Rights Violation or a Complete Jerk?

[LochnarITB]

Which makes me wonder if our dear blogger supports the alternative to a universal bag check. You know, where the store only inspects you if you happen to fall within their subjective profile of a likely offender...

...the trick to universal suspicion, even of honest folks, is that it's very unlikely one can be accused of discriminating against particular groups.

That is not the alternative, it is an alternative, and, if I were to consider degree of wrong, I would call profiling even worse. Another alternative, the proper one, is no bag search. I see people talking about the store protecting its merchandise. However, when the customer checks out, they tender the store's price - cash, check or credit card - and the store has accepted it in exchange for the goods. The merchandise is now the customer's personal property, as is the bag given to the customer to carry the goods. How would people react if the store insisted on inspecting everyone's purse and pockets to get out the door? It is no different.

The best solution, for both sides, is in store layout. If the store is laid out so that customers leaving the checkout can only exit the store, then there is truly no basis to search those customers. If they suspect a clerk of passing merchandise then security personnel should be watching that clerk, not falsely accusing every customer passing through that checkout. If a store bag were brought in, such as carrying something for return, it would be proper for the store to question the purpose of bringing in the bag and have a procedure for sealing the package and/or directing the customer to the proper location. I would also then consider it proper to inspect an unsealed store bag, being carried out the non-checkout door, as there should be no valid way for the person to have such a bag.