The never ending attempt to criminalize the TI 

 

Shopping, something everybody has to do in order to eat.  For TI's it can be

a daunting task.

 

I would like to share a shopping story with you.

Day before yesterday I walked to the dollar store and Safeway in the small
nearby Shopping centre, a walk of 20 minutes from my place.
When I arrived there, the parking lot was full and I went into the
dollarstore, which was very full and after I was in there, about 30 more
people came in. I did not feel comfortable as I am being sandwiched
and zapped when too many people are there, so I left. That was a Sunday.

Yesterday, on a Monday I saw that I got to the store before school was
out, at 2.30 p.m. The parking lot was full to the last space.
Highly unusual for a small shopping centre on a rainy Monday
early afternoon.

I entered the dollar store and grabbed a basket. The store was full
but not overly full like the day before. About 10 people entered right
after me. I photographed some of them, because they immediately
pulled their cellphones and punched numbers in, then pressed the
cellphone on both sides and then put it away again.

This procedure sets off their weapon in the large shoulder bag
or backpack.
When being hit with EH, I am being "switched off" for a short
time, without knowing that I had been unconscious.

I tried to get away from them, walked through the card isle and
then back to the food isle which was by then not crowded. I chose my items,
looked who was watching me and noticed that at least 2 people
were closely observing exactly what I was buying. I covered
my merchandise with a newspaper from my bag, but then people
squeezed past me, staring blatantly at my basket.

A shop assistant lingered at the end of the food isle, arranging this and that,
staring at me. Then a well known bald older Perpetrator squeezed past, asking the
assistant something, both very close to me. I grabbed some water and went
to the next isle. The shop assistant said, as I was passing her: "You don't
know, how much people steal in here"
I said "You should think it is a stupid idea to steal stuff in a dollar store."

When she was out of sight, I grabbed 2 cans of coconut water, which is
supposed to be good for you and I had not seen it for a long time in that
store. There were about 30 cans. I took two from the back.

Also I took a can for sardines, the same I had before, they were arranged
in a pattern like stairs lying on the side, which struck me as strange.

As they always exchange my merchandise for a pre-poisoned version
at the cash register, I put one can of coconut juice into the front breast
pocket of my jacket, where it is not fully covered and easily visible to
anyone, and my plan was to have this one there and nobody would touch
it and run the other one through the cash register and then leave it there.

But the shop assistant pounced on me, followed by the bald old guy,
started screaming and accused me of shop lifting and demanded
that I take the can out of my jacket pocket. I told her why I was
doing it and that she could not accuse me of anything because I was
going to pay for it.

She kept on screaming and I raised my voice too and told her that I am
not a shoplifter, did she hear that? Then she said that she can scream
louder than me, and I said "you sure can".
Then she screamed that she would embarrass me more.
I said in a calm voice that I am not embarrassed because I have done
nothing wrong.
At the cash register she screamed again that I put stuff into my pocket
and said: "here, a customer told me that you have something in your
pocket, here, what is this, in your side pocket?" Baffled, I reached in
there, and low and behold, there was a Mars bar in there.
I had put it into the basket. I know that for sure. I never put anything
on top of my camera. Never. I keep my camera ready at all times, and
I would never obstruct it. - Wow.
Meanwhile I forced the cashier to start ringing my purchase through,
and I gave her the mars bar and told her that I am going to pay for it
and to ring it through.
She did so reluctantly.

By that time I felt the usual confusion set in that comes from being
zapped at the cash register as always,
and the shop assistant screamed: "She is a shoplifter" and I said
"Stop slandering me, I have not done anything wrong".
And then the shop assistant said: "I am going to search you now,
through all your pockets and your shopping bag because you
were stealing stuff." I told her that she should not say again that
I was stealing stuff because I was not, and that I did not know how
the mars bar got into my pocket and that I am paying for it now,
and if she thinks that I need to be searched, she would need to
call the police. She responded "I am going to call the police now!"
And I said " I think it is a good idea!"
And she dialed a number an walked off.
Then the old bald guy stepped in and said: "Ahem, I am actually a
retired police man, I think I can be of assistance". I said "no, thank you"

Meanwhile I had to take my gaze off the cashier and look for
the money in my bag and pay.
The assistant came back and screamed that I will be banned
from the shop. I said that I will talk about it with the owner.
"Next time you come in here, you will be followed" she said.
"What else is new?' I said, "I am being followed every time"
and walked out.

Street Theatre at it's best.
At home I noticed that the "all natural" coconut water had
a strong sweet, sugary taste. This is the sign for ANTIFREEZE
in it.
The cardboard wrapper of the can of Sardines had been opened
and stuck back together with glue and I did not bother to open
it but threw it into the garbage right away.
2 out of 7 items, not bad, I have had more poisoned.