Completing a MS, & was locked in for 30 minutes

December 25, 2023 04:25AM

I was completing a MS today at a gas station. Should of been quick in and out. I already snapped all the photos i needed, & had the item i was buying for in store purchase on the counter. Then all of a sudden, both employees take attention off me. They lock the store down. Because 3 grown men were grabbing 2 cases of beer each and walking out. They locked the doors in time to trapped the 3rd theif inside. They called the police & wouldnt let me leave until the police arrived. I was scared shitless... i hid in the corner of the store. What these employees did was wrong. This person could of easily had a weapon, hurt someone, hurt me.... to evade the police when they arrived. I was the only customer in the store.

After leaving, i found out what the employees did was wrong. They put me in danger that could of been avoided if they just did what they are suppose to do which is write down mens description and try to get license plate number & called police.

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December 25, 2023 04:37AM

That must have been one hell of a report. Glad you made it through unscathed.

If your path dictates you walk through hell, do it as though you own the place. -unknown

December 25, 2023 11:52AM

Glad you are here!

December 25, 2023 12:30PM

I am sorry that happened to you. I would have been scared to death as well.

Shopping Arkansas, Louisiana, & Mississippi.

December 25, 2023 05:43PM

Glad you survived!

Too bad past participles haven't...

Have synthesizers, will travel...

December 27, 2023 01:49PM

That is terrible. So sorry that happened. I think bonus pay is called for on that one.

December 27, 2023 03:58PM

Next thing we know there will be an additional question about witnessing illegal activity.

I <3 when MSCs expand their surveys without expanding their pay.

Have synthesizers, will travel...

December 28, 2023 05:03PM

There is a lot of things i told myself I should of done while in the store after i was able to leave. But my mind froze i guess. I did reach out to their owner, and he purfusley apologized to me and will make sure his employees know that was completly against protocol.

The pump did not print reciept and i was not able to get it inside before this happen, and also was not able to complete inside store purchase. I snapped a picture of gas pump total when i got out of store and finished my report explaining what happened. It got approved but no bonus pay. Lol.

But it kinda ruined my day. I had over a $200 day lined up for me. But only made $110. Because i couldnt thinking "clearly" afterwards.

December 29, 2023 05:07PM

I am sorry this happened to you. As I read your post, I was mad and thought there is no way I would've let it go that far.

If that happened to me, I would've told the employees to immediately let me out a back door or one of the locked doors, but if they continued to keep me locked in, I would press charges for kidnapping and sue them and the company. I don't know how they think they can pull off that unlawful behavior.

I don't know nor care about what can be done about the beer theives, but the employees can't keep you locked in against your will. Yes, the beer theives were wrong for stealing, but don't lump me in with them.

If I were you, I would talk to an attorney and see if there is something there.

December 30, 2023 03:48PM

I’m so sorry you had to go through being deprived of your liberty over a case of beer. This is exactly why retail stores have a budget line item for shrinkage.

Just as you in retrospect have all sorts of ways you would have handled it differently, perhaps the employees also were scared or not thinking clearly which contributed to their very poor judgement.

December 30, 2023 08:01PM

30 minutes is a looong time to be in danger and have no control of the situation. What was the thief doing all that time? Were they just patiently waiting to be arrested? So glad you made it out ok.

December 31, 2023 01:27AM

Yikes, that is really scary. What if the thieves had a weapon? I can only imagine what could have gone terribly wrong. Consider yourself fortunate to have gotten out of there in one piece. Crime seems to be rampant nowadays. Home and car break-ins have become a regular occurrence around here and I'm in what is considered a nice neighborhood not the inner city or "hood."

I would have been "done" after that as well. When something screwy happens, it messy with our psychic.

*****************************************************************************
The more I learn about people...the more I like my dog..

Mark Twain

January 02, 2024 01:31PM

Do you realize the shoplifter and you can sue for unlawful detainment?

January 02, 2024 01:53PM

Are you serious? You would like the shoplifter, who was committing a crime, to sue the business owner? This is exactly what is wrong with our country right now. Break a law? No problem, go ahead and sue...its certainly not your fault that you got stuck inside the store you were robbing.

January 02, 2024 02:02PM

sorry to hear about this...I would have been shook up as well.

Could have, would have, should have

Life was passing like a hand waving from a train I wanted to be on

January 03, 2024 05:09AM

Once they locked the doors with whatever buttons they have by the registers, it locked down the registers, computers, etc too. I noticed how the card readers were off line. Once the police arrived, i left immediately. But i am sure id probably would of needed to wait awhile to do my in store purchase because the employees were dealing with the police for awhile. But i still got paid the shop fee and what i spent in gas, just not the in store purchase.

January 03, 2024 05:13AM

@veebeeshops wrote:

30 minutes is a looong time to be in danger and have no control of the situation. What was the thief doing all that time? Were they just patiently waiting to be arrested? So glad you made it out ok.

At first, he set the beer down, and called his friends (they drove off without him) and he was on the phone with them, while also talking to the employee saying that his friends are going to bring the beer back. But the employees still wouldnt let him leave. He checked the side doors to see if they were u locked. And then he just stood in the middle of the store until police arrived.

Technically tho, he didnt "steal" anything, because they locked him inside before he could leave with the items. So "attemped theft?"

January 03, 2024 05:16AM

@audrialyn30 wrote:

Do you realize the shoplifter and you can sue for unlawful detainment?

A bunch of people told me to talk to an attorney. My Dad being #1. I called a couple and they said they couldnt help in this situation. So i wouldnt know what kind of attorney to talk to.

January 03, 2024 05:21AM

I suggest that you try calling the local bar association and ask them for a recommendation. Depending upon where you live, that might be your county or it might be statewide. Or you could try calling the legal clinic at a local law school and ask for a recommendation.

@Serendipitousmoments wrote:

@audrialyn30 wrote:

Do you realize the shoplifter and you can sue for unlawful detainment?

A bunch of people told me to talk to an attorney. My Dad being #1. I called a couple and they said they couldnt help in this situation. So i wouldnt know what kind of attorney to talk to.

Shopping South Jersey, Southeast Pennsylvania, and Delaware above the canal since 2008

January 03, 2024 05:41AM

@Serendipitousmoments wrote:

So i wouldnt know what kind of attorney to talk to.

I was going to be sarcastic and say check the yellow pages under "ambulance-chaser." This would likely be personal injury or perhaps civil rights/liberties. Contact your local bar association. There's somebody out there who will take it.

If your path dictates you walk through hell, do it as though you own the place. -unknown

January 03, 2024 08:24AM

@Serendipitousmoments What type of attorneys did you reach out to? If it was an estate or patent attorney, then they probably can't help. When you were on the phone with them, that was the time to see whom they would suggest you get in touch with.

I would say contact a personal injury attorney and if they say they can't help, ask them who or what type of attorney should you try to get in touch with.

I am not the suing type, but this was a stressful event and these employees had no right to hold you hostage for half an hour and place you and others in danger. Like others said, what if the third thief that was trapped in with you had a weapon and decided to take it out on someone for being trapped. What if his friends had weapons or went to get some in the 30 minutes before the police arrived.

30 minutes seems like a poor police response time. Did you or any of the other hostages call 911. I would've been on the phone with them too. I wouldn't let time pass on this either.

January 06, 2024 05:00PM

That's insane that the employees locked the thieves and you in the store. Most businesses have now coached the employees that they shouldn't try to pursue or stop the thieves. I'm sorry that you got stuck in that, I probably would not have known how to respond in the moment either.

January 06, 2024 11:55PM

@joanna81 wrote:

That's insane that the employees locked the thieves and you in the store. Most businesses have now coached the employees that they shouldn't try to pursue or stop the thieves. I'm sorry that you got stuck in that, I probably would not have known how to respond in the moment either.

Joanna81 is right about not trying to stop thieves. What if the alleged thief had a gun under their shirt and decided to shoot their way out? Or a knife, and grabbed a customer as hostage, holding the knife to the customer's throat? In either case, no one can escape the situation if the staff locks everyone in.

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Completing a MS, & was locked in for 30 minutes

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