I don't think she saw the connection...

[Mango]

I was shopping at a department store the other day. I picked out what I needed, paid for it, and started to wander out the store. As I did so, I set off the security alarms. I'm not exactly sure why - probably the cashier forgot to deactivate something I just bought. Regardless, not a big deal - all an employee has to do is check the contents of my bags with my receipt, and if they match, off I go.

And I figure that's just what is going to happen when an employee comes up behind me and politely asks if she could see my backpack. Sure, no problem, I hand it over.

She takes my backpack, runs it over the deactivator, and hands it back to me. "Try now," she says. I walk through the gates. Nothing happens. I stand there for a moment, unsure what to do next.

"Have a great day! Sorry about that!" she says, and walks off.

She hadn't even opened the backpack!

I guess I just looked honest!

[rdp78]

I always hate when one those things go off when I walked through and I'm thinking did I pay for everything. I have never shoplift and I would never do anything like that (very stupid thing as we all know). Usually it's because of something not being properly process or thing was acting up.

I think that might been your case but you knows. Of course, she should have looked in you backpack and see if you paid for everything.

I wish the store I'm working at has something like that but no.

[CanadaGirl]

I was shopping at a department store the other day. I picked out what I needed, paid for it, and started to wander out the store. As I did so, I set off the security alarms. I'm not exactly sure why - probably the cashier forgot to deactivate something I just bought. Regardless, not a big deal - all an employee has to do is check the contents of my bags with my receipt, and if they match, off I go.

And I figure that's just what is going to happen when an employee comes up behind me and politely asks if she could see my backpack. Sure, no problem, I hand it over.

She takes my backpack, runs it over the deactivator, and hands it back to me. "Try now," she says. I walk through the gates. Nothing happens. I stand there for a moment, unsure what to do next.

"Have a great day! Sorry about that!" she says, and walks off.

She hadn't even opened the backpack!

I used to work at a Zellers, and they have those tall things on the inside part of the doors that beep if something with a bar tag goes past it. We were trained to walk up to the customer, if they set the machine off, and to take their bags back to the till and run the bags over the deactivator again. In NO way were we supposed to just take the customers purse or backpack and run it over the deactivator. If there was stolen merch in there, they would be scot-free. I'm not sure what that cashier did was store policy, depending on what store it was.

[Broomjockey]

I hate it when I set those things off going into a store, and I haven't even bought anything that day. It's either my cell phone or my mp3 player that does it. Or maybe the combination. Because it only happens when I've got both with me.

[Kogarashi]

Used to be a certain type of sneaker from JC Penny would set off Wal-Mart door alarms. It was funny because people would set off the alarm coming in, the door-greeter would use the wand (and it'd point to the shoes), and then they'd ask the customer to take off that one shoe so a cashier could run it over the deactivator. That usually fixed the problem, but it was funny to joke about JC Penny's "revenge against Wal-Mart."

As for the employee in the OP's post, she really should've checked the backpack, just to keep things on the up-and-up (since I highly doubt the OP was shoplifting). Oh well.

[Ryu]

my debit or credit card used to set off door alarms when i didnt have much in my wallet

[Mark Healey]

What store? Do they have really expensive electronics? Watches (automatics preferably)?

[Dreamstalker]

In NO way were we supposed to just take the customers purse or backpack and run it over the deactivator.

I've heard of them deactivating credit cards/magstripe cards as well. I usually see big signs on most of those pads saying something like "do not put credit cards here!"

[phillippbo]

I've heard of them deactivating credit cards/magstripe cards as well. I usually see big signs on most of those pads saying something like "do not put credit cards here!"

They will if placed on it just right or done repeatedly (the deactivators have a relatively weak magnetic field if memory serves). The employee should have definately checked the bag, because in addition to credit/debit cards, there could have been things like swipe cards (to get past locked doors - my old job used them to get into and out of the building), drivers license or other ID cards (some states put strips on the back), or old-school floppy disks with irreplaceable info on them (yes, some people still use those) which could have gotten ruined.

In their defense, maybe they just didn't think about it...?