The Energon Pub

Wed Nov 02, 2011 10:16 am

Usually when I look for figures in stores, I feel fine. I don't really care if anyone sees me, a grown man over 6'7' tall, looking in the toy aisle. I doesn't bother me.

However today I went to TJ Maxx to see what they had and one of the sales persons there (manager maybe?) watched me the entire time I was there. I even noticed when I got into my car he was STILL watching me. Made me feel very uneasy. I wasn't acting weird or anything like that to warrant him watching me.

Has anyone else had this happen to them before? Like I said, when looking for figures it doesn't bother me when people see me. But today.....I dunno.

News Credits: 7 · Wed Nov 02, 2011 10:29 am

I guess some sales people do find it strange that a grown man is in the toy section. On the other hand, most toy sales are probably made by grown-up customers anyhow for their kids, so there's no reason to fond it funny.
A couple of theories: maybe that TJ Maxx had a bad run of shoplifting from the toy section? Or maybe he saw you caught him looking, and then it probably just turned into a sort of staring showdown.

Or, you know, no offence meant to either you or the sales guy, but maybe he was gay and liked what he was seeing.

Wed Nov 02, 2011 10:31 am

I had that happen once. When I noticed it I walked up to the guy and asked him why he was eyeballing me. He told me they had been hit by shoplifters in that department and were told to be "extra aware" of the customers.

News Credits: 12 · Wed Nov 02, 2011 10:39 am

I think the discount stores like TJ Maxx and Ross are just more vigilant because they're more prone to shoplifting.

News Credits: 1 · Wed Nov 02, 2011 10:39 am

Never had personel eyeing me, not that I can remember at the moment anyway, but I have had other customers stare at me strangely when I'm on the checkout line xP

Toys get stolen all year long, but it's usually a lot worse come X-mas time. People are desperate to get gifts and don't want to pay for them (I worked at Gamestop one Holiday season and heard plenty enough about games and stystems getting stolen). That's most likely the reason this guy was eyeing you, they've probably been having issues

News Credits: 9 · Wed Nov 02, 2011 11:46 am

happens to me every store i go in
no exceptions

News Credits: 25 · Wed Nov 02, 2011 11:53 am

Phantron wrote:Usually when I look for figures in stores, I feel fine. I don't really care if anyone sees me, a grown man over 6'7' tall, looking in the toy aisle. I doesn't bother me.

However today I went to TJ Maxx to see what they had and one of the sales persons there (manager maybe?) watched me the entire time I was there. I even noticed when I got into my car he was STILL watching me. Made me feel very uneasy. I wasn't acting weird or anything like that to warrant him watching me.

Has anyone else had this happen to them before? Like I said, when looking for figures it doesn't bother me when people see me. But today.....I dunno.

Holy Sh*t your 6'7' sorry just had to say that but no that's never happened to me but cop outside of target tried to stare me down once and asked "what's in the bag" (That's when a bought a lot of DOTM toys so i had multiple)

News Credits: 22 · Wed Nov 02, 2011 11:54 am

GuyIncognito wrote:I think the discount stores like TJ Maxx and Ross are just more vigilant because they're more prone to shoplifting.

But automatically assuming I'm a shoplifter and watching me the whole time is rude and offensive. It hasn't happened to me yet, but if it ever would, I would confront the employee. Then I could be told they're "doing their job" or whatever, but I would definitely let them know that it's not professional or friendly.

News Credits: 5749 · Wed Nov 02, 2011 11:59 am

I would have just asked him why he was he eye-balling me.

News Credits: 3 · Wed Nov 02, 2011 12:12 pm

I woulda took out my phone, taken a picture of him, then waived my finger in the "naughty, naughty" gesture. That oughta make him feel good and paranoid, wondering why you took his picture...

News Credits: 1 · Wed Nov 02, 2011 12:32 pm

Nah, I never feel weird or uneasy looking for TFs or Joes. Maybe a LITTLE bit if I have an armload of stuff and there's hot women around. It's hard to look cool/smooth/pimpish like that, lol. I don't have any kids, so I can't use them as cover!

There was one time where the old,crusty cashier said I was "disgusting" for buying toys. But she was a crotchety old bitch, so it was kinda funny.

Wed Nov 02, 2011 12:52 pm

Once or twice, but for the most part I don't care. I'm providing revenue for you, so back off!

News Credits: 1 · Wed Nov 02, 2011 3:00 pm

Maybe he's never seen anyone over 6'7' before and was curious? Either that or he was just being a bit of a dick.

Wed Nov 02, 2011 3:31 pm

maybe he likes guys and wanted to get your number.

News Credits: 1 · Wed Nov 02, 2011 3:43 pm

Galvatron X wrote:Nah, I never feel weird or uneasy looking for TFs or Joes. Maybe a LITTLE bit if I have an armload of stuff and there's hot women around. It's hard to look cool/smooth/pimpish like that, lol. I don't have any kids, so I can't use them as cover!

There was one time where the old,crusty cashier said I was "disgusting" for buying toys. But she was a crotchety old bitch, so it was kinda funny.

Disgusting? Harsh.

Wed Nov 02, 2011 4:10 pm

If someone who worked there was watching me like a hawk, I'd feel bad. That's usually done on a suspected thief, and I'm no thief. So, they'd be wasting their time, while someone was potentially stealing from them.

One time I felt uneasy when I was a kid, well maybe 13, and I was buying checking out the toys. Super excited to be holding, and soon to be buying TM2 cheetor repaint of ravage, tripredacus agent. I was shifting around the other toys for a while. This adult kept eying me, sooooo bad. Like, creepy stares. I didn't know what to do exactly. I figure, running out of the store would be a bad idea, I was safer in the store. Being pre-teenish I was ready to slug him and put up a fight if he tried anything.
Eventually he asks "are there any more of those?" And I told him where they were. Man....It was creepy creepy creepy. I'm sure he was an adult collector, and was one that was certainly giving them a bad name. It was a huge relief he wasn't trying to kidnap me, he just wanted the wal-mart exclusive, but man, he went about it all wrong.

News Credits: 8 · Wed Nov 02, 2011 5:31 pm

Most of the stores I frequent the people who work there all know me, I sport my Seibertron shirts and Transformers themed hats and I normally get greeted with Smiles and handshakes and the occassional fist bump

The only time I get evil eyed is by this one member of TFW2005 who lives in my area and is my main competition for newer figures

Wed Nov 02, 2011 10:53 pm

Alright thanks fellow Seibertron.com people. That makes feel a bit better.

Now that I think of it, I did buy a figure from there a few months ago and this dude was the cashier. Gave me an odd look when I bought it. Anyway, I'm no thief, hope he wasn't gay cause I'm certainly not, and in all likelyhood and he was probably just doing his job looking for shoplifters.

Or maybe the sight of a tall freak like me caught his attention. Who knows? I probably won't go back to that store anyway. The selection was poor.

News Credits: 25 · Wed Nov 02, 2011 11:54 pm

Come on Being 6 '7' doesn't make you a freak Phantron
Sorry the selection at the store was bad what did you buy if you don't mind me asking

Thu Nov 03, 2011 4:24 am

to be quite honest most of the Discount stores(Tjmaxx,ross,marshalls) I visit NEVER have any sales people on the floor. here in the far east coast of America the store employees like to hide & their super hard to find when you need customer assistance.

News Credits: 9 · Thu Nov 03, 2011 4:34 am

I feel a little uncomfortable in one particular shop. I don't know why. I always have it in my head that if asked I'll say it's for a nephew but somehow they always know. Maybe I have an excited gleam in my eyes cos often they ask if it's for me or how long I've collected.

Haven't you ever been in a situation where you think someone's looking at you so you keep looking at them to see if you're looking at them? You end up making lots of furtive and embarrassing eye contacts with hasty looks away. Having said that, it was probably the theft thing.

Kibble wrote:I woulda took out my phone, taken a picture of him, then waived my finger in the "naughty, naughty" gesture. That oughta make him feel good and paranoid, wondering why you took his picture...

Many shops have a no photography policy. Don't get jumped on by security!

triKlops wrote:happens to me every store i go in
no exceptions

Dude, no offense intended, but you have to accept that this is going to happen if you have three eyes.

Thu Nov 03, 2011 10:39 am

I didn't buy anything there. All they had was a leader class SS, a RotF Jolt, and a PCC Huffer. That was it. The whole reason I go to that place was that I had some luck finding RtS figures and other figures I had missed out on. I found there in the past: Leader SS, HA Jazz, RtS Wreck-Gar and Lugnut.

At any rate I'm about to give up looking for the rest of the RtS figures. Is Hasbro going to re-release them or what?

And for the record my height does not bother me that much. When people start drawing attention to it or making snide comments about it, that makes it uncomfortable.

Thu Nov 03, 2011 10:50 am

I was just in TRU yesterday and they had a ton of RTS figures. Apparently they are just getting those figures out on shelves. The end of RTS got cut off due to the movie figures coming out. Now the stores seem to be getting them in stock.

News Credits: 1 · Thu Nov 03, 2011 11:16 am

SJ21 wrote:I was just in TRU yesterday and they had a ton of RTS figures. Apparently they are just getting those figures out on shelves. The end of RTS got cut off due to the movie figures coming out. Now the stores seem to be getting them in stock.

Wow. Good to know. Thanks for the info!

Thu Nov 03, 2011 12:13 pm

Erailea wrote:
SJ21 wrote:I was just in TRU yesterday and they had a ton of RTS figures. Apparently they are just getting those figures out on shelves. The end of RTS got cut off due to the movie figures coming out. Now the stores seem to be getting them in stock.

Wow. Good to know. Thanks for the info!

yea, really! on my way. eye-balling clerks be damn! :grin: