PublicHouse
bunch all the hangers up, put double hangers on dresses and just make it look normal, and if they ask me, just say I’ m thinking about it. And then put them all away either fast or while I’ m still shopping around and then leave. But if no one’ s in there shopping, they’ re like,“ This girl’ s tried on all this stuff and then went and put each and every single one back?” And also, I’ ll get a big coat to try on to put all the tags and stuff in and put that back on the floor. So if they did think I was weird and went and checked that coat, then they’ d know what was up.
-What’ re the easiest places to steal from?
Urban’ s tags are really really easy to get off. But they pay more attention in the fitting rooms, so that’ s kind of annoying. It really just depends. Top Shop is really easy when it’ s busy just‘ cause nobody’ s looking at you. But my friend who works at Urban eats for free at Dean & Deluca every day. He just steals his lunch every day from Dean & Deluca. I’ ve done it a couple of times.
-From the same Dean & Deluca?
Yeah, the same one. So they really don’ t give a fuck. He gets a drink, sushi.
-Does he just walk out with it?
He walks in with his coat over his arm, picks it up and then walks back out.
-When you said tag, do you mean the paper tags? What happens if you come across a metal contraption?
Yeah, there’ s the hard tag where there’ s a pin and a big piece of plastic, and the pin goes into the plastic and locks. Working at Anthropologie for a long time, there’ s a big magnet glued to the desk and you’ d remove the sensors with that …. So I was like, I need a really big magnet. Now I was like, I’ m getting kind of crazy, I don’ t know if I should do this. But I was like fuck it, I want a big magnet. So I ordered a big magnet on eBay. I did a little bit of research to make sure that it would be strong enough and it finally got here and I took it out. I took it to Top Shop first and it was really hard with theirs. I can’ t even get it out sometimes. But I’ ve gotten most of the stuff I’ ve tried to steal from there.
-With the magnet?
With the magnet. But a lot of their stuff isn’ t tagged too. I think they just get lazy when they’ re putting it back on the floor or something because I found a lot of stuff without tags there too, so that makes it a little easier.
-What were you looking for when you found the magnet? Like, what specifications does the magnet have to be?
I saw a YouTube video. I could only find one video of someone doing it.‘ Cause there’ s all these instructional videos on YouTube on how to get magnets off and they’ re all really stupid and long and boring, and then this guy just threw it against the magnet and it popped off. And I was like, I need that one! So I think somewhere in the comments on it someone mentioned what kind of magnet you would need. So I looked it up. [ Author’ s Note: The magnet was grade N52.] At Top Shop, I have to work it until I get it a little out and then just pull it until it pops, which is annoying.
-So what do you do if you leave the fitting room and, let’ s say you already have something in your bag, but you know guards are on to you?
Without beelining it to the door like you’ re guilty and you know they’ re on to you, just slowly and as casually as possible get out of there. Don’ t give them a chance to come up and talk to you. The second you feel weird or uncomfortable or someone’ s looking at you, you want to get out of there. Keep your head down. If you have headphones, that’ s even better. Put your headphones on so it seems like you’ re not even paying attention because if you do set the door off, they’ ll be like— some places don’ t even care; Uniqlo won’ t stop anyone if the door goes off— but at Anthropologie they’ re really serious about it. And Top Shop has a guard, although he seems really lazy to me. But at Anthropologie the guys take it really, really seriously. Having worked at one here, I know that they have different bosses and their job is to make sure that they stop you. But if the door goes off, you have to keep walking. Don’ t stop, don’ t pause, don’ t look back. If you don’ t have headphones on and you keep walking without even reacting at all, they’ ll know you stole something just because any normal person would at least be like,“ Uh?” But the second you’ re out the door, they can’ t go out there. I mean, they can come out and yell at you and tell you to come back in and stuff, but they can’ t physically touch you and bring you back in the store.
-Is that a legal issue?
It’ s assault, I think. I know that’ s how it is in Massachusetts, and I’ m pretty sure it’ d be the same here. They’ re not bouncers, they can’ t run out and tackle you to the ground or arrest you on the spot. Although I did see one girl with bad timing: She ran out and there was a cop just driving really slow by. But under all other circumstances, if you set the door off, keep walking and act completely oblivious. Don’ t run, just walk away and get out of sight.
-What are some pro-tips for people who just started stealing?
There could be a tag on everything. So many people get busted at Urban because it doesn’ t occur to them that those papers, those white cardboard things are an alarm. So be aware of everything that’ s on it. Be really, really, really careful. Start small. Be aware of your surroundings. And know, most importantly, know that you just need to get out of there. Never stop, never make an excuse, never give anyone the chance to confront you.
Arvind Dilawar @ arvsux
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