I had a huge reply typed out and then didn't submit it right away. The forum automatically logged me out and swallowed my reply. I don't know when I'll have an opportunity to spend the time typing that out again--honestly, I won't. I suspect that an auto-log-out feature is really over-zealous in the security department. It's your own personal responsibility to log out of public forums when using a shared computer.

Anyway, I'm glad that I found this thread because the previous searches that I had run mostly dealt with teenagers. Since the store I'm concerned about is a liquor store, it's really an anti-homeless provision.

Putting the bag into a cart works really well at the supermarket, but is going to be a problem for me at the liquor store where the carts are visible from inside the store and where I've already raised a stink (Wilbur's Total Beverage). I had actually thought of a lawsuit, since they do not apply the policy to purses or women's handbags. This is the only legal grey area, in all other regards they are well within their rights to refuse service. They actually can not search my bag unless I give them consent, so allowing me to shop and then searching the bag can not be the store policy. If they are making accusations of shoplifting then a police officer should search the bag. Once they ask me to leave then they could press charges of criminal trespass since the store is considered private property. If they ban me from the store, then any subsequent visit would automatically be considered criminal trespass. So, I'm glad I left when I did last night!

The old night manager at Wilburs at least listened to my concerns and our solution was to put my bag in the front office, which would be locked. I'd have to find him when I was ready to go, but at least I felt as though my bag was safe. He's the only one who would ever ask. I don't really feel that I could feel safe leaving my bag with this new guy. He's a real meat-head and instead of listening to me, he's angry at me for complicating his life. "C'mon dude." Because of that anger, I feel like he's going to make it his personal mission to harass me. Conceivably after last night, he could have had a "choose your battles" epiphany, but I doubt it.

I'll likely go back when I'm at Whole Foods, try hucking my bag into a cart (I've also shopped with my groceries in traditional "grocery bags" there) as soon as possible. I think that contacting the owner about this individual incident will only win points for the meat-head, since he is following store policy. The store policy is only a problem for me when enforced though, hence the problem. If it really is the problem that I think it is, then I'll consider writing a letter to the local papers and trying to find a way to voice the argument on community radio. Though I've spent (literally) thousands of dollars at this store, they do so much volume that they can do without my business, so a personal boycott would be of limited effect.


M@