Department store metal detectors

[Chipperman]

Is anyone else as sick of this as I am?
Did some shopping today, with my CCW of course.

Went to Home Depot first, and set off their metal/shoplifting detectors.
Went to Wally World next, and set off theirs.
After that I went into Borders books; yep you guessed it.
Then I had to go to Brooks Pharmacy. You'd think I had set the place on fire the way the alarm beeped, flashed a light, and belched out a pre-recorded message.
The only place I did not set off an alarm in today was the Stop and Shop.

It's getting to the point that I can't even walk into a store without alarms going off. I've gotten into that habit now of warning the cashier ahead of time that the alarm is going to go off when I leave. Most of them just shrug and nod.

These things are obviously not just detecting theft deterrent devices.

 

[Recon By Fire]

Word Brother

It's all about control. If they can make you feel uncomfortable by beeping at you each time your leave, you might just leave your CCW at home.

 

[TechBrute]

Hmmm... I live in Dallas and have never seen a metal detector at a store. Of course, around here I suppose quite a few people would set them off. My CCW has never set off those anti-theft devices at the exits of stores. They aren't metal detectors. They detect passive emmisions from small tags on items. Unless you have one on your gun, I don't know what to tell you. Did you just buy a new shirt that they forgot to take the tag off of?

 

[El Rojo]

Yeah as messed up as the PRK is, those aren't metal detectors at the entrances of the stores here. They are anti-shoplifting sensors. I think you have a shop lifting tag on you somewhere. I pack everywhere and never have a problem. The only time I have set them off is when I left the store with something that didn't get the turn off scan or with something I forgot to pay for. Yes I discovered my mistake and went back and paid for it.

 

[Sheslinger]

Nope, have not seen these in Nashville stores. Must be a MA thing - go figure.

Sheslinger

 

[Greg L]

TechBrute got it. I have never seen a metal detector (or been caught by one - perhaps my KelTec or HK with all the polymer can slip through ) but there are plenty of security scanners out there. The thing that sets them off is a little strip of metal encased in plastic that is about 1/4"x2" that is hidden in various spots of whatever you are buying. If the checkout clerks forget to swipe whatever you are purchasing over the magnet(?) you will be beeped by the doors on the way out.

The big question I have is could you peel those things off of your various products and bring them back into the store, sweep them with a magnet (thus in theory reactivating them), and drop them onto the floor to be stepped on by assorted unsuspecting consumers. It could be fun watching the "security" people try to figure out why the exit doors keep screaming that a shoplifting is taking place .

Greg

 

[TearsOfRage]

I've heard of people doing that, Greg.

In addition to the strip shaped ones, there are also thin stickers about an inch square.


Oh, and if a gun would set off the detectors at Home Depot, why wouldn't metal tools? I think the detectors are often just mis-adjusted.

 

[Tamara]

Those ain't metal detectors, they're RF sensors made (most probably) by the Checkpoint corporation.

It ain't your gun they're sensing, but an RF source on you. I set them off for two weeks at Barnes & Noble and Books A Million before remembering that I'd peeled one of their anti-shopliftinf tags off a book I'd purchased and, not wanting to litter, tossed it in my purse. D'oh!

 

[Wild Bill]

Tamara's right gang.

No metal detection involved here. Not too likely y'all would be able to re-charge a negated unit and cause havoc as Greg L suggests (although I would love to be there for the laughs myself if you could!). Most big-boxes have a special unit for re-activating these that's a touch more complicated than a magnet.

Sadly, even if you could, most of the door folks seem too lethargic and uninterested to provide much comic relief.

 

[Tamara]

Now, once upon a time, when these were new-fangled and only attached to big-ticket items like fur coats and computers in department stores, we... er, I mean some kids, would obtain some, wrap them in foil gum wrappers, and leave them in the ashtrays at the mall exits of the stores. Now that was big dirty fun... er, "needless harassment of the mall ninjas".


(Edited to add: "Ashtrays in mall department stores"... That gives away my age pretty durn well, doesn't it? )

 

[Sylvilagus Aquaticus]

yeah, the sensors are probably reacting to the 'anti-shoplifting' strips that are placed on goods in stores. Check your shoes and such to make sure you haven't stepped on one and have it stuck to your sole. They are 'deactivated' by degaussing them over a powerful electromagnetic plate found mounted near the register. Make sure your credit/debit cards are not near said plate.
I've never had a problem in any of the local operations you've mentioned while carrying.

Anecdotally, several years ago I worked with a fellow noone liked. The location had the aforementioned sensors at the door and we always made sure one of the group placed at least one sensor strip in the collar of his suit coat or overcoat any time we could every day until management got tired of him.

It also let management know that he came in late every morning and left early every day as well.




Regards,
Rabbit.

 

[CGofMP]

You might also consider the fact that SOME access badges set them off.

Where I work we pass our badge in front of a little 'reader' which though it is behind glass notes the date, time, etc etc and opens the door.

The LAST company that they used out here provided us all with crds that set off library and other door alarms. These do not seem to do it.


In any case if you have an access card that is not a magna strip (like a credit card) THAT may well be the culprit.

Charles

edited to include:
PS: Well hot-dahmnh! Looks like this was my 100th post... Now I are A Senior member! Does that mean y'all will excuse me for Senior-Moments?

 

[Wild Bill]

Tamara and Sylvilagus Aquaticus. Both obviously products of a mis-spent youth!

I bow to you ingenious deviousness and vow to never cross either of you!

 

[ke6guj]

Even if a store does not use the security devices, they can still be present in the merchandise, put in at the manufacturer. You've probably seen them inside the DVD cases. So, an item purchased at a store without the system would not have the device deactivated.

Shoes and clothing can be source tagged, and if not de-activated by the store, would give you all sorts of trouble.

Jack

 

[gudel]

metal detector at retail stores? are you kidding? those are the for anti theft purposes where they detected unactivated embedded strip. if it detects metal, then every time people walk by it would go off. it should go off because i wear steel toe boots ( i was at walmart, i bought ammo, it didn't go off on me)

 

[Jokerman]

Actually, it detects anti-shoplifting strips and bad guns. It detects the polymer.

 

[sm]

Never had a problem with CCW and regular scanners. I have had to leave CCW in vehicle because of Fed. ,State bldgs, couthouses and such.

I too remember the ash cans in malls...we had a mall ninja hitting on the girls and just being creepy. He was so helpful just wanted to gawk at the ladies. This was before Victoria Secret, similar type set up...so I suggestd they put the 'alarm tag" inside ash can, when he voluntered to empty it, alarm goes off. He finally got fired, but he never figured out the how and why he kept setting off alarm. I had the ladies tape it underneath.

Later another dress shop was having a rash of the employees purses and money stolen, from their break room. Mgr. brushed it off, and told security the girls were just trying to get her to spend $ on lockers.

I suggested the girls use the bar code labels and put inside purses, or better yet, put in inside folded Money, recored serial # .

Guess whom was stealing, guess whom set off the alarm, had the exact same serial #'s as recorded... Yep the MGR.

Tamara, SA...I too enjoyed mischevious 101...

 

[landon74]

We had problems with the 'sensormatic' security devices where I used to work. Certain peoples steel toed boots and a large number of lumber carts would set the devices off every time they passed through them. The guys with boots could have them 'deactivated' by the register, but we never could figure out how to quit getting them to set off the alarm. So we simply moved them to the other end of the building so they became someone else's problem.

 

[Sportcat]

Back in college we'd stick library books (with the sensors) in our buddies backpacks when they weren't looking. Then they'd set-off the senors at the exits when they were leaving. Many a time we hear....

"But ma'am, I don't know how that book got in my pack. It was probably my damn fraternity brothers."

Sometimes we'd stick Playboys in there too. Ahh.... the memories.

 

[Freightman]

Never set off any alarm, I forgot to take my gun out at the PO and nothing went off, though I was a bit uncomfortable when I realized what I had done.
I go to HD all the time and no alarm.

 

[Mal H]

Everyone has already explained the passive theft detection systems, no need to dwell on that.

Think of the logic behind this though, Chipperman. If stores had metal detectors at their entrances, every single person, almost without exception, would set them off both entering and leaving.

 

[Erik]

Do they have security personnel manning the detectors? What happens when one goes "beep?"

Erik, who has never seen a metal detector in a store before.

Edited because I realized that I walk through RF sensors all the time and have never had one alarm.

 

[blackhawk2000]

Only once did I set off the detector. Turns out I had an anti theft patch in my back pocket from the pants I just bought, a few days earlier. I've been thru plenty of them with gun, and didn't set off an alarm.

 

[CR_OPSO]

Sometimes...

the remote to your vehicle's keyless entry will set them off. That happened to me with the remote to my Dodge (sold it, don't miss it). It was really annoying.
CR

 

[themic]

there's this one Borders that I always set off when i walk in. Asked the dudes, they say certain models of cell phone set em off there.