# Albertsons: Why do they lock their Disposable Shavers? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [December 31, 2007, 10:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/albertsons-why-do-they-lock-their-disposable-shavers/431847 "2007-12-31T22:44:59Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 18\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![DrFidelius](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drfidelius/32/3447_2.png) [@DrFidelius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrFidelius)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2008, 3:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/albertsons-why-do-they-lock-their-disposable-shavers/431847/21 "2008-01-01T15:59:18Z")
[QUOTE=gotpasswords] Or worse… I need a price check on the Pencilpecker size condoms! [/QUOTE] Needle-Dick the Bugfucker in town again? ---
**Author:** ![mhendo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mhendo/32/3159_2.png) [@mhendo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mhendo)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2008, 4:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/albertsons-why-do-they-lock-their-disposable-shavers/431847/22 "2008-01-01T16:01:28Z")
[QUOTE=Walloon] Two Walgreens stores I have visited have their disposable razor blade packages in a clear plastic case; when the door to the case is opened, it makes a mild buzzing sound until the door is closed again. [/QUOTE] Our Superfresh has those, although the sound is more like a high-pitched beep, and is fucking annoying as hell. It really fucking irritates me that i have to draw attention to myself like that just because i want to buy some fucking razor blades. I figure that if they’re going to do that, i might as well give them their money’s worth, so occasionally i’ll lift the door and just hold it there while i’m making a selection. I’ve been tempted, in the past, to prop something in the door and leave it beeping, but i’ve never actually done it. ---
**Author:** ![BJMoose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/5fc32e/32.png) [@BJMoose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BJMoose)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2008, 4:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/albertsons-why-do-they-lock-their-disposable-shavers/431847/23 "2008-01-01T16:13:19Z")
The little moosette works for Squalor Gen-- excuse me, Dollar General. From the sounds of it, some folks are into shoplifting serious quantities of stuff they can resell on the street. One night she stopped a guy with a whole bag full of shampoo and the like. I went through this hassle last time I tried to buy blades at Wal-Mart - they’re _all_ locked up at that store. When there was finally a clerk around to open the lockbox, I found she was obliged to escort me and the blades to check-out. No way. Found 'em elsewhere, but from the sounds of it that won’t be possible much longer. Guess it’s time to grow a beard. ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2008, 5:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/albertsons-why-do-they-lock-their-disposable-shavers/431847/24 "2008-01-01T17:00:35Z")
The answer is: theft. Not a guess. I deal with a lot of shoplifters. We are not talking about someone who really needs a shave and can’t afford it. The problem is the professionals. Crackheads and junkies shoplift for a living (if you can call it that). In the town I work in they used to steal razors, OTC medications like Tylenol and vitamins. Small easily concealed items with a higher price tag then other similar sized items. They can sell these items to bodegas in neighboring towns for half the price. Enough to get their fix. The stores have been locking up the razors for a while. The newest trend is to fill up a cart with baby formula and just go out through the front door to the car. Takes a lot of balls. ---
**Author:** ![Caractacus\_Pott](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e19b73/32.png) [@Caractacus\_Pott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Caractacus_Pott)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2008, 9:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/albertsons-why-do-they-lock-their-disposable-shavers/431847/25 "2008-01-01T21:15:53Z")
**Loach** , That reminds me of a story my sister told me about working at Wal\*Mart on third shift. The store was understaffed so they had shoplifting problems. One guy got a 42" flat panel TV. Just rolled it right out the door. His escape vehicle? A taxi. A taxi that wasn’t there waiting for him. If I remember properly, his getaway vehicle was waiting for the second bigscreen he got a few weeks later. Amazing. Now does THAT take some major chutzpah? ---
**Author:** ![Wee\_Bairn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/90db22/32.png) [@Wee\_Bairn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wee_Bairn)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2008, 3:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/albertsons-why-do-they-lock-their-disposable-shavers/431847/26 "2008-01-02T15:14:00Z")
[QUOTE=Caractacus Pott] **Loach** , That reminds me of a story my sister told me about working at Wal\*Mart on third shift. The store was understaffed so they had shoplifting problems. One guy got a 42" flat panel TV. Just rolled it right out the door. His escape vehicle? A taxi. A taxi that wasn’t there waiting for him. If I remember properly, his getaway vehicle was waiting for the second bigscreen he got a few weeks later. Amazing. Now does THAT take some major chutzpah? [/QUOTE] How did they get past the octogenerain receipt checker- “hey look over there, its Matlock?” 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Kizarvexius](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/da6949/32.png) [@Kizarvexius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kizarvexius)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2008, 3:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/albertsons-why-do-they-lock-their-disposable-shavers/431847/27 "2008-01-02T15:26:04Z")
A store where I used to do a lot of shopping closed down the entire cosmetics section during certain times of days. Apparently lipstick and eyeliner were the items of choice among the stickyfingered set. ---
**Author:** ![Cluricaun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/bb73d2/32.png) [@Cluricaun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cluricaun)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2008, 3:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/albertsons-why-do-they-lock-their-disposable-shavers/431847/28 "2008-01-02T15:59:27Z")
For those of us who live where they can sell booze at the grocery, you know those plastic bottle toppers that they have on some of the booze? It’s because people will walk into the liquor section and just open up a bottle and start chugging. That’s the only reason for the device, since it’s easily broken off if you were to steal the bottle. I asked once while we were in line and the clerk said you wouldn’t believe how many people will do that. ---
**Author:** ![Enright3](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/enright3/32/2897_2.png) [@Enright3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enright3)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2008, 4:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/albertsons-why-do-they-lock-their-disposable-shavers/431847/29 "2008-01-02T16:25:44Z")
[QUOTE=thelurkinghorror] You’d think that locking condoms up would only make people more reluctant to purchase them. I don’t buy locked up things precisely because I don’t want to spend 10 minutes chasing down an employee, and you’d think people would just go to another store to buy the more embarrassing items. [/QUOTE] This isn’t just directed at you, lurkinghorror… but I’m curious… Has the thought crossed anyone elses mind: If you’re embarrassed to be purchasing comdoms maybe you’re not mature enough to be having sex? What’s to be embarrassed about having sex, and being smart enough to have protected sex? \*add on to say… \* However, I totally understand not wanting to deal with chasing down an employee. I swear, if you don’t help they’re all over you; but the minute you need assistance, they go into hiding. ---
**Author:** ![Rick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/9f8e36/32.png) [@Rick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rick)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2008, 4:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/albertsons-why-do-they-lock-their-disposable-shavers/431847/30 "2008-01-02T16:29:02Z")
My son used to be a manager for Babies R US. He would come home and tell us stories of shoplifters that would have all of us going :eek: I swear some of these people have solid brass balls. It wasn’t so much that they stole the stuff, they would come back the next day to return it for cash. FTR his store was in a very upscale neighborhood (Mercedes dealership one block up, Ferrari dealership across the freeway) Formula, baby monitors, and breast pumps were all high on the theft list. People can be scum. ---
**Author:** ![WhyNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c77e96/32.png) [@WhyNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyNot)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2008, 4:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/albertsons-why-do-they-lock-their-disposable-shavers/431847/31 "2008-01-02T16:38:58Z")
[QUOTE=Enright3] This isn’t just directed at you, lurkinghorror… but I’m curious… Has the thought crossed anyone elses mind: If you’re embarrassed to be purchasing comdoms maybe you’re not mature enough to be having sex? What’s to be embarrassed about having sex, and being smart enough to have protected sex? [/QUOTE] Embarrassed? Hell, I’m BRAGGING! I skip down the aisles with my multipacks of Durex waving in the breeze like party streamers. ♫ ♫ I’m gonna get laid tonight! I’m gonna get laaaaaaaid! ♫ ♫ 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Mister\_Rik](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mister_rik/32/491_2.png) [@Mister\_Rik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mister_Rik)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2008, 6:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/albertsons-why-do-they-lock-their-disposable-shavers/431847/32 "2008-01-02T18:36:00Z")
[QUOTE=Cluricaun] For those of us who live where they can sell booze at the grocery, you know those plastic bottle toppers that they have on some of the booze [/QUOTE] Can you explain these bottle toppers to those of us who _don’t_ live where you can buy booze in the grocery store? ---
**Author:** ![Cluricaun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/bb73d2/32.png) [@Cluricaun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cluricaun)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2008, 6:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/albertsons-why-do-they-lock-their-disposable-shavers/431847/33 "2008-01-02T18:44:06Z")
[QUOTE=Phase42] Can you explain these bottle toppers to those of us who _don’t_ live where you can buy booze in the grocery store? [/QUOTE] They basically look like [these](http://www.alphaworld.com/bottlesecurity.asp) and they’re removed from the bottle with a special key that the cashier has. If you attempt to remove it it produces an audible alarm. ETA - they’re not that strong though and if you had one at home it wouldn’t be hard to manually disable. ---
**Author:** ![Solfy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/848f3c/32.png) [@Solfy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Solfy)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2008, 6:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/albertsons-why-do-they-lock-their-disposable-shavers/431847/34 "2008-01-02T18:54:48Z")
I worked for a convenience store that kept all condoms behind the counter. The official edict from corporate was that we were not supposed to sell them to persons under the age of 18. Behind the counter was where all the “over 18” products were kept - tobacco products, nudie mags, etc. There is definitely an age wherein people are old enough to use protection but still be embarrassed to ask the 19yr old checkout girl to pass you a box. The reality was that if some horny 16 yr old came in and asked for a box I wasn’t asking for i.d. My favorite was when I automatically bid a guy good evening after he came in for a box of Trojans. “Thanks! I will!” he replied, with the best grin on his face. ---
**Author:** ![Telperien](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/65b543/32.png) [@Telperien](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telperien)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2008, 7:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/albertsons-why-do-they-lock-their-disposable-shavers/431847/35 "2008-01-02T19:09:05Z")
[QUOTE=WhyNot] Embarrassed? Hell, I’m BRAGGING! I skip down the aisles with my multipacks of Durex waving in the breeze like party streamers. ♫ ♫ I’m gonna get laid tonight! I’m gonna get laaaaaaaid! ♫ ♫ 😃 [/QUOTE] Yup, and then you set the boxes down nonchalantly on the counter when you go to pay, and examine your fingernails while grinning widely. Might just be me. ---
**Author:** ![Caractacus\_Pott](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e19b73/32.png) [@Caractacus\_Pott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Caractacus_Pott)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2008, 7:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/albertsons-why-do-they-lock-their-disposable-shavers/431847/36 "2008-01-02T19:14:14Z")
**Wee Bairn** , Um, what part of “understaffed” did you not understand? Just kidding. He fell down and couldn’t get up because someone walked off with his LifeAlert® pendant. ---
**Author:** ![Mister\_Rik](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mister_rik/32/491_2.png) [@Mister\_Rik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mister_Rik)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2008, 7:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/albertsons-why-do-they-lock-their-disposable-shavers/431847/37 "2008-01-02T19:54:31Z")
[QUOTE=Cluricaun] They basically look like [these](http://www.alphaworld.com/bottlesecurity.asp) and they’re removed from the bottle with a special key that the cashier has. If you attempt to remove it it produces an audible alarm. ETA - they’re not that strong though and if you had one at home it wouldn’t be hard to manually disable. [/QUOTE] Thanks - pretty clever! ---
**Author:** ![fortytwo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/f9ae1b/32.png) [@fortytwo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fortytwo)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2008, 9:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/albertsons-why-do-they-lock-their-disposable-shavers/431847/38 "2008-01-02T21:30:21Z")
[QUOTE=Rick] FTR his store was in a very upscale neighborhood (Mercedes dealership one block up, Ferrari dealership across the freeway) [/QUOTE] I love the way you prioritise “upscale” 🙂 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/albertsons-why-do-they-lock-their-disposable-shavers/431847.md?page=1)