nav[aria-label="Primary Navigation"] { padding: 0; & ul { list-style: none; width: 100%; display: flex; flex-direction: row; justify-content: start; align-items: start; gap: 30px; padding: 0; & li { margin: 0; } & ul li { list-style: none; } } }

We want to hear from you: please tell us about your experience of the online community.

Discrimination in shops

LAmesXOX

So for a long time I've noticed when ever I walk into a shop I'm the only person the security guard will seem to follow it happens all the time another trick is they will ask you if you need any help aparently this is suppose to deter someone from shop lifting. I've had staff cross there arms and stare at me as I'm shopping and follow me around every where I go in busy shops. I will just say something now if they make me feel uncomfortable I'm going to make them feel uncomfortable plus I think it's really important to stand up to people I feel like most non disabled people will minimise the level of discrimination that a disabled person will suffer you have to stand up to people because it's the only thing you have. It turns out this is called bias based profiling so it is actually a thing I really hate all security guards because I've felt harassed for so many years I'm the only person they will follow around the shops I'm the only person they will stand behind on the self service counters to check I'm paying for my items even though there is row of people I'm the only one they will watch. Has anyone else felt this before and felt that they are being viewed as untrustworthy and a bad person simply because of there disability.

Find more posts tagged with

Comments

LAmesXOX

Its normally smaller shops I have these issues in like Sainsburys or tesco express the giant supermarkets
have more CCTV and probably plain clothed security I've never had this issue in giant supermarkets. Making a complaint won't make too much of a difference as most non disabled people would not believe you and all non disabled people stick together. I will just tell them I've come in here to buy my products and I will tell them to there face that i think they are profiling me becaue im disabled and I have not come in to shop lift i have come in to purchase my items. i have never stolen anything from a shop in my life to constantly be the only person that is followed around in a £1 shop or iceland is so offensive. My opinion of security guards that practice this type of profiling is they are nasty bigoted bullies you never see a security guard target a male shop lifter they generally only target shop lifters who look like they can't fight back I hate security guards so much !!!

66Mustang

I have noticed this myself. I am not visibly disabled but to be honest I look a bit dodgy because of my social anxiety and the fact that I wear a hat because of it etc.

Personally it does not bother me as I know I am not going to be stealing so I just ignore them and go about my lawful business.

Like you I don’t have the issue as much in the large supermarkets, mostly smaller shops. It also happens more when I’m looking at the alcohol or electrical goods which I guess is because they are worth more and more likely to be stolen.

That said, and I’m sorry to be controversial and a little bit ****, but don’t hate all security guards because of the actions of just a few. If you hate a whole group because of the actions of a few from that group you are carrying out the same discrimination that you are a victim of yourself.

That said I can sympathise and am sorry to hear that you are treated this way.

LAmesXOX

I think it's DSS discrimination that is causing this I don't think its just disabled people that suffer this I think it's single parents ect. Yeah I probably shouldn't say I hate all security guards but I really dislike them quite allot as I've said I've never actually shop lifted anything in my life most professional shop lifters will look and act completely normal they won't look like me. I think security guards should go on behaviour rather then someone not ticking the box of what people view as normal it feels like if they don't like the look of you it's almost like they want to catch you shop lifting. I've been followed in really cheap shops as well like £1 shops iceland and these are crowded stores where I am the only person being followed I've suffered this for years and it really winds me up I think anyone can aquire a disability at any age or any point in there life it's in everyone's best interest that this kind of thing should not happen I've had security guards tell me im just doing my job literally speaking to me like I'm a criminal just because I've stood up to them

janer1967

Tbh It isnt something I have ever been aware of or witnessed but I understand it must be frustrating . Is it the one security company operatives or different ones . If it is just one maybe contact the company and ask what there policy is about following disabled people as you feel you are beiong targeted

LAmesXOX

I think they are either inexperienced or not very good at there job I'm not sure which company it is im more calm these days I don't shout at them like I use to but I will let them know i no they are following me if you stay calm and tell them i no your following me and your profiling me because im disabled it make them more uncomfortable but if you shout you will just look guilty and they will talk to you like a criminal. They have tactics they will follow me everywhere I go but they will pretend to sort out the shelves and keep an eye on me it's not in my head as they will follow me around literally the whole store and do this every single time until I get to the self service check out at which point I'm the only customer with a security guard standing behind me checking I am paying for my items. I've been researching online it is a thing it's called bias based profiling. These days there is so much hostility towards disabled people I have a visable disability but physically i have really high mobility most people assume I'm on loads of benifits and they will look at me like there is nothing wrong with me so I get the same hostility from people that people with hidden disabilities suffer which is my opinion on why I get followed the media has created so much hostility through the stories they print about disabled people being lying stroungers with nothing wrong with them allot of the time people look at me thinking why should I feel sorry for them they claim loads in benifits and my taxes pay for that so people think I deserve to be treated like that.

LAmesXOX

Hmm Making out im crazy and paranoid that's not good considering this should be a free space for people to discuss there experiences and opinions there is allot of negative media around people with disabilities commiting benifit fraud these stories are over represented in the media I'm guessing your a very privileged person with very little life experience which is why your refusing to acknowdge that disability hate crime is pretty bad in the UK.

Please do not refer to people as paranoid as it sounds like an insult again this should be a free space for people to express there opinions your not always going to agree with what other people say I suggest you try and get over it rather then throwing insults.

chiarieds

The statistics are that 'benefit fraud' is very low indeed. A few years ago there were some TV programmes that were very negative about some 'on benefits.' I don't believe that's the case just now.

As you mention, this 'should be a free space for people to express their opinions.' I'm sorry for the experiences you've had, but @woodbine has as much right to express his opinion as yourself.

My son works in a very busy small food retail shop; he's aware that some people are exempt from wearing face masks recently, & the last thing on his mind is to 'challenge' any person who may have a disability; rather he has suffered verbal abuse from non-disabled customers.

We're living in strange times, but I don't think retailers 'target' any disabled customer.

poppy123456

I have to agree with @woodbine here, sorry. My daughter has ASD, learning disability and social anxiety disorder. We've been out to eat many many times over the years and everytime we go my daughter is sat at the table constantly telling me that people are looking at her, of course they're not but she just thinks they are. I keep telling her that no one is looking at her but she just doesn't believe me but they have no reason at all to be looking at her.

I don't know why they would follow you around a shop and have never ever experienced anything like that in my whole life and my eldest is now 25.

I've spent many years working in the retail trade before i became disabled and unable to continue to work. When i worked in a supermarket if we suspected someone was stealing, we'd never actually follow them around, that's not something anyone would do. We'd keep an eye on them very discretely.

I've been a single parent for 18 years and have never esperienced any of what you stated above.

As for benefit fraud, i agree with @chiarieds.

LAmesXOX

Can I just say that it doesn't mean this is not happening just because non of you have experienced it we all have different disabilities and experience different discrimination.

People do get followed around the shops as potential shop lifters and until this has happened to you you will have no idea how awful it is and i feel that i am being profiled because of my @poppy123456 i dont think your experience with your daughter is comparatible story to mine as I am talking about being profiled as a shop lifter you are talking about eating in a restaurant !

Also people are experiencing disability related hate crime due to the Media over representing stories about people commiting disability benifits fraud you only have to go online and research disability hate crime and watch people's stories.

Posting this and basically being called a liar just shows how difficult it is to get your voice heard as you just get called some kind of trouble making liar !

poppy123456

I was talking about my daughter being paranoid that she thinks people are staring at her when infact they're not. We are all entitled to our opinions.

LAmesXOX

I think you so desperately want me to be wrong that you are saying anything you sound like an extremely condescending person in my opinion. I feel like I'm being ganged up on for telling people about my experiences I think it is just undermining what people are actually going through people should not be worried about other people juding them when they write a post. Also @poppy123456 your not actually disabled your daughter is so your opinion doesn't matter in my opinion anyway

Adrian_Scope

Hello all. I'm just stepping in to remind everybody to remain civil. While I understand a topic like this will tend to encourage passionate discussion from a range of perspectives, it's also important to treat one another with respect even when someone disagrees. Additionally, I would say as we all lead very different lives and notice different things, it's vital to remember that just because one person's experience doesn't tally with another's, it doesn't mean that both can't be true.

LAmesXOX

Also calling me parnoid or a liar is making you worse then people that are commiting disability hate crime. I'm a burns serviver I have mild scars to my face and quite bad 3rd degree burns to both of my hands my mobility is high but I look very disabled I do feel like people pick on me because I look like I can't fight back this is mainly from women. i have been working for the last five years everyone assumes I'm benifits and live in some kind of massive council house I live in London so this makes people very resentful. I've had people say to me I don't get benifits like you my taxes pay for that and generally be hostile towards me. I get followed around shops as people think I've been attacked with acid and have some kind of connection with gangs again I've had many people ask me directly havd you been attacked with acid.

This is actually happening and to have people undermine me on a durability foroom is really shocking. I'm a single person I'm in contact with my family but I am definitely judged as a single person if I walked into the shops with a family I probably wouldn't get followed. But the reality with disability is allot of people are excluded from being able to go on dates as they feel judged and as a result end up single then people view you as having something wrong with you this is not just me allot of people with visable and invisible disabilities will find it difficult to go on dates due to fear of judgment.

Im one of the lucky ones I have a group of friends I have a job but to be honest I stand up for myself which is what people need to be doing these comments are are awful because it's just undermining the severity of what is happening satisically people with disabilities are socially excludes treated badly by random members of the public I no this through lived experiences and reading other people's stories online and generally live a poorer life calling people parnoid is really not helpful it's like your sweeping all the wrong that is going on under the carpet and blaming the individual.

LAmesXOX

Also DSS discrimination with in PRS is still really bad it has only recently become illigal to put no DSS on PRS adds people with disabilities that are unable to work are excluded massively from the PRS market I work in the homeless sector so I no this through my job all landlords are doing now is asking for unrealistic gauntors that people might not have such as a guarantor who is a home owner people that are working will not be required for these same references. So for all of you that think that DSS discrimination is not a thing it really is and your very lucky to be unaware just how bad it is.

poppy123456

LAmesXOX said:

Also @poppy123456 your not actually disabled your daughter is so your opinion doesn't matter in my opinion anyway

That's where you're wrong, sorry. I am disabled, which i did state that i'm unable to work now because of my disability. I leave it at that now and will make no further comments on this thread.

LAmesXOX

Ok you did state that but to be honest I've been getting ganged up on this thread so i did miss it you've only thrown that in there now because I'm right there is DSS discrimination your just using it as an unfair tactic as DSS discrimination is rife within the private rental market so it kind of confirms I'm not completely parnoid plus i get stuff said to me all the time like my taxes pay for that. you've obviously done well you have a family ect I'm happy for you. But i personally feel like I'm excluded from being able to have a partner and family allot of disabled people are in the same boat. Don't always compare other people to your own lived experience as we all live in different areas suffer different things ect single people are more likely to be exploited there is so much inequalities that disabled people are facing so it's understandable I'm reacting to other people calling me parnoid.

Chloe_Alumni

This thread has been closed by the admin team due to no longer serving the purpose it indented. The community is here to be a supportive place for everyone and ensure everyone feels safe. If you have any questions then please email the team at community@scope.org.uk.