[LordKano]

If one is aware of the biases of others, they can be used to one's advantage.

This happened a little over 20 years ago.

I was shopping at the mall, near Christmas and the place was packed. There were some really long lines and I said to my friend "Watch this", then walked over to some items that were near the item that I wanted to buy. I started picking up, examining and putting back small items that were on the shelf. I was sure to do it in a way that showed I was putting each item back in its original position before moving on to the next one.

In under 90 seconds, a salesperson approached me and asked if I needed help. I said "Yes, I'd like to buy this" and reached for the item I wanted. He proceeded to take the item, carry it to an unused register, ring me up and complete the sale. I was out of the story in 5 minutes while the other people in line had barely moved.

My friend (who is white) looked at me and asked "What just happened there?" and I explained to him that I was taking advantage of racist perceptions to improve my own shopping experience.

[tomp]

Can you explain to me what racist perceptions that were, and why you got what you wanted? I don't have experience that would help me decode that situation...

[DanBC]

Black people are seen as all being thieves. The shop keep assumes thief, goes to investigate, and is subverted to beat the queue.

There's a relevant recent article on HN:

https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=10386387

http://m.eastbayexpress.com/oakland/racial-profiling-via-nex...

[tomp]

Yes, I've assumed as much, but I don't understand why would that make the assistant help him? To get him out of the store quicker?

Also, why was he doing what he was (taking stuff, looking at it, putting it back where it was)?

[LordKano]

I didn't understand all of this at the time, I just knew that it worked. Later, when I worked in retail, I learned why.

Retail employees aren't supposed to stop shoplifters. They are expected to take opportunities to turn potential shoplifting incidents into sales.

I used the perception that the salesperson had of me as a young black male to my advantage. I picked things up and was conspicuous about putting them back in the exact same place to draw attention to myself. I was behaving in an incongruous manner, not necessarily a suspicious one. Basically, I was doing something different than the other people there and that got someone's attention. I thought that they'd assume I was looking to shoplift and someone would come over to "help" me while other customers were still waiting. I was right. Ringing me up right then and there guaranteed that the sale took place instead of sending me off to wait in line where I might just walk out.

[tomp]

Brilliant.

[pbhjpbhj]

>I picked things up and was conspicuous about putting them back in the exact same place to draw attention to myself. I was behaving in an incongruous manner, not necessarily a suspicious one. //

Based on your description you behaved in a suspicious manner.

People don't browse like that in general but shoplifters do - you didn't behave like a "young black male" [ie like any random person] you behaved like a person that the security guards have seen stealing things before, you pick up lots of items, look around a lot, have an accomplice to act as lookout/provide distraction/carry-goods. Small items are great as you can pick two, palm one and then make a show of replacing the other. Similarly in an area with high value goods a shoplifter will "browse" lots of items as they're waiting for their moment whilst a shopper, particularly getting a large-ticket item, will go straight for the item as that's why they came.

Now it might be that they noticed that behaviour initially because you were profiled as suspect based on racial prejudice, but as soon as you enact the behaviour then the response was response to shoplifter behaviour rather than racial prejudice.

I'd be interested if anyone knows about use of CV to flag potential shoplifters based on standard behaviours?? Seems the tech is there to do that.

[LordKano]

It's my contention that my demographic information is why my behavior was regarded as suspicious.

Had I been a middle aged white guy, it would have been seen as the behavior of an interested customer.

To just put it out in the open, this was a Radio Shack. I have been going to Radio Shacks since I was about 7 years old and looking through all of the hobby electronics. Over the years, I discovered that I could get the attention and assistance of a salesperson at will.

[BurningFrog]

He deliberately looked like a shop lifter, so someone came over and got him quickly out of the store, which made both of them feel better.

[harryjo]

Putting the item exactly back in place, is that to increase the clerk's suspicion of shoplifting, or defend against accusations of it?

[LordKano]

To draw attention to myself.

If the norm is for people to put it back close to the same spot, I make sure to do it precisely, because it's incongruous and will draw attention.

My goal was to make them think "What's that guy doing?" as opposed to "I think that guy is trying to seal something."

[pbhjpbhj]

You can pick 2 items if they're small, put one back to attempt to appear like you didn't take anything; works with clothing too. Suspicious behaviour looks suspicious.

[boothead]

That is truly amazing! Deren Brown would approve!