As any of you who know me are aware, I have been sucked back into the hell that is working retail.
To better understand the environment that I call "the workplace," let's do a little math:
(Shelves and Shelves of Brand Name shoes, all of which are out on the floor) + ("Bad Neighborhood") = an annoying need to babysit potential thieves and make sure they are not taking what is rightfully ours.
Basically, I live in an area that is not exactly known for its generous, law-abiding citizens, and the most stressful (and most time consuming) part of my job is Loss Prevention.
You can always tell who's trying to steal. They're shifty, jittery, speak quickly, and are always looking to make sure no one's around.
There are never smart thieves; at least not where I work.
They might as well wear T-Shirts that say "FOLLOW ME. I AM GOING TO STEAL."
It's not a surprise that I do follow them. If they're asking, why shouldn't I?
I am not afraid to be obnoxious about following a potential thief around my store. I'm not afraid for them to know I'm watching them. I've been followed around a few stores here and there (like Claires... because a 19 year old shouldn't shop there) and it doesn't bother me because I know that I'm not doing anything wrong. You can always tell when it bothers someone. And why. (I've never been asked by a true paying customer why I'm following them around.)
Normally, those thieves are swayed by the fact that someone is constantly going to be watching them. They leave without saying a word and without trying on one pair of shoes.
But sometimes, you get the ones who are so appalled that they can't get away with free shoes that they let you know:
"You're only following me because I'm black," says the little girl with the pink backpack, who I have on camera stealing a few days before.
"You're only following me because I'm black," say the six teenagers who spread out throughout the store with giant purses and sweatshirts, one of whom has a pair of size 10.5's in his coat.
"You're only following me because I'm black," says the man with two teeth who I've seen begging on the street corner and has his picture posted in the store next door as a "repeat offender."
From this blog, you may think that I only watch black people. Hell, the way those thieves act, you'd think I only watch black people.
But I am here to tell you, potential thieves, that you are not worth my time simply because of the way you look.
Hundreds of people of all different races, sexes, genders, ethnicities, and cultures come in and out of my store every day. Some of them are black. Some of them are Samoan. Some are white, some are Mexican, some are Russian, some are Chinese, and most, you don't care to notice because we are in America and it does not matter what race, creed, or nationality you are.
Out of those hundreds of people, about ten or twenty are going to try to steal. Those ten or twenty can be black. They can also be Samoan, white, mexican, Russian, Chinese, or who cares what else.
I don't choose to watch you based on what you look like. It may be a combination of how you dress and how you act, so yes, I must stereotype you just a little. But it has nothing to do with what color your skin is. Or what color your hair is, or that you have nine piercings in your face (because yes, I have heard "it's because I'm different" from people who wear all black and die their hair an outrageous color).
Moral: anyone can be watched, no matter what they look like. I could care less what you look like when you walk into my store. That is not what tips me off.
I'm tipped off when you go straight for a pair of shoes, grab the box, start carrying it around without trying it on, and grab random things here and there to look like you're "shopping." I'm tipped off when you duck behind a bin and when I walk down that aisle you go to the next one. I'm tipped off when you where your T-Shirt that says "FOLLOW ME. I AM GOING TO STEAL."
Realize, thieves, that you are the reason -isms exists. "it's because I'm poor-looking" or "it's because I'm black" or "it's because my hair is green" are only ways to segregate and discriminate yourselves even more.
Stop thinking that everyone has time for you simply because of the way you look, and maybe these -isms can start disappearing.
It starts with you, potential thieves.
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