What would you do: Someone following your family in the grocery store?

First off, I hate going into the grocery story to “shop”. I go in get what I want and get out. That being said when I do go with my wife on her grocery shopping TRIPS and I notice someone following or paying to much attention I will take over the pushing of the cart.

I will wait until she 9my wife) gets far enough ahead that I must rush to catchup to her and go around the corner where I will stop and wait. Now when the follower comes around the corner and crashes into my card for being stopped. I say “Excuse me it was my fault, I dont work here but can I help you find something?”

The two responses I get are usually surprise or anger. Either way they no longer follow me/us because I now just stand there until they move on .

This move has never failed to stop the person from following us for the rest of our trip.

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I am bold enough to face them and ask “it appears as though you are purposely following me. Are you?” Then my good manners and politeness would disappear when they declare that they are a threat to me and my family.

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I would ask them if they knew where the toilet paper was. Kidding, sorry.

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@Dawn
@Greg1

That’s really strange, as that is not Walmart policy at all. Friend of mine is a District Manager for them. Unless a member of security has eyes on a theft from the moment it happened, all the way through you leaving the store. Store security loses sight for even moments is supposed to just let it go.

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Your right. There was no reason for that happening. You did the right thing. Keep yourself /family safe.

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@Greg1
The “undercover” is obviously not very good at “catching” shoplifters. Shoplifters are often better at knowing when and how someone is watching them, than an average person. Although, you are not average. If there is a school that trains secret shoppers that guy should GO to it!

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:clap::clap::clap::clap::clap::clap::clap::clap::clap::clap::clap::clap:

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Beautiful!:rofl::rofl: @DBrogue

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Agree completely!

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I would not have accepted that. If I noticed someone following me all over the store, I would not take the “assurance” of a stranger. The manager should have went out with the patron as requested, that is what a decent person would have done, especially as the manager knew the person following was store security.

I, too, pay attention to what’s around me. Pre-COVID-19, I traveled fairly often, and have had at least several instances abroad where I believe my situational awareness has kept me and my family safe. @Greg1 was fortunate that it turned out to be a non-issue, but it was also good that he used his awareness and trusted his gut instincts to stay safe.

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I actually had this happen. One day at the grocery store my girlfriend’s daughter had her face in her phone (total condition white) playing Pokemon. She she was dragging her feet and fell behind while we were shopping as the game was most important to her. I should mention she was 12 years old at the time. We noticed a man following us around the store. We have no idea if he was a predator or just another shopper, but it seemed odd that he kept appearing at wherever we were in the store.

We are constantly trying to teach her about being aware of her surroundings, so in the packed grocery store, we called out to her and said “put the phone away. You’re falling behind and slowing us down. Oh, and did you even notice that man following you around?” She put her phone back in her pocket and the man just disappeared.

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My Niece’s go to is “what are you looking at Perv?” make some noise is the best advice especially for the ladies out there.

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I was out at the range once when a truck came 3/4 of the way down the road and pulled off, then just sat there. very unusual. It was just my wife and I that day. Eventually I’d had enough, I turned and looked straight at the truck, and kept looking. Sure enough, the truck came on down. And what do you know but that it was a game warden with markings on his truck that you could only see close up. He was waiting to see if I was going to shoot, (poach) the deer that had come round to the back of the range, which the wife and I had paused to marvel at since we had just been shooting. ( in the opposite direction ) I couldn’t really blame him, I did have my rifle poised in the high ready position resting on my hip. ( no round in the chamber )

point is, I find purposeful eye contact will bring a lot of these curious situations to a conclusion or, at the very least, give you more input about the character of the person in question. Even if it’s LE waiting to see if your going to do something you shouldn’t.

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