Nearly in a Punch up!

[Defblade]

Only "almost"?! My better half didn't believe how you can tell a shoplifter the second they walk in; then she got her own shop and now agrees with me


Oh, and hearing an Irish accent. In fact, I'm really annoyed that the Irish I meet at work have caused me to become biased against the Irish as a whole. I'm not prone to prejudice at all and I hate that when I hear an Irish accent, I immediately, automatically, look to see what they're stealing

[jaymags]

Too true potential shoplifters can be spotted a mile away. After a couple of minutes browsing approaching them or making it obvious you are watching them usually works. We had one once walk in with an empty carrier bag blown out and open on her harm. After five minutes of me watching her, whilst I cleaned shelves she left turning to look at me at tut as she walked out.
I used to wonder if I'd ever be able to spot a fake bank not if I was handed one and the answer was yet. They then say "well the post office just gave it to me so it must be real" like we will accept it anyway. Playing the fool I don't mind but I draw the line at been taken for one.

[Nik]

Only "almost"?! My better half didn't believe how you can tell a shoplifter the second they walk in; then she got her own shop and now agrees with me


Oh, and hearing an Irish accent. In fact, I'm really annoyed that the Irish I meet at work have caused me to become biased against the Irish as a whole. I'm not prone to prejudice at all and I hate that when I hear an Irish accent, I immediately, automatically, look to see what they're stealing

The reason I say almost is because you can never tell who your next potential shoplifter would be. I remember one case where an elderly asian woman was caught shoplifting hair dye from our shop. She immediately apologised and promised never to do it again. So you can never tell !!

[Fleegle]

Oh, and hearing an Irish accent. In fact, I'm really annoyed that the Irish I meet at work have caused me to become biased against the Irish as a whole. I'm not prone to prejudice at all and I hate that when I hear an Irish accent, I immediately, automatically, look to see what they're stealing

Tread very carefully Mr. Blade...there are very many Irish-born, and Irish-resident pharmacists who are members of this forum. Keep posting like this, and we will all come over in our horse-drawn caravans and sulkies, and live outside the crappy little shops you frequent.

[Defblade]

Tread very carefully Mr. Blade...there are very many Irish-born, and Irish-resident pharmacists who are members of this forum. Keep posting like this, and we will all come over in our horse-drawn caravans and sulkies, and live outside the crappy little shops you frequent.

Sadly, there's a queue.




Like I say, I really don't like the fact that it has happened. As I have moved area, I'm struggling to overcome it.... of which I hope the first step is being aware of it and of its basis.

[Fleegle]

With an attitude like yours, the queue will only get bigger. As they say in Ireland.."Good Luck".

[Defblade]

With an attitude like yours, the queue will only get bigger. As they say in Ireland.."Good Luck".

I'm sorry, I don't know how to read this post. Is it an insult or compliment to my attitude?

My attitude is: in an area I used to work, the only people with an Irish accent I had regularly visiting my shop were serial shoplifters. They were banned from pretty much everywhere in the city, for all the good that did. They were quite an extended family, but all the members I met, I met while challenging them about what they hadn't paid for. Sometimes I'd meet their friends, but it pretty much came back to the same family (you'd see them all together the next day). The children were a particular nightmare, as you'd get 4 or 5 of them, from maybe 8-14 years old, in at once. Somedays, you'd get one section of the family in after another as they did the rounds... hence feeling like there was a queue....

I know that to extend this to all people with an Irish accent is wrong. I am a long way from proud of it. But it is how my brain has been trained to react for some years now. So I am making a serious effort to re-train it.

[DavidS]

I know that to extend this to all people with an Irish accent is wrong. I am a long way from proud of it. But it is how my brain has been trained to react for some years now. So I am making a serious effort to re-train it.

Retraining the brain, as you put it, is difficult and time-consuming. Easier is to remember your prejudices and act "as-if" you didn't have them. That, in the short term, is the best that most of us can do.

Another good way, is to use psychocybernetics. Psycho-Cybernetics - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

In this case it would involve you adopting Fleegle as your role-model and mentor.

Seriously.

[Rafael]

the only problem is, fleglee is a Scottish, not Irish

[Nik]

Eh ? Scottish ? Am I missing something - I though he was Irish