Yesterday afternoon I was helping an elderly friend by replacing an electric baseboard heater in her bathroom.
I bought the replacment heater from a local hardware store along with an add on thermostat.
Back at the house, I removed the old heater and started to assemble the new one by fitting the thermostat. I then discoverd the T'stat was missing it's mounting screws and plastic knob.
So I return to the store and show the sales assistant what is missing, and we get a new complete T'stat. He then escorts me to the checkout to process the substitution.
There is a long line at the checkout (and it isn't moving), and after a few minutes the assistant says he is going to leave me.
I tell him (nicely) I am busy too, I have left an old lady in a house with little heat (the power is off) there is nothing to be paid, please sort it out, I am leaving.
I leave the store, get in my truck and drive off.
As I am about to join the highway, there is a crash as a young man in a leather jacket leaps into the box of my pickup truck!
I stop get out and confront him (thinking what the heck!) The guy is them 6" from my face and blabbering.
The sales assistant is running from the store to me, I can't make sense of what is being said (the man had a strong accent) so I ask "Do you know this guy, who is he?"
Both then tell me that he is the store owner, and I am shoplifting!
The guy is still RIGHT in my face, so I just say "I want the police" they both tell me they have already been called.
The owner says he wants his merchandise from the cab of my truck. I said NO, we will go back in the store and await the police.
Back in the store the owner is mouthing off saying how I am stupid and "DO..YOU..NOT..UNDERSTAND..ENGLISH" (As it happens, I am originally from England)
I said I refuse to speck until the police arrive. I turn my back on him.
He then says he wants me out of his store, to wait outside. (Repeats this several times)
It is snowing outside and I tell him if he wants me out of the store he will have to physically remove me, or wait for the police. (I have about 6" and 40 lbs on the guy)
He them tells the sales assistant to 'Gaurd me' and walks off.
Eventually the police arrive and the owner come back to show the video of me leaving the sales assistant at the checkout. The owner is ranting and the policeman tells him to be quite.
I them explain what happened show the T'stat and my sales recept.
The store owner then says he does not want to press charges.
The policeman tells him "nobody is going to be charged here" and that we should just leave this be and move on.
I leave the store with the policeman, and the owner starts ranting again about the T'stat not being checked out.
I hand the item and my recipt to the lady at the check out, get an additional recipt and leave the store.
I talk to the policman outside the store (he is quite friendly) He tells me some merchants are hyper alert to shoplifting, I say "No kidding" and remind him of the owner jumping in my truck at the intersection.
The cop agrees 'That was not a good idea'
WOW!
I bought the replacment heater from a local hardware store along with an add on thermostat.
Back at the house, I removed the old heater and started to assemble the new one by fitting the thermostat. I then discoverd the T'stat was missing it's mounting screws and plastic knob.
So I return to the store and show the sales assistant what is missing, and we get a new complete T'stat. He then escorts me to the checkout to process the substitution.
There is a long line at the checkout (and it isn't moving), and after a few minutes the assistant says he is going to leave me.
I tell him (nicely) I am busy too, I have left an old lady in a house with little heat (the power is off) there is nothing to be paid, please sort it out, I am leaving.
I leave the store, get in my truck and drive off.
As I am about to join the highway, there is a crash as a young man in a leather jacket leaps into the box of my pickup truck!
I stop get out and confront him (thinking what the heck!) The guy is them 6" from my face and blabbering.
The sales assistant is running from the store to me, I can't make sense of what is being said (the man had a strong accent) so I ask "Do you know this guy, who is he?"
Both then tell me that he is the store owner, and I am shoplifting!
The guy is still RIGHT in my face, so I just say "I want the police" they both tell me they have already been called.
The owner says he wants his merchandise from the cab of my truck. I said NO, we will go back in the store and await the police.
Back in the store the owner is mouthing off saying how I am stupid and "DO..YOU..NOT..UNDERSTAND..ENGLISH" (As it happens, I am originally from England)
I said I refuse to speck until the police arrive. I turn my back on him.
He then says he wants me out of his store, to wait outside. (Repeats this several times)
It is snowing outside and I tell him if he wants me out of the store he will have to physically remove me, or wait for the police. (I have about 6" and 40 lbs on the guy)
He them tells the sales assistant to 'Gaurd me' and walks off.
Eventually the police arrive and the owner come back to show the video of me leaving the sales assistant at the checkout. The owner is ranting and the policeman tells him to be quite.
I them explain what happened show the T'stat and my sales recept.
The store owner then says he does not want to press charges.
The policeman tells him "nobody is going to be charged here" and that we should just leave this be and move on.
I leave the store with the policeman, and the owner starts ranting again about the T'stat not being checked out.
I hand the item and my recipt to the lady at the check out, get an additional recipt and leave the store.
I talk to the policman outside the store (he is quite friendly) He tells me some merchants are hyper alert to shoplifting, I say "No kidding" and remind him of the owner jumping in my truck at the intersection.
The cop agrees 'That was not a good idea'
WOW!