The Wal-Mart Freedom Action Plan

[rainbowdemon]

How to escape from Wal-Mart, even when you haven't stolen anything

Have you ever wondered if you're a mind slave of the police-state society we have in the United States these days? There's a very simple test you can do to find out. Here's the test: Go shopping at Wal-Mart repeatedly until you eventually end up walking out with an object that has an embedded RFID anti-theft chip that hasn't been deactivated. Wal-Mart's inventory control system will sound a tone and some retired, elderly person will get after you, or even tap you on the shoulder, in an effort to "control Wal-Mart's inventory."

Of course, to do this test properly, you should not be shoplifting. I do not condone shoplifting. Always pay for what you purchase and then walk out the door with the merchandise that you've already paid for.

From a legal perspective, whether or not Wal-Mart has deactivated the anti-theft tag on the merchandise you've paid for is really none of your business, nor is it your concern. You have every right to walk out of that store with the merchandise you've purchased without being interrupted by Wal-Mart employees. You have no legal obligation whatsoever to submit to a search of your stuff, nor to produce paperwork (such as a receipt) to prove your innocence.

So, walk out of Wal-Mart with merchandise you've paid for, let the inventory control tone sound, and then refuse to return back to Wal-Mart to have your merchandise "deactivated." Just continue walking.

As you do so, you'll notice that a number of people will start calling after you. First, the Wal-Mart employee will say, "Sir, sir ... " in an increasingly perturbed tone, and if you refuse to turn around and submit to the police state search, usually other volunteer civilians will start chiming in, "Sir, sir ... " Before long, you'll have an entire chorus of Wal-Mart employees and volunteer civilians calling after you. It's like a herd of brainwashed sheeple baa-ing at the top of their lungs.

As you keep walking into the parking lot, eventually someone might tap you on the shoulder. That's when you turn around and say, "May I help you?" Someone says, "Your merchandise was beeping." Now you simply say, "Oh, I didn't know that was mine, I paid for all of my merchandise. I thought that beeping was only for things that were stolen."

At that point, the Wal-Mart employee, who has probably caught up to you by now, will say you need to return and have your merchandise deactivated. Now here's the point at which you get to decide whether you're a mind slave or a free citizen. If you're a free citizen you'll do what I do, which is to say, "I don't mind my products not being deactivated, thank you." And you simply walk away.

http://www.newstarget.com/019381.html

[Hemoglobin Harry]

Just the kind of borderline civil disobedience I can latch onto.

In reality, you have to prove nothing. If Wal-Mart wants to accuse you of shoplifting, the burden of proof is on them to prove your guilt, not you to prove your innocence. And if they do anything whatsoever to physically stop you from walking out of the store, that's kidnapping, and you should be calling the police on them, not the other way around. Hence the Wal-Mart "don't pursue" policy. Their lawyers have already figured out that they have no legal basis for stopping and searching shoppers. Thus, your compliance is entirely voluntary.

It wouldn't be kidnapping it would be unlawful detainment.

[Malicious Intent]

That actually stop you??

I remember when I got a shirt and set off every alarm in Swindon.

For the first few stores I thought it was coincidence that alarms kept going off. I took it back to the original store on my way back. They didn't ask for a receipt or anything.

[DudeAsInCool]

Here is another article on the subject - it's quite amusing :)

[Shawn]

If you’re the theatrical type, adopt a German accent and repeat loudly that your papers are in order (with the same accent you can do the old Berlin Wall bit and say that you have friends at the central committee).

Excellent

[DudeAsInCool]

Was there a problem at the checkout, sir?” he asked.

“No, actually, checkout was great,” I said. “Very efficient. But leaving the store was a little shaky. In fact, there’s definitely a problem there.”

“What’s wrong?”

“Well, for openers, I don’t like being treated like a shoplifter.”

“Sir,” he solemnly stated, “No one is treating you like a shoplifter.”

“Really? Then why, exactly, am I having a conversation with store security, who just happened to reach my vehicle at the same time I did?”

Minutes seemed to pass. I thought I noticed a funnel cloud moving toward Vestavia. A faint aroma of cotton candy was in the air. The forty-ish woman loading her purchase into a car two spaces down was wearing tight-fitting, corduroy jeans. She looked amazing. Finally the security guy responded. “Sir, our people checking receipts are doing their jobs. It’s a store policy that we inspect receipts. We’re trying to make sure you paid the right price.”

***

I love how he interrupts his article for things that really matter