GolfHos

This story is going around the blogosphere and is pretty interesting.  I have a friend who refuses to show his receipt while leaving Fry's, but he's never run into anything like this.

Papers Please: Arrested At Circuit City
http://www.michaelrighi.com/2007/09/01/arrested-at-circuit-city/

i smell lawsuit and a big payout

15 years ago I would have thought this guy was pretty badass. Now I think he needs a new hobby. Guess I'm getting old.

lol. why do you love korprit merka buuzin its sitzens?

I smell more Libruls whining about 'Civil Rights' and all that crap.

Who's he gonna sue?

i would imagine circuit city for unlawful detainment, or even possibly kidnapping (i know, big stretch). Brooklyn police for unlawful arrest.

that being said, what a moran. [sm_oops]

The dude lives in Cuyahoga County.  I've been to Cuyahoga County.  I'm pretty sure this was just a way to spice what has to be a mind-numbing existence. 

Sam's Club has been doing this for a dozen or a hundred years.  Seems pretty harmless to me but I'm even older than spacey.

I smell an irritated judge who won't be amused that his time and court room are being wasted on some bunghole on a "fight the power" trip. If he sues I hope his case is thrown out of court.

FWIW, I know many stores display signs clearly stating that they reserve the right to inspect all packages.  Not sure specifically about Circuit City.  I don't see how anyone is being legitimately harmed by a simple receipt check.  Also, does it seem to anyone else that this guys familiarity with what (supposedly) the store security and the police can and cannot ask him is a bit suspicious?  Makes me think that he's done some research and is going around looking/hoping for just such a thing to happen so he can cash in.

'zacktly

I refuse to produce my reciept.  I tell the worthless bastards that "If you think I've stolen something say so, and we'll go on from there."

Seeing that the exit is less than 20 paces from the registers................................

I'm with the dude in the article.  It is an invasion of privacy, unlawful dentainment, etc., etc., etc.,....

Then again 'merkun maid thinks I'm a moran too. ;D

I have mixed feelings about this.  I don't have a problem at Circuit City where it just takes a second, but at the Fry's Electronics around here, the line is massive for the receipt check.

You wait in a long line for a cashier, then you pay, then you get in another line for the receipt check to get out the door.  It's one of the reasons I rarely shop at Fry's anymore.  If I do buy anything there now, I just go straight for the exit and if they stop me, they can walk along with me checking the receipt as we go.

The receipt check is NOT really about shoplifting, believe it or not.

It's actually to ensure that the transaction was rung out correctly, particularly in the case of Fry's where they don't necessarily scan the actual item, but a 'Quote' given by the sales guy.


Well, I'm not sure that's what happened in this case, because Mr. WhatsHisButt called the cops on CC, not the other way around.

after reading his supplied links about himself, i think he's strictly after the publicity.   [sm_protest]

Upon rereading the guys story, I'm pretty sure he's a first class *8==>*:


Umm, he bypasses the receipt check and then jumps into a running car parked in front of the store.

Call me jaded by a couple of decades of dealing with the American Consumer on a daily basis, but I'd probably wonder what the *fudge* was up with that too.

Here's where the CC guy drops the ball:


What he should have said:

'If you paid, you won't mind showing me the receipt, but YOUR behavior is suspicious in the extreme, and I want to get it straightened out'

but the bottom line is the bag denotes completion of property transfer.   this is a big box store with the prototypical layout and all.  the merchandise was put in the bag and handed to him as he handed over $.  it's now his property and the rentacop has no right to inspect it without evidence he stole something (or smuggled the bag in) and placed it in the bag (which would of course be observed on the countless overhead hemicams all those stores have..triggering in store security red flags on him which would get the exit door rentacops headset ablaze)  was he a *8==>* about it? sure. was he possibly suspicious? sure.  did the rentacop break the law trying to be a badass and detain him? yup.  circuit city will definitely be giving this guy a nice check.

Nobody disputes that what he purchased is his property, but anything he DIDN'T purchase is still the stores property, and the store DOES have a right to protect itself against thieves, particularly ones that bypass security and hop into a waiting car.


Honestly, I'm gonna guess 'Not'.

lib hippie douche....but it was kinda entertaining. 

unlawful detention ...

I think you'll have to try again.

He's trying to take somebody to court on his 'Right' to not to have to subject himself to 'Unreasonable Search And Siezure', and my guess is his real problem is with Ohio's 'Need To Identify' statute.

I'm going to say any reasonable person would feel that an individual bypassing the bag check AND jumping into a car waiting right outside the front door with driver waiting and engine running would be acting suspiciously, and the store has the right to detain that person and determine what's going on.

Both acts by themselves may not be suspicious, but it's the total package in this case.

No force was used by any employee or agent of the store in question, and the 'Subject' actually called the cops on himself, which is I'm sure what pissed the cop off.

http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m3092/is_n22_v26/ai_6087617

situation doesn't fit 1-6 by the employee in question (per my points in #14).  detaining person didn't 'witness' nor was he alerted by 'radio' from the loss prevention camera crew.

and yes, his illegal arrest (officer not mirandizing him nor arresting him under a valid charge) will bring him another check.

and let me reiterate, jsut in case it was lost....   yes, he was being an idiot and a *8==>* about it. we've already given up far more important rights than this. there are bigger fights to worry about.

I'm gonna guess that Circuit City's policies and procedures regarding loss prevention aren't based on a single article in a 20 year old trade rag.

I'm also going to guess that the manager and the security guard have been briefed and trained on what's permissible in the local jurisdiction.

It's just a couple of guesses, though.  ;D



Oh, honey, you really are living in an old TJ Hooker episode.

If they aren't going to interrogate, they don't have to Mirandize him to arrest him.

Since he was placed under arrest for failure to identify himself to a police officer, there was no questioning needed.

The store manager blew it right here:

Joe didn’t budge. At this point I pushed my way past Joe and walked onto the sidewalk next to the building. I pulled out my phone and dialed 911.

When the guy "pushed his way past Joe", Joe should have crumpled to the ground, writhing in pain.  He could right now be suing this jackhole for his injuries, pressing assault charges, and collecting comp as well.

Honestly, is Joe not American or something?  People here are supposed to know this *feces*.

Also, I'm not an attorney nor do I play one on TV, but it would seem that since this guy has elected to post the full names of people involved that his version of events had better be certifiably true.  Potential libel/slander/defamation of character?

Guys like this need to have the tables turned on them.

but what about the fact that in ohio* you do not have to supply DL as proof of ID, just verbal name/bdate/etc  as he did? 

bottom line we need one of those rich lawyer guys on this forum to scour all those decisions out there and find out what constitutes 'reasonable suspicion'.   methinks failure to show receipt isn't part of it... then again... this IS a post 911 world  [sm_disgust]

Clive's MIA.  He told me he's filled his yearly quota of providing pro-bono interwebs council.

Isn't he up at Bandon? Wonder how he's playing.

I thought that Clive was going to Bandon with UB!!
Last I heard he was going on a road trip with his son.
He is posting at FIG's stil.