What goes "Beep!" repeatedly when you walk by?
Those big plastic sensors that detect if you've stolen something with a hidden electronic tag in it...like a video game, something expensive and electronic, clothing or a movie for example.
Pretty normal stuff right?
Well, today I had set off one of those thing in downtown Sokos, while out with my 19-month old. I almost passed out! What in the world did I have on me that would set something off?
I don't steal - so what could it be?
I pulled over by a bench near the S-Market (well not actually called S-Market but they take S-Card for the points...so to me it's "S-Market") in the bottom floor of Sokos and look through my stuff.
Nothing but crushed cereal bars, gummies, a dentist bill to be paid and my wallet with some diapers and wipes were in my bag! (Nobody had stopped me - but I did get a few stares.)
Then I looked at my son, who has a plastic chicken toy in one hand and a plastic tea cup in the other....then I remembered his outfit.
V�in� was wearing a Cookie Monster shirt from H&M that he's worn several times before - so that wasn't it.
However, he was wearing a new fleece sweater from Old Navy (in Canada) and Old Navy is known for these cloth tags sewn into the clothing that will set off if you steal from their store...so I begin to strip my son on the "seniors bench" outside of the grocery store. (It's not really just for seniors - but quite often that's who's sitting there).
No tag.
Hmmm....so I push my son towards the plastic sensors and again, "BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!"...so I wheel V�in� back to the senior's bench (and by now, all the seniors are looking at me in disgust - thinking I stole something I'm sure...it doesn't help that Finns have a slight tendency to be a wee bit racist....this is not a general statement for all Finns - but I was advised this BY a few Finns!)....
And I try to look up my son's shorts....I felt around and recognized the tag instantly.
I un-buckled my son, removed his shorts, buckled him back in and swung the shorts through the sensor panels and voil�! It beeped! (TAKE THAT seniors who thought I was a thief!)
So I went through my bag and noticed I did not have my little scissors for crafting in there - and went to the nearest Sokos cashier and asked the fellow to borrow the scissors. He looked at me a little confused and then I pointed at the tag in my son's shorts and made a "Beep" sound and he instantly understood.
The tag was disposed of and we commenced with some grocery shopping.
Point of the story? Ensure you cut off those hidden tags after you've made your purchase....because regardless of the amount of times you've washed the product - and apparently, regardless of the country (or continent?) you move those products to and just because it was de-magnetized (or whatever it is) at the location of purchase..............it can STILL set off sensors!
PS Here's some photos of what they look like:
Those big plastic sensors that detect if you've stolen something with a hidden electronic tag in it...like a video game, something expensive and electronic, clothing or a movie for example.
Pretty normal stuff right?
Well, today I had set off one of those thing in downtown Sokos, while out with my 19-month old. I almost passed out! What in the world did I have on me that would set something off?
I don't steal - so what could it be?
I pulled over by a bench near the S-Market (well not actually called S-Market but they take S-Card for the points...so to me it's "S-Market") in the bottom floor of Sokos and look through my stuff.
Nothing but crushed cereal bars, gummies, a dentist bill to be paid and my wallet with some diapers and wipes were in my bag! (Nobody had stopped me - but I did get a few stares.)
Then I looked at my son, who has a plastic chicken toy in one hand and a plastic tea cup in the other....then I remembered his outfit.
V�in� was wearing a Cookie Monster shirt from H&M that he's worn several times before - so that wasn't it.
However, he was wearing a new fleece sweater from Old Navy (in Canada) and Old Navy is known for these cloth tags sewn into the clothing that will set off if you steal from their store...so I begin to strip my son on the "seniors bench" outside of the grocery store. (It's not really just for seniors - but quite often that's who's sitting there).
No tag.
Hmmm....so I push my son towards the plastic sensors and again, "BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!"...so I wheel V�in� back to the senior's bench (and by now, all the seniors are looking at me in disgust - thinking I stole something I'm sure...it doesn't help that Finns have a slight tendency to be a wee bit racist....this is not a general statement for all Finns - but I was advised this BY a few Finns!)....
And I try to look up my son's shorts....I felt around and recognized the tag instantly.
I un-buckled my son, removed his shorts, buckled him back in and swung the shorts through the sensor panels and voil�! It beeped! (TAKE THAT seniors who thought I was a thief!)
So I went through my bag and noticed I did not have my little scissors for crafting in there - and went to the nearest Sokos cashier and asked the fellow to borrow the scissors. He looked at me a little confused and then I pointed at the tag in my son's shorts and made a "Beep" sound and he instantly understood.
The tag was disposed of and we commenced with some grocery shopping.
Point of the story? Ensure you cut off those hidden tags after you've made your purchase....because regardless of the amount of times you've washed the product - and apparently, regardless of the country (or continent?) you move those products to and just because it was de-magnetized (or whatever it is) at the location of purchase..............it can STILL set off sensors!
PS Here's some photos of what they look like:
 |
| Just a pair of shorts I was folding...then I looked inside and saw.... |
 |
| The electronic tag! Good thing we didn't go through the whole above AGAIN! |
 |
| Sometimes you'll see these tags in books...they're hidden in CD and DVD cases too sometimes (although there's a little plastic bar shaped one too that is removable). I'm so glad I noticed this before folding and putting away V�in�'s other pair of shorts! (Also Old Navy brand) |
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