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Shopping and bag checking
One thing I still haven't become used to after more than three years in Australia is bag checking. If you go into any store in Queensland (don't know how it is for the rest of Australia), you'll most likely be asked to let a store employee look through your bag before you leave.
(I'm just procrastinating now... In the middle of a law essay, which I'm very-very tired of... So I needed to vent some frustration! Bag-checking seems to be a good victim!)
Most stores in Queensland - and in particular the bigger chains, like Big-W, K-Mart, Target etc. have employees whose sole purpose in life is to check the contents of your bag.
When you leave the store, they will ask you to open your bag so they can have a look for stolen items. (They don't say they are looking for "stolen items", of course... But that's the real reason!) Most of them are fairly nice about it (as nice as you can be sticking your nose in other people's bags), and just take a really quick peak inside whatever compartment you open up.
But... Some stores make sure to place over-zealous workers at the gates. For some strange reason, they always appear to be strict-looking ladies that are within a decade of retirement.
If you're unlucky enough to encounter one of these people (I'm sure they make employee of the month all the time), you will be asked to open every major compartment of your bag... And not only that, you'll most likely end up having to take things out of your bag so that they can see all the contents!
Now, that just makes me annoyed!
I wonder what the economic benefit is of treating every customer like a potential thief or at least a very suspect person who clearly has many, many dodgy things in their bag...
I have a sneaking feeling that all it does is to annoy honest customers and put a serious damper on the whole "shopping experience".
I mean, there are security cameras everywhere in these stores, "loss prevention officers" (they're very good at fancy titles here) patrol all the time under cover or in flashy uniforms, and on the public announcement system you frequently hear friendly messages like "Security to sector 2, please" (which always makes me wonder if I am in sector 2).
And to make matters worse... The whole bag-checking is apparently voluntary - as I found out three minutes ago! They can't force you to open your bag!!!
There is no law specifically allowing bag-checking to be carried out. Rather, it's a retailer policy that has been endorsed by the Office of Fair Trading.
The closest thing to legal backing for this policy would most likely be under laws of trespassing. In Australia, property owners are allowed to set terms for entry onto their property. If you do not comply with these terms you must leave immediately or be liable for trespassing charges.
But then... You're actually trying to leave when they want to check your bag anyway!!!
Here's an interesting experiment... Maybe, when in the right mood, faced with one of my favourite bag-checkers, I'll refuse to open my bag... Stand up for privacy, good customer treatment and the fight against oppressive bag-checking policies!!! "Viva la rev..."
Then again, maybe not! :p
Links:
- Bag-checking fact sheet
- Bag-checking 101 for consumers
My list of worst bag-checking places:
1. K-Mart
2. Target
3. Big-W
4. Coles/Woolworth
My list of best bag-checking places:
1. Myer (they don't check your bags) :o)
Posted by Marius Berg Askildsen
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