Next Time You’re Asked To Go To The Sales, Push Back

Sales can be brutal with people pushing, snatching, and hoarding. It’s a bit sickening how people will act over even a minor discount.

I have long refused to go. I don’t mind paying similar prices out of a sale if it means keeping my dignity. However, this year I’m pressured to go.

It’s as bad as I remember; there are long queues, and inside, there are people holding dozens of clothes that they don’t end up buying, just to stop others.

I do manage to pick up a few things and am leaving when a woman grabs my bag.

Customer: “The top — I want it. I saw it first.”

Me: “Get away from me.”

She claws at my bag, aggressively pulling. She ends up scratching me with her jewelry and then throws my things on the floor. I grab her wrist and push her backward. She falls into a display, knocking it everywhere. The whole store stops as they turn to see what happened; it doesn’t look good for me.

Security is called. I’m trying to pick up my items as he stops me and leads me away.

Security: “So, do you want to tell me what happened?”

Me: “She tore open my bag, things I paid for. I stopped her but she fell.”

Security: “Looks a lot like you pushed her.”

Me: “Well, yes, I mean, I did, but only to stop her.”

Security: “She says you took some clothing from her?”

Me: “I paid for everything. Here, it’s on my receipt.”

Security: “She said something about a top she had chosen.”

Me: “She took the whole shelf on the floor; she wasn’t buying them, just stopping anyone from looking.”

Security: “Okay, we are waiting for the security team to pull the tapes. If the other woman wants to press charges, I will need to call the police.”

Me: *Pauses* “I want to press charges. Call them.”

He got me a drink and we waited for the police. By the time they came to see me, they had seen the tapes, and they told me it looked like self-defence and they wouldn’t be seeking charges against me. I was adamant: I wanted her dealt with and banned for the attack. They told me she was already banned for life. Now I’m just waiting to see how far these charges against her go.