I may have been at fault here...

[squall]

I kind of had an SC incident of my own here.

I was at a 7-11 convenience store. I was looking at the front of a magazine that caught my eye. I opened it and apparently got too engrossed in looking at a certain article.

I wasn't really aware of it before this because I never had this problem before, but apparently 7-11 has a policy of refusing to let customers read magazines and papers in their store. I could see why, it kind of defeats the purpose of actually buying it.

This is a policy that was made somewhat clear to me by an "employee" who at first didn't look like an employee.

This lady approaches me and says "Now you know you shouldn't be reading that, right?"

I look at her and I see a mid fifties-sixties weathered looking lady with messed up hair. She had no apron, no dress shirt, and no nametag on, just a ratty open jacket and street clothes from what I could see. And she had few, if any teeth. Not to offend anybody, but she looked almost like a homeless lady. Here's how our conversation went.

Me: "Ummm...do you even work here?"

Haggard lady: "Uh, yeah."

Me: "Really?"

HL: "Yes."

Me: "Can you prove it?"

HL: "Can I WHAT?!"

Me: "Can you prove it?"

HL:

So she motions for the manager there, who is now obviously her manager. She said that yes she works here, and that the employee was on her way home. She then said I am not allowed to read magazines without purchase.

Me: "Okay, she just wasn't dressed like an employee. Sorry..."

I felt a little stupid and left.

But doesn't that mean she is working off the clock? I doubt 7-11's policy advocates working off the clock and being out of uniform. And she didn't do the obvious thing like show her nametag like all the other employees have on. Still I'll admit I was in the wrong for reading too long.

[DigitalEyes]

Welcome to the world of misfortunate people who occasionally are even willing to take a gun at work for minimum wage. The best way for you to avoid any conflict is to get a library card.

I can certainly understand how you never expected any conflict. I mean, you were just checkin' out a magazine, after all. What gives?

[powerboy]

What gives? If everyone, opens and reads it, then most likely no one will buy it, and the store is out of that much money. I am not saying you are at fault, but I can see, why they would tell you, that you cannot read it. It is not your fault, because you didn't know otherwise. But she could have shown you a name tag.

[NightAngel]

This is really one of my pet peeves as I was raised in a book store. In our store growing-up we had a big sign that read, "This is NOT a library. If you want to read it then you must BUY it." It was something to that effect anyway.

It's also why I'm glad we don't sell magazines at my new job.

At BBV I was constantly having to tell people that if they wanted to read it, get the cheat codes out of it, etc. they had to buy it first. I can't tell you how many people would look at me with a bewildered gaze and say, "I do?" As though because it was readable material the rules of commerce no longer applied.

I wouldn't get involved in a place I don't work though.

[bigjimaz]

"Now you know you shouldn't be reading that, right?"

Did not warrant

"Ummm...do you even work here?"

A simple "Yes I know, thank you." would have kept you from getting dangerously near SC-dom.

IMHO

[friendofjimmyk]

A simple "Yes I know, thank you." would have kept you from getting dangerously near SC-dom.

IMHO

Eh, it's happened to me before. I would be perusing magazines and something would catch my eye and I'd be like, "WOAH, what?" and the next thing I know, I am engrossed in reading the article not meaning to be rude or offensive.

Now, if I were approached by someone who did not look like an employee telling me that I should know better, I'd think it was a joke - depending on the tone of the person telling me and if the tone was the slightest bit off to me, I think I'd ask the same question.