Hey all, I'm new to posting here but I've been around lurking for a bit now. At least long enough to know how hard you guys can be on idiots. I'm not an idiot, just an opportunist like I'm sure some of you are.

Now, I'm a lifter. I have a job, so don't tell me to get one. I'm in it for the extra money and shit that I can't otherwise afford.

So, to all you other lifters and opportunists, what do you do or have you done when spotted by a plainclothes security person when attempting to lift?

It happened to me for the first time today while in Costco. Usually has been easy as pie there but today turned out not to be so easy. As I was shopping with a few family members, I took off on my own for a bit to grap up a few things for myself when I noticed a guy with a cell phone following me around. He got to be very obvious so I dropped the shit and went back to the other members of my family. After thinking that I had gotten rid of him, I went back to where I dropped the shit, picked it up and tried to find a safe place to stash it. This is when I noticed the same guy again watching me through an isle. Again I dropped the shit and eventually left the store with nothing. Don't have a problem with that fact, but I was wondering what, if anything I should have done or said to the guy once it became obvious that he was following me? I'm not quite sure what I did to attract his attention or someone else's who told him to follow me, but I really, really wanted to tell him off. I know he was just doing his job and obviously he did his job just fine considering I ended up with nothing, but still would have loved to tell him off or something to let him know how obvious he was being.

Well, it seems like you're one of the few (no, you're probably all there is) newbies who AREN'T morons, so welcome to the Temple of the Screaming Electron. Enjoy your stay .

What you want to do when spotted by a plainclothes loss prevention team member is get to a place where he can't see you and just place everything on a shelf. In quite a few stores, they'll never go after you before you leave the store with something, and they won't do anything to you if you de-pocket the loot right in front of them. I'm not sure what these stores are, though, so it's best to err on the side of caution.

Also, if you want to tell him off...well, I almost always carry a pen and some paper...I probably would've written a note to the effect of "You're really fucking obvious, man. Just trying to help you do your job. Signed, Someone Smarter Than You, Fucktard" and put it with the stuff I replaced on the shelf. Then again, that's probably a bit stupid, but they don't call this forum Bad Ideas for nothing .

its actually pretty easy as im sure that as long as you dont leave the store with the stolen stuff then they cant do SHIT

even if they see you with it up your jumper

you could even walk over to where it is and then dump it really obviously right next to him/her

but if youve been seen chances are your spotted for the future too, and it aint worth the hassle so just put it back and move on

You did the right thing... Once spotted by loss prevention, put it all back and don't return.

Dude, If I were you, I would go back EVERYDAY and pocket stuff so obvious as to where they would follow you..then just walk around Costco for about an hour or two, then walk up to the doors and right before you step out of the door, lay everything you stole on a shelf next to the door..I would do that, then turn around, point at the security guy and I would laugh my ass off at him.

But yes, on the subject, you did what lifters should do. Put it back when they are caught! If only I had been as smart and read about plainclothes security guards in wal-mart, maybe I wouldnt have been caught :-/

Yup you did the right thing by just droppin the shit, but when that i happened to me i just came back later and he never paid attention to me so i got the shit anyway.