It's worth reading all the way through.

http://newsite.michaelrighi.com/2007/09/01/arrested-at-circuit-city/

For the record, I'm on Michael Righi's side in this. I applaud his dedication.

He was actually arrested (incorrectly, it appears) for failing to produce a driver's license. Seems to me he will have a nice little lawsuit against the police department after he wins his case.

But the unrelated issue here is, is a retail business allowed to inspect the bags of people emerging from its private establishment? I believe they are allowed. (This has absolutely nothing to do with Righi's arrest.) Otherwise, I could just walk out of a Circuit City with anything I haven't paid for, if I don't need to show proof that I paid for it upon leaving. If CC and other stores (Costco, Fry's, etc.) weren't allowed to do this, they would need much more stringent security which would cost them a lot more - and they would of course just pass those costs on to the consumer in the form of higher prices.

Andrew

Been watching this too.

Having been through a false arrest, with bonus thumping, I've no doubt he's got a nice tort in his future. It will take a while, but he's in really great shape.

Nothing says, "I'm Sorry!" like a tort payout.

For what it's worth, the moment you purchase something, it's yours. You are free to leave with your property and are not obligated to show anything, nor be detained, unless the store can demonstrate probable cause.

(and that burden is on them, should they detain you)

The exception to this is a private club, where said check is a condition of membership. Does not matter why, just that it is a condition.

I've a printed copy of these facts, and will regularly hand them to the receipt checkers as I exit. If the item is minor, I'll normally leave the receipt with them too, just for the entertainment value.

One store, Best fricking Buy (that has a lot of other problems) actually went nuts on this! I showed my receipt at the return counter, before leaving the store for good.

Another good feedback is those "We value your opinion" cards. I'll ask the checker for a pen, write "Please reconsider the, "I feel like I'm being treated like a criminal" receipt check, or I'll reconsider the value of my future purchases accordingly."

When I approach the checker person, I usually say: "Here. Can you keep track of this for me?" Hand it to them, and keep walking.

It's petty, I know, but this kind of crap really sets me off.

I just wonder how many criminals in that area got away with stuff while this officer was tied up with this nonsense. There is no need for me to boycott Circuit City--I don't shop at that crapfest anyway.

Fry's has the same silly policy...if somebody is going to rip something off from a place like that they are probably not going to try and hide it in an open bag that they are carrying on their person...a large pocket in a jacket will do. What does CC do when somebody enters their store and just brouses? Do they perform a strip search? Full body X-Rays at the exits? Metal Detectors?

How long is it going to be before we have to show our "papers" at all times, even when just going from one neighbourhood to another? Maybe an electronic "RF ID" mark on our hand or forehead is a good idea. Let's just track everybody. It's "for the sake of the children."

Seems to me he has two actions going here. One is with the police department for the false arrest, the other with Circuit City wherein the Manager improperly physically detained him.

Yep.

The standard line on this crap is preventing employee theft. Somebody goes through the line, and an item or two is not scanned.

I don't buy that. They've got cameras and such to handle that problem. IMHO, it's just some feeling good about security at our expense.

It might actually go over better, if they really checked the receipts! Maybe somebody got over charged or something. Never hear about that.

I think I might actually get into some trouble over the RFID thing. I'm just not gonna do it, period. Same for carrying papers when they are not required.

There are a ton of cameras anyway. It's difficult to leave your neighborhood without hiding as it is. At what point does it all just get stupid, from a security perspective.

From a control perspective, it makes a lot of sense and that worries me.

I'm with the rest of you. It aggravates me when they ask for the receipt.

At Costco, they can. It's part of your membership agreement.

The other stores, at least in WA and OR can't force you to show them your receipt.

I generally will comply, but if I'm in a pissy mood, I won't. I've asked the people at Best Buy and Fry's what they do if someone won't show the receipt and they have said they just tell them "Have a nice day!"

All that being said, I actually had it pay off at the Vancouver Costco. I bought 2 cases of Costco brand bottled water. One of the 1 liter bottles and one of the .5 liter bottles.

On the way out when they were checking my receipt, the "door person" found that they had charged me for 2 of the .5 liter cases. The .5 liter cases are a little over $1 more expensive than the 1 Liter cases. She sent me back to customer service and they refunded the difference!

If you leave a store with merchandise that you have paid for, the store can not stop you, if they do, you have a unlawful detention case against them. You do not have to identify yourself to a police officer, unless your suspected of a crime.

In this case, i see it going two ways, the police were withen their rights, since a complaint had been filed of suspected shoplifting. However he has a good case against the store for its employee unlawfully detaining him.

Who the heck cares why this clown decided to waste his time?

If exercising the chip on your shoulder is more important to you than living your life with your family, then go irritate the rent-a-cops all you want ... and waste the time of cops who could be out dealing with real criminals.

Thanks for wasting our tax dollars, buddy!

Well, it's always easier to just bend over, right?

Seriously!

I personally pick my battles. I'll make a point of this, when it makes sense to do so, other times I just deal. All depends.

If everybody just does the "it's easier" bit, then we've got trouble, IMHO.

We've got large companies implementing this crap, for their benefit, at our expense. If the whole affair does not add value, people are perfectly within their rights to push back on it.

That's the case here.

The simple solution is to not patronize businesses that don't respect their customers. This is why I boycott AM/PM Arco.

Same here.

It's a fair list actually. Vote with your feet.

I prefer live and local, people who know my name and I know are working hard to do the right things and add real value.

This bogus check trend is on the increase however. Not cool.

sutton sez: "Thanks for wasting our tax dollars, buddy!"

Well, if it wasn't for people like your buddy, you wouldn't have the right to ask for Crisco when asked to bend over. Not all of us like to be shafted raw.

Skeptical, there's effective civil disobedience, and there's uselessly getting yourself thrown in jail.

Ok. I'm glad you checked in at 2:21 AM to respond to my 1:43 AM post.

5:21 eastern time ... we get started early in big cities with crappy commutes!! Or maybe we're both spending too much time here .....