Being a Brony almost got me arrested! (kinda)

[My little pwny 1,390]

This happened to me a few hours ago.

 

I live really close to a Target and when I get the opportunity, I occasionally like to drive over there to look at the MLP merchandise as well as the video games/electronics. So I drove over there, got a quick lunch from a nearby Taco Bell, and went inside Target.

 

Today when I went to my Target, there weren't many people there shopping. This is good thing because, well, I sorta get embarrassed when I'm strolling down the pink section if people see me there. However, the particular aisle where the MLP stuff is provides a clear view to the clerks working the electronics checkout area. This usually doesn't bother me, until I saw someone I kinda once knew from high school working there.

 

I pretended to not notice him and figured I could just look at the video game aisle first, since I was going to look at it anyways. I was nervous because I didn't want this guy to see me, remember who I am, and see me walk into the MLP aisle. For about 3 minutes I looked at all the overpriced video games Target was famous for while avoiding facing this guy.

 

Then, what appeared to come out of nowhere was a Target security guard who saw my nervous face. He gave me a suspicious look and kept walking past me. I was even more nervous now.

 

Finally, I grew a pair and decided just to walk into the pink section and not look back. Looking at the MLP merch, I finally felt at home, even if I still looked nervous from before. I touched an Applejack toy so see the back of the packaging, when the security guard came and behind me and asked, "What are you doing?"

 

I froze.

 

He proceeded to ask me in a suspicious tone, "What's wrong? Are you lost?" In hindsight, I should have said I was lost, because that would have explained my "nervous" look. Instead I said, "No, I'm not lost!" The guard looked at my person for a second and then asked, "What are you doing here then?" At that moment I remembered what some of you have said; That we should be proud and not ashamed to be bronies!

 

It was a bad time to all of the sudden show off my bronyism.

 

I then said, "I'm looking at cute ponies of course!" Doh! My answer appeared to be a lame excuse and a lie to the guard. He said even more suspiciously, "Really? Then I guess your buying it for your little sister? What's her name?" I replied that I was the youngest in my family and that I was buying it for myself.

 

Next, the guard just outright said it, "Okay sir, we think you are shop lifting. It says it all on your face."

I panicked. "I'm not shop lifting, I swear!" I then overturned my pockets and revealed my phone, wallet, and keys. The guard gave me one more look and laughed. "Haha, so you're seriously buying girl toys? You look like your 21!"

 

I regained my confidence and tried to justify why I was there. "Actually, I'm just looking. Look at how empty the rack is, it's because guys like me like to buy them!" (the rack where pony stuff usually goes was in fact, pretty bare)

 

The guard shook his head laughing and walked away.

 

I ended up just buying a MLP trading card pack and some batteries I needed for my keyboard.

 

I was probably never going to get arrested, but it felt like I was! Have you guys have anything like this happen to you?

Edited August 21, 2012 by My little pwny

[XUNUSEDXXX 3,459]

Lol it would have been pretty creepy to see a security guard eyeing you up like that. But yea, don't be nervous, it only makes it worse

[Nah 3,181]

Oh wow, what an encounter! At least you weren't arrested, or worse, having the guard think you were a pedophile or mentally sick.

 

Funny how Bronies just get looked at negatively.

[Pinkazoid 3,493]

Report the little bitch saying that he was un-fairly accusing you of shoplifting, then flip three tables on your way out >:c

 

don't worry, soon... he will be one of us..... curiosity will drive him to it.....

[Batbrony 15,994]

HA!!! Oh man, that's pretty funny!!! At first I was worried that your encounter, like so many other bronies public encounters with non-bronies, was going to be a lot more uncomfortable!!! But, aside from the shoplifting accusation (which, I admit, would be pretty freaky, and would freak me out a butt-ton!), this was a pretty funny and light-hearted story! At least the security guard wasn't a complete jerk and mostly just laughed it off! Glad to hear you didn't get arrested!!!

[Fizz. 1,078]

Heheheheh, that was hilariously awkward. Next time, just say they were for your sister, I don't think a target security guard would understand.

[Leon 27]

Well I never almost got arested for being a brony, but the people asking you questions about why you were in the MLP section I got asked that like 5000 times. xD I just say it's for me cause I like the show and wish to support them, then I get eyed down like a hawk. xD

[Solar Wind 595]

Lol it would have been even more embarassing if the guy you knew saw you getting searched in the pny aisle! XD But seriously just reading the post made you sound suspicious. I have one question... What cards did you get?

[Psych Ward 377]

There are security guards just walking around Target? Wow.

 

That was really mean of him and he should have more respect for now on. You should have just bought a pony and made sure he saw you buying it. That would show him.

 

I used to feel nervous going in the pony isle. I'm only thirteen and I'm a girl so it's not that big of a deal. But I'm also the girl at school who almost got a detention from my science teacher for wearing my Hellyeah t-shirt to school so I have a bit of a reputation to keep. One time I shoved a handful of blind bags in the bottom of my basket because I was picking up quite a few things and didn't want anyone to see my pony merch.

[Caitlin Spark 142]

Wow that was unlucky, i haven't bought any merch from shops yet (or the internet for that matter XD) so i never really had the problem

[My little pwny 1,390]

Lol it would have been even more embarassing if the guy you knew saw you getting searched in the pny aisle! XD But seriously just reading the post made you sound suspicious. I have one question... What cards did you get?

 

Let me open them right now...

 

I got the wonderbolts,

Glida,

Cloudsdale,

A sweetie Bell standup (in her rock outfit)

a Pinkie Pie tattoo,

and "The Big Doozy" scene card.

 

*Sigh* when will I get a Twilight Sparkle card

[Solar Wind 595]

Let me open them right now...

 

I got the wonderbolts,

Glida,

Cloudsdale,

A sweetie Bell standup (in her rock outfit)

a Pinkie Pie tattoo,

and "The Big Doozy" scene card.

 

*Sigh* when will I get a Twilight Sparkle card

 

I

I have a twilight! I also have Fluttershy. Is there a Discord card? I waaaaanntt it now!

[moneyshredderofdeath 414]

Heh, I'd be a nervous wreck if I were in your shoes. Certainly sounds like a crazy situation you were in. It really shouldn't matter what toys one is buying.

[Heart's Desire 181]

Um. I would report that security guard to Target corporate and tell them that I don't appreciate being treated like a criminal because I was in a toy aisle for girls. It is absolutely none of their business what you are in that aisle for.

 

A nervous look can easily be explained by your trying to avoid someone you used to know.

 

You can't be arrested because you look suspicious, and they cannot search you in the store. In fact, in most places they cannot lay their hands on you and have to call the cops to have them do it.

 

The only thing store security guards can do is hang out around you in hopes that their presence will deter you from stealing. They cannot legally accuse you of it, especially while you are still in the store. If you wanted to you could have put all the toys in your pocket and walked up to the register. As long as you paid for them they could say nothing, I don't care how "creepy" or "suspicious" they might think you are being.

 

I'm sorry, I'm glad it turned out okay for you but I'd have corporate on the phone in a heartbeat and demand an apology if it were me (or more likely my brother since I'm a woman and that double standard means I can get away with it.)

[My little pwny 1,390]

Um. I would report that security guard to Target corporate and tell them that I don't appreciate being treated like a criminal because I was in a toy aisle for girls. It is absolutely none of their business what you are in that aisle for.

 

A nervous look can easily be explained by your trying to avoid someone you used to know.

 

You can't be arrested because you look suspicious, and they cannot search you in the store. In fact, in most places they cannot lay their hands on you and have to call the cops to have them do it.

 

The only thing store security guards can do is hang out around you in hopes that their presence will deter you from stealing. They cannot legally accuse you of it, especially while you are still in the store. If you wanted to you could have put all the toys in your pocket and walked up to the register. As long as you paid for them they could say nothing, I don't care how "creepy" or "suspicious" they might think you are being.

 

I'm sorry, I'm glad it turned out okay for you but I'd have corporate on the phone in a heartbeat and demand an apology if it were me (or more likely my brother since I'm a woman and that double standard means I can get away with it.)

 

You have a good point. I just walked out of the store because I was still kinda panicked. I never noticed the guard's nametag, so I don't think I can give a useful report other than what he looks like.

[Heart's Desire 181]

You have a good point. I just walked out of the store because I was still kinda panicked. I never noticed the guard's nametag, so I don't think I can give a useful report other than what he looks like.

 

Oh, if you felt like it you could still do so, they'll take a vague description. lol. But that's up to you, of course. As someone who has been in customer service all my life I tend to get very angry when mistreated at a store.

 

In fact I just told my brother your story and he said, "can you imagine if that was you or me that happened to? Wow, they would so regret that."

 

Also, it upsets me that men are persecuted so much just for shopping in the pink aisle, but I can go anywhere in the store and no one thinks a thing of it.

[Princess Snowwie 126]

Well that makes me feel more secure about being a brony!!! I now know i should have more confidence when I go out and shop for brony stuffs!!! Especially when considering Rainbow Dash merch!!

[silvadel 1,393]

Time to send a nicely worded letter. They accused you of shoplifting in the store, checked you (and obviously you werent) and then laughed at you for being a brony. At the very least this would be a deserved black mark for the security guard(I mean technically they should wait for you to leave anyway -- otherwise there is no shoplifting regardless) but more likely he would be fired. You might get a gift card out of it. They know who was working at that time.

[Creamy Arty 6,251]

Am I the only one around here who isn't afraid or ashamed of what he likes, and will walk over to the MLP section, peruse it, and leave with what he wants?!

 

 

In all seriousness though... do the above. Walking in and going about your intended business while exuding even a modicum of confidence and determination will often be enough to keep people from from approaching you, or saying anything even if they happen to be standing nearby. If they do confront you, maintain that confidence and explain yourself with as little detail as possible so as not to sound like a rambling idiot. That will usually be sufficient to make them accept it and walk away. If they're going to be jerks about it, it really doesn't matter anyway. Finish up your business and leave.

 

Taking a long time and trying to dodge people will only make you more nervous and less likely to accomplish what you went there for. This is as much about you confronting your perceptions of yourself as it is other people.

Edited August 22, 2012 by Artemis

[Lightning Fluttershy 1,844]

Well if I were in your shoes my reaction would depend on if I knew the guy well who you said went to your school. If he was some guy who I never associate with I probably would have looked the guard in the eye and said I'm a f***ing brony get over it then I would go on with my day. If I did actually know the guy and he was someone who I saw on a regular basis I probably would've said it was for my sister...

[Haven Celestii 9,385]

Man, thats one helluva awkward situation. Especially seeing someone you knew. Thankfully, I'm not as bothered as telling or having people see me with pony merch.

[OptimisticNeighsayer 471]

"Okay sir, we think you are shop lifting. It says it all on your face."

 

I'm just wondering, do you remember how you reacted when you told him you were buying it for yourself? How you acted in front of him, etc.? It just seems to be a little strange he would just jump to that conclusion on nothing but as an excuse to cover up a cognitive dissonance against a 21-year old thinking about buying toy ponies.

 

In any case I'm sure I would have definitely been quite frightened, embarrassed, and shocked. At least nobody blinked when you bought the trading cards...

Edited August 22, 2012 by JustFairness

[Dusty Soul 2,611]

Wow, no I can't say that has ever happened to me... That is one heck of an approach though. If I was in that situation, I would probably tell him straight up and say I'm a brony.

[Ra1nbowCrasH 271]

Sounds like the time my friend and I were in the pink aisle at Toys 'R' Us. A clerk walked into the aisle while we were looking through the Blind Bags (there's a small hole in the upper corner of each bag, and we were trying to get a look at which one was inside). She just stared for a moment before finally asking, "Can I help you find anything?"

After we said no, she walked out of the aisle muttering something about "teens these days." We then proceeded to crack up.

[AnonBrony 1,467]

wow. hahahaha . I'm sorry. is it wrong to laugh? cuz that story was funny. What an encounter.

But seriously. There was gaurd just walking around at Target? i never seen a gaurd at any store. I wonder if he saw u through a secrurity camera or something and went over to you. Thats kinda creepy...