Aldi Bag Search

[ECCOnoob]

10 minutes ago, Irene Swaine said:

The OP didn't say they were specifically shopping bags, they just said bags. That could include someone's personal bag, holdall or rucksack. 

 

Tesco do check shopping bags at self service which is fine, no problem there. But to look through someone's personal belongings is an invasion of dignity. As you say, there could be tampons, condoms, medication etc in there that is private.

Fine. So that comes back to the question. Why is it any different to what happens with random checks to personal bags made by security staff when going into some entertainment venues or some tourist attractions venues or entering some office buildings or being picked out by airport customs. 

 

Surely all has the same level of embarrassment or not.   Does that mean it's a reasonable and proportionate reaction for people to also boycott those venues.

 

Personally, I don't think it is.   

[ECCOnoob]

13 minutes ago, pfifes said:

Believe it or not, some people wouldn’t be happy at being singled out as ‘suspicious’ even though it’s a sometimes apparently a random check.  Just suppose you bought a large jar of pile cream and some laxatives and were asked to have your bags searched in a busy shop.  And the guard picked up the jar of pile cream and packet of laxatives whilst everyone was looking and ask of you had a receipt?  What if your neighbours saw and started smirking or chuckling? And then the word got around your neighbourhood that you were suspected of shoplifting and have piles and constipation?  You are not telling me you wouldn’t be bothered about that?

Yes, applying your slightly exaggerated and unlikely scenario, I probably would be a bit bothered about it.

 

However, getting red faced on the odd occasion  is very different to playing victim feeling 'insulted' by a guard doing their job and boycotting an entire retail chain.  That, as I keep maintaining, in my opinion, is an overreaction. 

[pfifes]

8 minutes ago, RollingJ said:

A very unlikely scenario - IMO - but you must have some weird neighbours if that is what happens in your neck of the woods.

I think you are being a bit over literal here.  The point is some people would be very embarrassed about being picked out for a bag search .  And if they had bought something like pile cream or laxatives would find it even more embarrassing especially if someone they knew saw it!

The point is that you shouldn’t belittle someone for feeling that way.  

[pfifes]

2 minutes ago, ECCOnoob said:

Yes, applying your slightly exaggerated and unlikely scenario, I probably would be a bit bothered about it.

 

However, getting red faced on the odd occasion  is very different to playing victim feeling 'insulted' by a guard doing their job and boycotting an entire retail chain.  That, as I keep maintaining, in my opinion, is an overreaction. 

It was exaggerated to demonstrate a point.  I’ve also already explained why, even if you think people shouldn’t mind having their bags searched, this is probably not terribly effective at stopping professional shoplifters.  

[Rockers rule]

14 minutes ago, pfifes said:

Believe it or not, some people wouldn’t be happy at being singled out as ‘suspicious’ even though it’s a sometimes apparently a random check.  Just suppose you bought a large jar of pile cream and some laxatives and were asked to have your bags searched in a busy shop.  And the guard picked up the jar of pile cream and packet of laxatives whilst everyone was looking and ask of you had a receipt?  What if your neighbours saw and started smirking or chuckling? And then the word got around your neighbourhood that you were suspected of shoplifting and have piles and constipation?  You are not telling me you wouldn’t be bothered about that?

'Worried about what the neighbours think' - 'Keeping up with the Jones's'

Stuff em, bring em down to your level.

I know we don't live in Sheffield now, but where do you lot go shopping?

Never been stopped or requested to have my bag searched yet,  😇

 

[hackey lad]

1 minute ago, Rockers rule said:

'Worried about what the neighbours think' - 'Keeping up with the Jones's'

Stuff em, bring em down to your level.

I know we don't live in Sheffield now, but where do you lot go shopping?

Never been stopped or requested to have my bag searched yet,  😇

 

Same here . 

[RollingJ]

12 minutes ago, pfifes said:

I think you are being a bit over literal here.  The point is some people would be very embarrassed about being picked out for a bag search .  And if they had bought something like pile cream or laxatives would find it even more embarrassing especially if someone they knew saw it!

The point is that you shouldn’t belittle someone for feeling that way.  

Who's belittling anyone? My personal take on this is that some people on this topic are just being argumentative for reasons best known to themselves.

[ECCOnoob]

2 minutes ago, pfifes said:

It was exaggerated to demonstrate a point.  I’ve also already explained why, even if you think people shouldn’t mind having their bags searched, this is probably not terribly effective at stopping professional shoplifters.  

Perhaps not. But it all helps even if it just stops the 'unprofessional' ones and or the chancers trying their luck or the "absent minded" who "totally innocently" pack three t-shirts but only get one scanned or those at the self checkout who press plain bread roll for a luxury chocolate muffin or those who just happen to "forget" to put the pack of batteries in their basket instead it falls into their shopping bag.

 

There is little denying that shoplifting is rife right now. Its seeing it's biggest increase for decades. It's only right that retailers bring action to protect their assets because after all it's us consumers that end up paying more when stolen or underpaid items are flying off the shelves. 

[hackey lad]

1 hour ago, ECCOnoob said:

Perhaps not. But it all helps even if it just stops the 'unprofessional' ones and or the chancers trying their luck or the "absent minded" who "totally innocently" pack three t-shirts but only get one scanned or those at the self checkout who press plain bread roll for a luxury chocolate muffin or those who just happen to "forget" to put the pack of batteries in their basket instead it falls into their shopping bag.

 

There is little denying that shoplifting is rife right now. Its seeing it's biggest increase for decades. It's only right that retailers bring action to protect their assets because after all it's us consumers that end up paying more when stolen or underpaid items are flying off the shelves. 

That pack of batteries thing is a good idea 

[pfifes]

1 hour ago, ECCOnoob said:

Perhaps not. But it all helps even if it just stops the 'unprofessional' ones and or the chancers trying their luck or the "absent minded" who "totally innocently" pack three t-shirts but only get one scanned or those at the self checkout who press plain bread roll for a luxury chocolate muffin or those who just happen to "forget" to put the pack of batteries in their basket instead it falls into their shopping bag.

 

There is little denying that shoplifting is rife right now. Its seeing it's biggest increase for decades. It's only right that retailers bring action to protect their assets because after all it's us consumers that end up paying more when stolen or underpaid items are flying off the shelves. 

But that’s missing the point isn’t it?  It’s the failure to go after the big boys and concentrate on easy targets instead which plays a big role in the increase in shoplifting.