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Post by Merge on May 20, 2016 15:02:20 GMT
No, there were no men in the women's bathroom.
But I was standing in the clothing section with my teens when a young man came in the front doors. He had on a baseball cap pulled down low so his eyes were shadowed, and had earphones in. He had on a large jacket though it was 85 degrees outside, and carried a backpack that appeared to be full. He was chanting/rapping loudly, "F*ck the police, f*ck the police," seemingly along with whatever music was playing in his earphones. Loudly enough that we could hear him clearly from the middle of women's clothing as he came through the front door and as he continued past us to the back of the store, walking quickly and purposefully.
Would this have disturbed you? What would you have done?
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trollie
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 3,580
Jul 2, 2014 22:14:02 GMT
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Post by trollie on May 20, 2016 15:04:39 GMT
I probably would have left the store.
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Post by utmr on May 20, 2016 15:06:21 GMT
I think leave the store
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Post by boatymcboatface on May 20, 2016 15:08:02 GMT
I know it is an actual lyric from an old rap song but it would have made me feel uneasy
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freebird
Drama Llama
'cause I'm free as a bird now
Posts: 6,927
Jun 25, 2014 20:06:48 GMT
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Post by freebird on May 20, 2016 15:08:58 GMT
Turn off the safety. Go outside of the store. Call the cops.
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Post by anxiousmom on May 20, 2016 15:09:14 GMT
My first thought would likely be 'weird' and then would have thought that maybe he just watched 'Straight Out of Compton,' was listening to the soundtrack and emulating the the look.
I figure anyone who stands out from the ordinary like that already has a lot of security eyes on him/her.
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smartypants71
Drama Llama
Posts: 5,714
Location: Houston, TX
Jun 25, 2014 22:47:49 GMT
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Post by smartypants71 on May 20, 2016 15:14:18 GMT
That is crazy. I'm not sure what I would have done. I'm not sure I would have left, but I would definitely stay far away.
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Post by melanell on May 20, 2016 15:17:25 GMT
I would have figured he was singing along. I might have wished he wasn't singing along quite as loudly, since I typically have a little kid with me at Target, but that's probably all I would have really thought about the whole thing. I would have likely tried to put some distance between us and him if I did have DS with me, just to try to be out of hearing range. DS has speech issues, but man alive, he can pick up a "bad word" like a champ. If I couldn't create distance then I would have started prattling on about something with DS to distract him. If I was alone then I wouldn't really care. I figure he's no different than people who purposely slap offensive or vulgar bumper stickers or decals on their cars. They don't care about it, or else they want to annoy, and either way, I'm not going to make a fuss over it. It's their issue, not mine. As for the rest, it's likely his look, and that's fine. The backpack could be with him for a host of reasons. He'd need to be doing more or acting differently than described here to alarm me.
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Post by padresfan619 on May 20, 2016 15:25:08 GMT
Honestly I would probably just roll my eyes and move on to a different department.
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Post by debmast on May 20, 2016 15:28:47 GMT
I would have figured he was singing along. I might have wished he wasn't singing along quite as loudly, since I typically have a little kid with me at Target, but that's probably all I would have really thought about the whole thing. I would have likely tried to put some distance between us and him if I did have DS with me, just to try to be out of hearing range. DS has speech issues, but man alive, he can pick up a "bad word" like a champ. If I couldn't create distance then I would have started prattling on about something with DS to distract him. If I was alone then I wouldn't really care. I figure he's no different than people who purposely slap offensive or vulgar bumper stickers or decals on their cars. They don't care about it, or else they want to annoy, and either way, I'm not going to make a fuss over it. It's their issue, not mine. As for the rest, it's likely his look, and that's fine. The backpack could be with him for a host of reasons. He'd need to be doing more or acting differently than described here to alarm me. I agree with this (except my youngest is 15 so I know she has heard that word and could probably even tell me what song it was from). The outfit described isn't all that strange for a teen boy
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Post by gryroagain on May 20, 2016 15:36:49 GMT
Probably what ilove buble did, move to another department and roll my eyes. It's a song, pretty famous. A rescue cat guy I follow recently got slammed on Instagram for posting a picture of 4 hood cats lounging around an animal control truck with the caption "f the police". People were up in arms saying it was anti police- but ffs, it's feral cats around an animal control truck and the song is totally apropos and again ffs, it is cats!
It's a song. A famous song. Back packs can be full of bombs and guns but usually aren't.
I live in land of no target though and I desperately miss it, so there is that. I'd brave Isis to shop at target! Not even hyperbole.
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Post by crimsoncat05 on May 20, 2016 15:38:12 GMT
I would think it was a bit rude, since he was singing curse words so loudly, but beyond that I wouldn't have thought anything of it.
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oh yvonne
Prolific Pea
Posts: 8,009
Jun 26, 2014 0:45:23 GMT
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Post by oh yvonne on May 20, 2016 15:39:46 GMT
That would have made me nervous. I probably would have quietly gone to the other side of the store, debated with myself and then err'd on the side of caution and got out of there, esp if I had my kid with me.
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Deleted
Posts: 0
Jun 1, 2024 17:09:15 GMT
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Post by Deleted on May 20, 2016 15:42:40 GMT
Since I don't know the song, I'd probably be leary enough to keep my distance and wrap up shopping as quickly as possible.
Or I would've made the assumption that he's on the closing shift. His backpack might be full because it has his work uniform in it plus lunch and he's wearing his coat because it still gets chilly when the sun goes down.
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gsquaredmom
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 4,080
Jun 26, 2014 17:43:22 GMT
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Post by gsquaredmom on May 20, 2016 15:50:50 GMT
I would have left, stopping at customer service to let them know about the young man. Certainly a potential shoplifter in their eyes. Coat when warm, backpack.
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Post by anonrefugee on May 20, 2016 16:06:16 GMT
I know the song. My kids are sporting backpacks larger than I lived out of for an entire summer, once upon a time. They're also wearing jackets because their schools are ridiculously, irresponsibly, cooled.
I might not even notice, but after reading this I'm thinking maybe I should be aware of other possibilities.
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Post by padresfan619 on May 20, 2016 16:07:11 GMT
I would have left, stopping at customer service to let them know about the young man. Certainly a potential shoplifter in their eyes. Coat when warm, backpack. If the plain clothes loss prevention officers are doing their jobs they are already following the kid around the store.
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Post by Zee on May 20, 2016 16:07:16 GMT
I would have been annoyed that he thought he was scaring all the white ladies, making them pee their yoga pants. Fuck you, I'm cool too I'd be watchful, but not necessarily worried. FWIW that sounds like every day I used public transportation in Chicago in the 90s, lol
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Post by jassy on May 20, 2016 16:12:18 GMT
I know the song. I work in a college library and I can't tell you how many kids these days pop in wearing earbuds and signing out loud without really realize it. I'm shushing people all day like the librarians of old :-)
I also have a high threshold for "weird" behavior - we have a couple of neighborhood characters in my neck of the woods.
Raised eyebrow is about it for me.
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Post by Restless Spirit on May 20, 2016 16:14:30 GMT
I'm an old woman. I don't like public cursing and I don't know the song. So there's that.
I'll admit it would have irritated me, rolled my eyes and moved to a different area away from him.
With that said, *if* I saw him again, walking around, singing curse words and it did not appear *to me* he was looking for someone/something - I would have thought his behavior seemed out of place. I would then go to the checkout and left.
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calgal08
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 2,519
Jun 27, 2014 15:43:46 GMT
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Post by calgal08 on May 20, 2016 16:14:34 GMT
That would have made me very nervous. If I saw a security guard or sales associate I would tell them, as I left the store.
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LeaP
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 3,939
Location: Los Angeles, CA where 405 meets 101
Jun 26, 2014 23:17:22 GMT
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Post by LeaP on May 20, 2016 16:23:54 GMT
Pretty common around my parts. A lot of the kids wear hoodies as sweaters to hide an uncool school uniform. That kind of behavior screams teenage dumbass. For me, somebody flamboyant that calls attention to him/herself is less of a red flag than someone that tries to be invisible.
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Post by katlady on May 20, 2016 16:26:06 GMT
I probably would have stared at him a bit and rolled my eyes. My local Target usually has a loss prevention cop standing near the entrance, so the kid would have been noticed. And I am sure the cashiers at the front of the store would have noticed him too.
I see so many kids around here wearing hoodies in the middle of summer. Fashion statement and all, I don't know how they can stand being so hot! As for the backpack, maybe he was coming from school.
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inkedup
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 4,837
Jun 26, 2014 5:00:26 GMT
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Post by inkedup on May 20, 2016 16:31:40 GMT
That would have made me very nervous. If I saw a security guard or sales associate I would tell them, as I left the store. Tell the security guard or sales associate, what, exactly? "That young man over there is singing and his clothes are scary?" I think some of the reactions here are over the top and hilarious.
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Post by lucyg on May 20, 2016 16:41:12 GMT
I probably wouldn't even have noticed, other than being ticked off over the stupid song.
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Post by Merge on May 20, 2016 16:43:18 GMT
Thanks all for the variety of replies.
What I did: exchanged a raised eyebrow look with another woman nearby and went back to shopping.
But I saw several others hurriedly put their stuff down and leave, which made me re-think my decision. We stayed in the store a while longer and nothing bad happened, so I feel justified. But I wondered what others here would do.
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Post by peano on May 20, 2016 16:43:47 GMT
I'm trying to imagine this happening at my suburban Connecticut Target...and I just can't. That being said, if you had told me that a drunk guy pulled a gun on people in the bar of a brew pub just down the road from me, I would have said you were lying. And it just happened a couple of days ago. It seems that crazy is seeping through the cracks everywhere.
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Post by crimsoncat05 on May 20, 2016 16:44:03 GMT
I probably would have stared at him a bit and rolled my eyes. My local Target usually has a loss prevention cop standing near the entrance, so the kid would have been noticed. And I am sure the cashiers at the front of the store would have noticed him too. I see so many kids around here wearing hoodies in the middle of summer. Fashion statement and all, I don't know how they can stand being so hot! As for the backpack, maybe he was coming from school. ^^^ same here, in the Phoenix area. Hoodies and/or knit hats. How they don't melt or die of heatstroke, I don't know! (except for the fact that the A/C is VERY cold inside most stores...)
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Country Ham
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 3,313
Jun 25, 2014 19:32:08 GMT
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Post by Country Ham on May 20, 2016 16:46:27 GMT
.. I wouldn't ask George Zimmerman what he would of done.
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Post by Merge on May 20, 2016 17:21:22 GMT
.. I wouldn't ask George Zimmerman what he would of done. Now THAT would be disturbing. But you know, I worry about that, living where I do. The population here is well-armed and we have so many who seem to feel it's OK to shoot first and ask questions later. Just a week ago, a business owner shot and killed an unarmed, mentally ill man who was banging on the office door and yelling.
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