4 ms·

Hopefully less than human bias. I was in a CVS and a black teenager came in and was vigorously trying to get the cashiers attention. Eventually he was like “YO”

by anbop 7y ago

Hopefully less than human bias. I was in a CVS and a black teenager came in and was vigorously trying to get the cashiers attention. Eventually he was like “YO” and she looked up and he showed her his soda and told her he was bringing it into the store, so that when he left she wouldn’t think he had stolen it. I can’t imagine having to live life under such perpetual assumption of wrongdoing.

cheez 7y ago
That guy's parents had a talk with him.
bilbo0s 7y ago
>Hopefully less than human bias... Well you can hope, but it's made by humans, so I wouldn't count on it.
jerf 7y ago
I know what you're saying, but that may not be the best example. I'm white, but I've trained my children a couple of times now that they should never bring anything into a store that the store sells, white kids or not. Of course the store has to assume you're stealing it if you walk back out with it and visibly did not pay. A reasonable person (in the legal sense) is going to put the burden of proof on you to prove you had it when you walked in.
- anbop 7y ago
  I can say that myself, on hot days, often go into stores, grab a drink, drink the entire thing while doing the rest of my shopping, and pay for the empty bottle when I leave. My wife was horrified when she saw this behavior, and made me stop when we had kids to not set an example for them (I now do it only when I’m not with the kids), but not once (in at least 100 instances) has anyone ever questioned me on it. Contrast my experience to whatever experiences that kid had to make him yell to a cashier until she acknowledged his drink. Edit: to people wondering why I do this, I can only say that it’s something that I never even thought of as weird. That’s what growing up rich can do you.
  - codetrotter 7y ago
    > drink the entire thing while doing the rest of my shopping, and pay for the empty bottle when I leave I have a friend that does the same thing and it just seems really weird to me. My groceries aren't mine until I've paid for them. And also, as a person with not always a lot of money I sometimes (very rarely, but still) find that I don't have enough money for the things I wanted to buy. What if I'd started consuming the goods, got to the till and couldn't pay? If I needed to drink first I'd buy the drink first, drink it, and then proceed with the remainder of the shopping. Anyway, people can do what they want. I'm not going to berate anyone for this. But I still think it's really weird.
    - drfuchs 7y ago
      If you feel that “groceries aren't mine until I've paid for them,” then how do you ever eat at a restaurant?
      - codetrotter 7y ago
        Hmm, touché :) I think a restaurant is different though because that is explicitly how it works (eat first then pay). To take your comparison further, what would happen if you sat down in a grocery store and started consuming hundreds of dollars worth of food and drink? I think it would raise a lot of eyebrows, and the employees would probably confront you. So there is a difference. Furthermore, in a restaurant you place an order and they serve you, and from a legal perspective (IANAL) there might be something about some sort of implicit contract that you will pay them. Whereas with a grocery store you are not allowed to remove the items from the store until you've paid for them. And I feel like consuming the items inside of the store is sort of analogous to removing them from the store.
      - yuhe00 7y ago
        When I was young, I avoided restaurants because of exactly this! Always preferred cafes/fast-food places where you pay first. It just didn't make logical sense to me. I've grown out of it now obviously... :P
      - 7y ago
- mc32 7y ago
  Also if I do take something in I make sure I have a receipt for it as well as carry it in the store bag, but most of the time, if I’m in s car, put my things in the car. If transit, receipt and store bag to avoid scrutiny.
marricks 7y ago
I mean the systems are programmed by humans right, why wouldn’t they have some of our biases? Not to mention once they’re made it gives everyone the excuse to say “oh sorry for bugging you I wasn’t being racist but my store’s AI said you were going to steal”

by anbop 7y ago

cheez 7y ago

That guy's parents had a talk with him.

bilbo0s 7y ago

>Hopefully less than human bias... Well you can hope, but it's made by humans, so I wouldn't count on it.

jerf 7y ago

I know what you're saying, but that may not be the best example. I'm white, but I've trained my children a couple of times now that they should never bring anything into a store that the store sells, white kids or not. Of course the store has to assume you're stealing it if you walk back out with it and visibly did not pay. A reasonable person (in the legal sense) is going to put the burden of proof on you to prove you had it when you walked in.

anbop 7y ago
I can say that myself, on hot days, often go into stores, grab a drink, drink the entire thing while doing the rest of my shopping, and pay for the empty bottle when I leave. My wife was horrified when she saw this behavior, and made me stop when we had kids to not set an example for them (I now do it only when I’m not with the kids), but not once (in at least 100 instances) has anyone ever questioned me on it. Contrast my experience to whatever experiences that kid had to make him yell to a cashier until she acknowledged his drink. Edit: to people wondering why I do this, I can only say that it’s something that I never even thought of as weird. That’s what growing up rich can do you.
- codetrotter 7y ago
  > drink the entire thing while doing the rest of my shopping, and pay for the empty bottle when I leave I have a friend that does the same thing and it just seems really weird to me. My groceries aren't mine until I've paid for them. And also, as a person with not always a lot of money I sometimes (very rarely, but still) find that I don't have enough money for the things I wanted to buy. What if I'd started consuming the goods, got to the till and couldn't pay? If I needed to drink first I'd buy the drink first, drink it, and then proceed with the remainder of the shopping. Anyway, people can do what they want. I'm not going to berate anyone for this. But I still think it's really weird.
  - drfuchs 7y ago
    If you feel that “groceries aren't mine until I've paid for them,” then how do you ever eat at a restaurant?
    - codetrotter 7y ago
      Hmm, touché :) I think a restaurant is different though because that is explicitly how it works (eat first then pay). To take your comparison further, what would happen if you sat down in a grocery store and started consuming hundreds of dollars worth of food and drink? I think it would raise a lot of eyebrows, and the employees would probably confront you. So there is a difference. Furthermore, in a restaurant you place an order and they serve you, and from a legal perspective (IANAL) there might be something about some sort of implicit contract that you will pay them. Whereas with a grocery store you are not allowed to remove the items from the store until you've paid for them. And I feel like consuming the items inside of the store is sort of analogous to removing them from the store.
    - yuhe00 7y ago
      When I was young, I avoided restaurants because of exactly this! Always preferred cafes/fast-food places where you pay first. It just didn't make logical sense to me. I've grown out of it now obviously... :P
    - 7y ago
mc32 7y ago
Also if I do take something in I make sure I have a receipt for it as well as carry it in the store bag, but most of the time, if I’m in s car, put my things in the car. If transit, receipt and store bag to avoid scrutiny.

marricks 7y ago

I mean the systems are programmed by humans right, why wouldn’t they have some of our biases? Not to mention once they’re made it gives everyone the excuse to say “oh sorry for bugging you I wasn’t being racist but my store’s AI said you were going to steal”