification have become. That the courts hold with it just shows how far from freedom we have fallen.
Had the officer found evidence of a crime the fifth amendment would have prevented him from punishing the citizen, but since the citizen had done no wrong he could not claim the right to avoid self incrimination. How’s that for irony?
Obstruction of official police business is code for “you pissed me off, I’ll show you what it’s like to stand up to your betters.”
You naysayers out there thinking this ended properly are the same type who opposed Jefferson, Washington, Madison, Adams, Franklin et.al. You should be thankful for people who stand up, they are slowing your trip total subjugation.
This isn’t about shoplifting, or private property, it is about whether or not we are citizens with as many rights as our employees (politicians, police,etc.) It seems many of you are happy with your status of untermenschen.
September 6th, 2007 at 2:20 am
If the stuff I bought doesn’t belong to me, and not the store, the moment they accept my cash, card, or check, then just when does the ownership transfer take place?