I'm staying out of walmart AND alabama

30 November 2021, 06:47 PM

https://www.businessinsider.co...-shoplifting-2021-11

https://www.al.com/news/2021/1...-arrest-lawsuit.html

This is almost as good as civil asset forfeiture, but done by a corporation, not the gummint.

Walmart (and other unnamed large stores) engaged in a pattern of: accuse someone of shoplifting, have them arrested, drop the charges, then have their lawyers send them a scary letter saying they will be the subject of a civil suit unless the person coughs up a $200 "settlement". Walmart and their lawyers have apparently made hundreds of millions of dollars doing this. They just got nailed by one victim. I hope others sue the bejeebers out of them.

The lawyers insist the practice is "perfectly legal" in alabama.

I'm sure it is.

30 November 2021, 06:59 PM

CHAS

Amazon has drawn protesters.
Walmart zzzzzzzzzzzzzzz so far.

30 November 2021, 07:08 PM

Piano*Dad

My youngest was part of a large group of kids who were collectively accused of petty shoplifting at Walmart. This was years ago. No arrests, no trial, no adjudication. Just kicked out of the store. But later the letter arrived from some law firm in Florida or Georgia, supposedly representing Walmart, with a demand for a civil recovery payment.

I can't remember the amount, but I was rather surprised. I ignored it. A few months later a second and more threatening letter arrived. At that point I took it to my lawyer who explained the scam. After a third letter, he drafted a note back to the Florida law office curtly explaining to them that they had no jurisdiction in our state.

Future letters still arrived, but curiously the amount demanded started to go down ...

After a while, crickets!

We do have a big shoplifting problem in this nation. It imposes a burden on all of us in higher prices and via clogging of the legal system with petty violators who then get a record that further destroys their life chances. The remedies would seem to be short run costly -- counseling and social worker intervention -- but possibly much better for them and for us over the longer haul. Rising wages for unskilled workers will help too.

30 November 2021, 07:37 PM

pianojuggler

quote:
Originally posted by Piano*Dad:

We do have a big shoplifting problem in this nation.

Absolutely. The recent mob-shoplifting attacks on Nordstrom and other high-end stores have been costly and scary. Especially when they start by hitting the security people with bear spray*.

There have been similar attacks on drug stores like Walgreens... a group of 20 or more teen-age kids all storm into the store at once, grab whatever they can stuff into bags, and in a minute or two, run out. There might only be two or three employees in the whole store at the time. I'm sure the perps scope out the store in advance and figure out where the good stuff is-- and what's not locked down... they might even have a little planning session to make sure three people don't go after the same thing at the same time.

Yeah, it raises prices for all of us.

*It seems that everyone from the Capitol rioters on down have figured out that bear spray is not a firearm, it's easy to buy, and it can disable a person from a couple yards away. We should work on that, as well.

30 November 2021, 07:42 PM

Steve Miller

Fairly easy to combat, technically.

One button closes and locks all doors, alerts both the PD and private security, shuts off lights and air circulation and activates both lights and sirens.

That ought to do it.

30 November 2021, 07:45 PM

pianojuggler

quote:
Originally posted by Steve Miller:
Fairly easy to combat, technically.

One button closes and locks all doors, alerts both the PD and private security, shuts off lights and air circulation and activates both lights and sirens.

That ought to do it.

I've been thinking about that. Then every employee and innocent shopper gets rounded up and hit with bear spray (or worse). After one or two such events, an employee will think twice about hitting the button. Then it becomes an arms race.

I'm also not sure it's legal to lock everyone inside. There needs to be a fire exit available at all times, no?

30 November 2021, 07:46 PM

RealPlayer

An arms race…or a hostage situation.

30 November 2021, 07:50 PM

Steve Miller

Well you’re not supposed to shoot ‘em, so…

30 November 2021, 07:53 PM

Steve Miller

Provide each employee with noice cancelling headphones and install lethal noise generators.

30 November 2021, 07:55 PM

Steve Miller

Or a giant net that drops from the ceiling…

30 November 2021, 08:55 PM

pianojuggler

I guess if an employee had a key to unlock a door in case of fire, that would be okay.

02 December 2021, 05:17 PM

QuirtEvans

How about a big sign at the front door that says, "Smile! You're on Candid Camera."

I know that some convenience stores in high crime locations have a policy of buzzing people in. And aren't convenience store clerks in some dangerous locations behind bulletproof (and presumably bear spray-proof) glass?

And I've been in places that have said that only a certain, small number of teenagers are allowed in at any one time.

02 December 2021, 06:24 PM

Axtremus

quote:
Originally posted by QuirtEvans:
How about a big sign at the front door that says, "Smile! You're on Candid Camera."

COVID-19 justifies face masks, defeats cameras.

02 December 2021, 08:05 PM

Steve Miller

quote:
Originally posted by Axtremus:
quote:
Originally posted by QuirtEvans:
How about a big sign at the front door that says, "Smile! You're on Candid Camera."
COVID-19 justifies face masks, defeats cameras.

Wait. This bank requires that I put on a mask before I enter?

What a country!

02 December 2021, 09:39 PM

pianojuggler

quote:
Originally posted by Axtremus:
quote:
Originally posted by QuirtEvans:
How about a big sign at the front door that says, "Smile! You're on Candid Camera."
COVID-19 justifies face masks, defeats cameras.

Hoodies are also very effective at preventing identification from video.