American Free Press – by Victor Thorne
So-called self-checkout registers have become ubiquitous in stores across the country. But be careful. Some people have been raising alarms, warning Americans that these seemingly convenient machines that get customers to scan and ring up their own purchases are turning law-abiding shoppers into suspected criminals. This is exactly what happened recently to singer and political activist Paul Topete, a longtime supporter of AMERICAN FREE PRESS.
During a December 4 interview, Topete told this reporter of a recent occurrence that included Big Brother-style surveillance and a bizarre, drawn-out legal entanglement.
“On June 23, a couple of weeks before I was set to host Freedompalooza, I stopped by my local Walmart to pick up a few things like cheese, potatoes, diapers, juice,” said Topete. “Seven weeks later I walked to my mailbox and found a letter from a district judge informing me that I’d been charged with retail theft.”
Apparently, on that day in June, Topete went through the self-checkout aisle and bagged his own purchases. However, he said he was distracted by his child and the attendant and then walked out before putting his cash into the machine.
“I forgot to pay for these items,” he said. “I simply put the bags in my cart and left the store, thinking nothing more about it.”
Topete said he had to go before a judge on November 21. “The cop wanted to charge me with shoplifting, but after viewing the surveillance videos, it became clear that I had no intention of stealing anything,” he said. “My kid and the attendant distracted me. I had a dozen other receipts from all the days surrounding June 23 proving that I always pay for what I buy. Fortunately, Walmart’s representative said that I only had to cover the cost of what I purchased that day, which was $26.”
What’s most intriguing about this entire affair is how the authorities tracked down Topete. Store cameras followed him through every aisle to the self-checkout lane and then identified him in the parking lot where they zoomed in on his car’s license plate. The police then entered his plate in their database and discovered where he lived.
Problems associated with self-checkout lanes have caused retail chains like Costco, Jewel-Osco, Albertsons and Big Y to completely remove them.
Nevertheless, analysts at technology firm TechNavio say that self-checkout terminals are here to stay and will likely increase in the U.S. by 15% over the next three years.
Making matters worse, high-tech firms are getting ready to introduce computerized algorithmic surveillance cameras that profile customers using these self-checkout devices. If a shopper is deemed “high risk,” an alert will be sounded.
Victor Thorn is a hard-hitting researcher, journalist and author of over 50 books.
– See more at: http://americanfreepress.net/?p=21589#sthash.5veBnZ2n.VauzkqjL.dpuf
So what’s the real issue here? The guy basically was stealing from a Walmart no matter what his flimsy excuse – I was distracted and forgot to pay…..really? I am sorry, the world is full of people with plenty of money who still have the urge to steal & shoplift…and we all know that surveillance is wildly high tech these days and in this regard I think it is a good thing…….it fights crime and criminals are quickly tracked down and apprehended…….for this are we supposed to feel indignant? That somehow our right to get away with stealing is violated? This guy is lucky a swat team didn’t descend on his house at midnight and beat the sh#t out of him………then we would have a story here.
No, the story is about how you can be tracked to your house by cameras identifying you, your vehicle, your license plate, your house, your ingredients in your dinner. Come on man it’s not that hard to realize what the article is about. Yeah, you think this technology is being put in place for people who don’t pay for $26 at Wal-Mart? If so, then I got a bridge in brooklyn I’ll sell ya. It’s to track people like YOU who are a problem for the agenda. WAKE UP!
Agreed. Come on, Dalton. Read between the lines.
“Apparently, on that day in June, Topete went through the self-checkout aisle and bagged his own purchases. However, he said he was distracted by his child and the attendant and then walked out before putting his cash into the machine.”
Gee…maybe if Walmart would hire a few of the millions of unemployed American workers instead of being cheap and lazy by closing all check-out registers and forcing customers do all the work by going through long, prison style, self-checkout lanes, and do the clerks work for them without even getting paid for it (actually you are paying them to do their service for free. Slavery anyone? That’s how insane it is), then this wouldn’t happen, now would it?
I REFUSE to go through any self-checkout line and force them to get a clerk to ring me out. Customer service, my ass.
Talk about setting people up for a fall.
I agree NC, but I also admit to using these fricking things too. I think they do it on purpose, only have 2 – 3 checkouts manned, forcing people with a few items to either wait for 20 minutes or go the the self check out and get out of there. It always annoys me that I am doing the work of checking out, paying and bagging when the cost of having an employee do it are built into the prices they charge. So, they are saving on labor and contributing to the Police State at the same time – Wonderful!
Exactly! It’s insane.