I had my last exam of the year yesterday, so I was out celebrating with friends. On the way home, we stopped off at the all night shop (the Co-Op opposite esco Metro on South Clerk street, Edinburgh, if anyone knows Edinburgh) for something to eat.
I came to the till with what I wanted to buy to be confronted with the cashier shaking his head at me. I asked him what he was doing. He just kept shaking his head at me and staring at me. I looked around at my friend who was as puzzled as me. He asked whether I was allowed to buy them or not, still he said nothing. Then he told me to empty my pockets. I emptied them in front of him and then turned them inside out. There was nothing in there apart from my phone, keys and wallet.
The cheeky fucker had accused me of stealing from him in front of a shop full of people and in front of all my friends. It’s the most embarassing thing I can remember in a long time. To top it off, he didn’t even apologise for his mistake.
The prick has lost my business. I don’t frequent shops which accuse you of stealing from them when you try to purchase goods from them.
My brother had the same experience as a kid. He went to the counter to buy some sweets and the guy accused him of stealing and told him to turn out his pockets. There was nothing there because my brother is not a theif. The guy didn’t even apologise. People like that suck.
When I’m in Edinburgh later this month, I’ll remember to avoid that shop.
Why would you empty your pockets just because a shop owner told you to? If he thinks you are a thief, he should call the police. If you aren’t a thief, he should apologize until you tell him to shut up. Either way, please make sure you never go back to his business establishment and if you have any influence with friends and family, ask that they, too, give their business to someone else.
I emptied my pockets because I was drunk at the time and not in command of all my senses. I think the man behind the till was the owner of the shop, so complaining will not do anything.
What I was implying was if he ever happens to come into your place of work as a customer, suitable revenge could be had by informing whoever passes for security at your job that you had reason to believe the gentleman was/might be pocketing items, resulting in a similar humiliating situation for him.
Of course there are a thousand different ways that could backfire, so maybe that should be relegated to “wishful revenge fantasy” rather than “sound advice”. But hey, its the Pit.
Sorry, I was referring to ParentalAdvisory’s post. Your idea wouldn’t work because I’m moving 200 miles away on Saturday, and doing that would probably get me fired where I work in summer
Ah, memories. I lived on South Clerk St. whilst at Edinburgh Uni, above the Billy Hill’s bookie near the Junction pub down past Usher Hall. I suspect the Tesco you speak of used to be William Low’s in my day.
The worst thing about living there in August was being severely freaked out every hungover morning by street performance artists. You go to the shop to get some milk and bread and have to cross the road with a man dressed in and painted totally green, while his similarly completely red friend just stands at the side of the road.
Concur. But I’d go one further. (Actually, I have). Let him call the cops. Though maybe you couldn’t if worried about public drunkeness. Never been to Scotland, but I’m Scot so plan to be there soon!
In the US, the shopkeeper can accuse you of stealing, but the cops have to handle it. They have to have evidence you stole something. As far as that, if you didn’t take anything, the store has a big black mark. Simplified comparison, but I trust you get what I mean. If you didn’t steal anything, make the cops come out and embarass the person accusing you. Why give him a break when he calls you a thief?
I hardly ever use that shop - the staff usually seem to be either slow, untrained or uninterested most of the time. At least twice I’ve got fed up and put stuff back on the shelves and left…
For these kinds of knotheads my favorite passtime is to let them ring me up and then remember that, “I’ve forgotten my wallet. So sorry to be such a dumb dumb” and then leave the merchandise at the checkstand.
The unmotivated kneebiter then has to put the stuff away and figure out how to back the transaction out of the till.
