"Bags May Be Searched"

I hate having my bag searched as I leave a shop.

I really dislike having to open my bag so a stranger can peep into it. A handbag to me is a very private thing, the place I put what I consider my essentials. If I wanted anyone to see what those are, I would buy a transparent bag. Worse, the collection of essentials does not appear at its best at the time of opening.

It’s a security measure, they tell me. I wish they could find a way of ensuring their security without invading my privacy. And then they put up those signs that say ‘Bags may be searched.’ As if I am going to not walk into the shop because the bag will be searched. The unfortunate thing is I really need something in that shop, and sometimes I am forced to go in resentfully. Some shops will provide a parcel counter to deposit your bags, but of course letting go of a handbag, or a small bag with valuables is out of the question. There are usually signs warning against it. The irony is some shops will insist you leave your bag at the door while proudly displaying their indemnity in case of loss.

Sometimes I wish I could tell shoplifters to desist, because they make things complicated for everyone. Of course it should be that shopkeepers find a better way to secure and manage their stock without inconveniencing the next customer. I thought this one supermarket went too far in asking that I remove the baby from my back. Initially I was sure I had misheard, no one could ask me to inconvenience my baby. But no. In answer to the look on my face, I was told that they needed to see inside the towel. If I knew the shoplifter who had necessitated that particular move, I would give her my mind.

At the end of the day, these security checks are probably going to lose them as much money as a shoplifter, because depending on what hand luggage I have, I am not walking into that shop. I’m sure the numbers even out subtly – loss of custom equals loss by shoplifting.

#Security #PersonalPrivacy #ZimLife