This Dollar Tree Shopping Tactic Might Land You In Handcuffs

Anyone who's ever gone shopping has probably done this at least once: You go into a store to browse and pick up a few items but instead of using the store's cart or basket you stick your cat food, light bulbs, and pricey beef jerky into your own reusable bag. Then, of course, before you head out of the store, you go up to the register to pay for all your items. No harm, right? You didn't steal anything. Nothing unpaid-for made its way beyond the front door. So, it's totally legal. Or is it?

On a Reddit page for Dollar Tree, one understandably disgruntled shopper complained she had done something similar during a shopping trip at a Richmond, Virginia Dollar Tree. She came in with her own bag, selected a few choice Dollar Tree items to buy, and placed them in her bag before continuing browsing. Before she had the chance to settle up at checkout, she was approached by an employee who accused her of stealing, gave her major attitude, threatened to call the cops, and ultimately kicked her out of the store without allowing her to make any purchases or to explain herself. Was this employee in the wrong?

The commenters had mixed views. While nearly every one of them said the employee should have handled the situation better and been more respectful and less accusatory, many understand where he was coming from. When you see someone stuffing items in their bag — especially in a Dollar Tree store, where shoplifting tends to be rampant — you too might assume the worst.

No one likes to be accused of a crime they have no intention of committing. Most people in this situation (including the shopper mentioned above) are doubtless perfectly upstanding citizens planning to pay for everything they're putting in their own sack. But unfortunately, it only takes a few unfortunate kleptomaniacs to mess things up for the honest folks. Yes, placing items in a bag before paying for them can be a totally innocent, handy way to shop, but it's also fairly boilerplate shoplifting behavior. And store employees, security guards, and law enforcement have to distinguish between the two.

While many stores won't come after you until you step outside with their merchandise, the law states that shoplifting begins with the intent to steal, even before anything is actually stolen. Many behaviors used to prove intent are more clear-cut than perusing the aisles with a reusable bag, such as shoving an item under your clothing or removing security sensors. Dropping things in your bag is still on the list, though. Even if you know you're intending to pay, store staff can't read your mind.

So, what can you do to avoid a criminal record when all you wanted to do was buy paperclips and dish soap? Naturally, the easiest fix would be to put items in a store-provided cart or basket and save your reusable bag for after you've paid for everything. If there are no carts or baskets available (or you have an extreme attachment to your own bag), Redditors suggest first asking employees for permission to use your own bag.