Oh, and I didn't tell my husband about mystery shopping until we'd been dating for two years, about a month before we got married.

We got a joint account together about six months before that, and after six months of him making comments about me buying gas multiple times in a day, but always small purchases of just a couple gallons... I finally broke down and told him.

He'd make comments like "Hey, uhhh... you know when you buy gas, you can fill it up, right? Like, it won't go bad sitting there for a week?" or "Is there a gas ration I don't know about? You bought $5 worth of gas three times today at different gas stations."

I often wonder what someone would think if they were paying attention to me.

Two McDonald's meals plus a DQ for one lunch period? Parking and taking pictures of my DQ food?

I often write notes in my car. But I did that long before I was a mystery shopper. Sitting in the car waiting while my kids were at various activities, I did a lot of my marking.

I'd tell an officer I was doing paper work. If he wanted to know more, I'd tell him.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/01/2014 03:57AM by prince.

If I ever had a stalker peeping through my windows... I can't imagine what they'd think about me ordering pizza, having it delivered, taking pictures of my pizza bottoms, and then throwing it away.

The husband and I have an ongoing joke soap opera-like discussion about my mystery shopping... like "Is she EVER going to choose a cell phone? Tune in next week!" "When will she finally choose the right bank for her? Stay tuned for a special two-part episode!"

I LOVE love this!! Thanks BBird

PI Report: "She went to McDonald's, ate inside, but then went through the driveway too! I then followed her to a Dunkin Donuts a few blocks down, where she got another coffee, but she didn't meet anyone there. Then she went to a bank that you don't have an account at, was in there for about twenty minutes, then emerged. Then she went to another bank!! After leaving the bank, she went to a fitness center that you don't have a membership at, then stopped at four gas stations in a row, then went back to McDonald's, but a different one clear in another town! She ate inside and then went through the driveway there too!! Woman must LOVE McDonald's! She then went to a cell phone provider store, then ANOTHER gas station! Finally, she stopped at a grocery store, and then picked up the kids from school. I really don't know what to make of this, sir."

The conclusion would have to be "she is cheating on you with fast food." I have heard of people with eating disorders who go to multiple fast food shops a day. So the PI could come back with "she is not cheating on you, she just has an eating disorder." Not sure which would be worse.

James Bond 007.5 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
>
> 3-Cooperate as much as possible with the police.
> 95% plus aren't looking for a confrontation. If
> they're asking you questions it's quite likely
> because someone called and they are checking out
> the call. Right or wrong, the police have the
> power of the law behind them.

A few years ago when my late husband picked me up from work to do mshopping, we heard a siren in the highway. (I live in Toronto.) My husband said, "Gee, it is for us." He pulled over. I was so scared as we had never been asked to pull over in the middle of a busy highway or have had any encounter with the police.

One officer asked me to get out of the car and ordered me to remove my sunglasses. He asked me if I put on some makeup on a bruise on my face. I asked what bruise? My husband just came to pick me up and he waited in front of my office building. I just came down from the fifth floor, why would I have a bruise? He said they received a report that a couple was having a fight in a car across the street from my office building and the car described was a dark green Toyota minivan. I told him there was no way we would park across the street as we were actually rushing so I would not be late for my other job. And we did not have a fight. (But as I carry my emotions on my shoulders, I must have looked terrified.)

In the meantime, the other officer was dealing with my husband who was cool as a cucumber while I was panicking. He gave them his license and answered the officer's questions. Then they thanked us and we were on our way to mshop, barely making the scenario's specific timing.

When I arrived home that night, it was tough to make the report. The sound of the police siren in the highway was still ringing in my ears. The experience had no adverse effect on my husband. He just kept his cool as always.

I have had an officer question me... (this sounds like a Cettie story!)

Officer: Everything ok here?

Me: Yes sir, thank you

Officer: Is there some thing wrong with your car?

Me: No sir, I'm working. I'm filling out my auditor reports, it's quiet here... not so much at home.

Officer: Okay then, have a good day.

Me: You too, thank you!

MEH... not so much of a Cettie story

-

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/03/2014 09:14PM by vince.

Jesus!

I'd say I'm writing a letter to an old love............ ((which i do))

SunnyDays2, this comment is not directed at you, but to the actions of others.

If a Police Officer asks you to do something, comply. s(He) does not care about your report, the concern is for public safety. Be civil and tell him what you are doing. Show him the damned paperwork. This is not the CIA. If an officer makes a request of you and you do not comply you can go to jail. The cops choice, not yours.
Is the shop worth it? You can still use the shop as if the cop never showed up.

When a cop askes you to do something, just do it and argue later. There are people that will argue with a traffic light then walk away thinking they won the debate!

Not trying to be impolite, but I wonder about some shoppers.


Don, shopping since the advent of FAX machines.

The officer wouod understand about "paperwork" as they do it as well! Good odea.
Don

In Oklahoma they tend to arrest people that are using a WiFi connection from the parking lot. They call it theft of service. You can't even park outside of a public Library and use the wifi even if you have a Library card.


BillBryaninCarthage Wrote:
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> I only pull into McDonald's parking lots to work
> on reports and never stay past 10pm. I prefer
> Loew's because of their excellent high-speed
> internet, and Home Depot as well. But I always
> leave their parking lots by 9pm. Also, at night I
> leave the lights on in my vehicle so that others
> can't see the glow of the laptop screen. I've seen
> people in their cars at night, gazing down at the
> blue light from their laptop, and they always look
> suspicious to me.
>
> Policewoman: "Good evening! What are you doing?"
> Shopper: "Working!"
> Policewoman: "What are you working on?"
> Shopper: "I'm filling out a report that has to be
> submitted in the next five minutes or I'll miss
> the deadline and not be paid."
> Policewoman: "Oh, you are a mystery shopper. Sorry
> to bother you, sir."

I have been questioned as well by law enforcement. I cooperated with them. Even allowing them to search my trunk and see all the paperwork I had printed. I picked up an assignment just outside the country and was truthful about why I wanted access to the other country. The immigration officer was concerned about me taking a job away from a citizen of the country. So I was stopped and questioned. I was not allowed access to the country and had to email the scheduler to let the MSC know.
_________________________________________________________________________

Two wrongs do not make a right, but three lefts do.

I don't hide what I do, mainly cuz I am talking with friends and family. In NV I am an employee, not IC. I suggest friends having money problems give shopping a try. We live in a "gated" community, and sometimes give the pizzas to the guards at our gate. My husband just groans when I have shops to do, and I have to ask him if he will go with me to dinner or movie shops before I accept them. Yesterday we had a date nite...sundae and chocolate at a candy store. He liked eating the sundae and wanted to go straight home. He is just an old fart!

My encounters with police are actually funny! When I was a travel agent and was escorting a group of Explorer Scouts to the airport for a trip to Hawaii, the contact said, "Uh oh, open your purse." He slipped his HEAVY service revolver in it. In plain clothes, he could not enter the airport with it (the 80s). He had me carry it until we were back in the car or bus. I would not touch it and made him take it out. I did feel special that he trusted me with his gun, tho.

Then as a bank teller...my first day at the branch. The trainer did not explain the button for the camera that I thought was a silent alarm, so when we were counting the money at the close of day, and I had trouble moving some of the bills, I questioned her. Turns out I set off the silent alarm...they opened all of the drapes before the squad car arrived so they could see no bank robbers. She apologized to me. Gets worse...the next day I notice a man at one line and all of the tellers pointing down to us, and the trainer pointing to me. The customer was one of the cops that responded the day before and he wanted to know who set off the alarm.

The trainer, wanting to be helpful, suggested I get nail polish and wear it when I came in on the following Monday as it looks pretty when handling money. I went to the Thrifty Drug Store near the house late Sunday evening, when I remembered. I was one of the last people to leave the store, and as I neared the exit, 3 squad cars blocked me (in front and on each side). I immediately raised my hands and lowered my driver's window. They took a minute to look at me, and 2 peeled off to the store and the third stopped long enough to tell me there was a robbery just after I walked out, and then he raced to the store. The cop from the last week came to my line on Monday, and I repeated the story. Chuckling, he said he wanted to follow me around for a day.

I admit my encounters with the police have been friendly, and I respect and appreciate them. As with soldiers I see, I thank them for their service to me and the nation.

BB, I'd love to spend time in at amazing mind of yours! S2

vince Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> -


Yes?

I thought about this thread today when I had to pull off into a residential neighborhood to do my notes from my first shop. Luckily there was a house "for sale" right there so I parked in front of it. I didn't want to park in front of an occupied house. Anyone stops in front of my house, I'm watching them until they leave and if they don't leave quick enough, my gun is in my pocket and I walk out to see what I can help them with. In the city, I would call a cop to check out the situation. (Usually where I live now, they're lost. But once someone was driving through with a spotlight, looking for a lost horse in the middle of the night; another time they missed a turn and got on my driveway by mistake, another time they were looking for my uphill neighbor and stopped in front of my gate in error. The joys of living in the sticks -- the cops are 10 minutes away so we take care of things ourselves here. But it's a polite inquiry. The gun is there in case they get nasty. It's never happened though.)

"Sketching the building and grounds for a future robbery?"

On the Hedgehog shops, when you have to pull over and take a picture of your burger, I am forever saying:

"No. I can't park there because I do shops at that store every week.

"No, I can't park there because you can't just sit in a bank parking lot.

"Nope. I can't park there because I see some thugs hanging out at the convenience store."

Sometimes, I have to drive a good mile or two down the road to find the right spot to take photos!

I'm surprised nobody has replied in this thread with a cop asking why they are leaning into the trunk of their car with a razor knife in hand, mutilating a pizza and taking pictures of it.

scanman1 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I'm surprised nobody has replied in this thread
> with a cop asking why they are leaning into the
> trunk of their car with a razor knife in hand,
> mutilating a pizza and taking pictures of it.


Hilarious!

I used to take the pics on the hood of my car until they forbade us to do that. I used to get some really weird stares.. swatting the flies away, shooting pictures of a pizza on my hood in 110 degree heat!

On mini-routes I do them in the hatch of my car. The dog hair probably adds to the flavor.

I've had to put them on the roof to get the side shots sometimes. Usually I do them in the hatch area though. Depends which car I'm driving and whether there are two bags of dog food already in the hatch.

I was at a closed gas station trying to get my last photos to prove it was really closed. Two police officers drove up and ordered me off the property and they didn't care two hoots about any letter of authorization or the snappy orange safety vest I was wearing. I was told to leave immediately and while doing so I tripped on broken concrete, fell into a puddle, broke my camera and my paperwork went flying in the wind right over the edge of a wall bordering a creek. Since I wasn't about to limp my way 30 feet down to attempt a retrieval I simply left. Looking over my shoulder the two cops were in hysterics laughing at the show I must have put on.

Unless there was a "No Trespassing" sign, I wonder why they thought it was illegal to be on the property taking a picture.

Some cops give other cops a bad name.

I agree, dspeakes. Cettie, I am concerned enough about what happened to you that I hope you told the police chief. Is this how they have fun? Making fun of someone who is hurt? Were they both male? Is this some kind of male dominance game they have? They should not have been on the property interfering with your work. It is perfectly logical that a person would take a picture of a closed business. For all they knew, you are the realtor. Do you think maybe they knew something about you and wanted to pick on you? If there is a way to file a complaint, I would have. I'm hoping that your community has a citizen committee that hears complaints about the police department. If they do this to you, what would they do if they were angry with a perp or if they thought a citizen was very vulnerable? Decent people do not have fun at someone else's expense, and especially not on the job.

>>Me: No... That's not suspicious activity for me. I made all those purchases. There was a reason for stopping at the different ?>>locations on the same street. I just need to know that my card won't be suspended for making small purchases at gas >>stations. Free feel to suspend my account when the purchases are large purchases. Can you put a note on my account not to >>suspend the account without calling me?

LOL, I had the same thing happen the first few times I had a few shops back to back like that. It is funny now but it wasn't then. I had to use my credit card on the last two shops because they froze both of my bank cards.LOL

Depending on the state, absent a current trespassing agreement between the owner and police department, the police have no right to order anyone off of private property.

In most court districts in Florida, for example, they use a blanket trespass affidavit or business trespass program. However, common sense must prevail. If I were the officer who saw someone on property where their was such an agreement, I would stop and FI (field interview) the person. Once they explained what they were doing, I would have either contacted the owner to make sure they were okay, or simply remained on the property while the person took their photos and waited for her to leave. It's not that hard to figure out what to do. Most service calls don't fit a perfect textbook scenario.

Those cops? Jerks. I would have contacted the shift commander. They needed a couple of new ones ripped for them.

I was in Warren PA when this happened and not anywhere near where I lived so I don't think they knew who I was. Good thing it was a bonused shop. The MS company is some good people whom I've been with a very long time so they paid me despite not having paperwork. I was able to get the memory card pried out of the camera and give them a couple of photos, there was also a brief shot I didn't know I had which showed of part of the cop car and someone in a uniform. Apparently the camera went off when I almost grasped it when I went flying.