That’s… Literally What Security Cameras Are For, Lady

I am watching the self-checkout at the store where I work. I notice a couple with some odd items: entire dish sets ringing up as a single plate, silverware platters ringing up as a set of forks, a large frozen meat pack being held over the scanner but not ringing up, etc. So, I pause their transaction from my screen. They both look up at me.

Woman: “What the f*** is wrong with your machine?”

Me: *Playing dumb* “Oh, it’s frozen. I’ll call for help.” *On the headset* “Could I have someone from [Fake Department used to call security] come look at self-checkout?”

Security: *On the headset* “Be right there.”

Man: “You’d better hurry up. I got s*** to do.”

The two huff and puff until security arrives. I show the security guard what my screen says and point to their cart. At this point, the couple has figured out that they’ve been caught and they try to leave. Security stops them and the pair are escorted with their cart to the security office.

I’m not allowed in the security office so I only know what happens next because the security guard tells me. He tells them that they are stealing because they blatantly pulled UPC stickers from other items and placed them on larger items, and they covered the UPCs on other items and pretended to scan them. The couple denies it, demanding proof.

Security: “Okay. Let’s trace your steps back through the store.”

Woman: “That’s illegal!”

Security: “Ma’am, you are on camera from the moment you pull into this parking lot to the moment you leave. I can watch your every move.”

Woman: “I’m gonna call the police!”

Security: “Please do.”

What did the woman do? She called the police! She insisted that the video evidence of her swapping UPCs was not valid because she did not consent to being recorded. The police came right over and arrested the couple for attempted theft.