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Today, 8/21/2010, I went to my nearest Walgreens located at 755 Broadway, Brooklyn, NY 11206, to return a lipstick in which I was overcharged and buy a few household items. Since it was raining I was wearing a sweater to cover my hair.

Throughout my shopping at the store I was followed by employees and the security guard, making me very uncomfortable. I finally decided I was not going to give my money to this store and decided to return the lipstck. While at the register the manager asked the clerk where is the "code 5", and the clerk replied, "it's ok, it's her here" meaning that they didn't need to follow me anymore since I was already leaving I guess. Since I was returning an item, the manager had to conduct the transaction, I was so mad that I asked him "so just because someone is wearing a sweater means they're going to steal something?" and he just smirked at me!!

Such disrespect. This trip to the store humiliated me, I actually left crying and shaking! I'm a college graduate and in no way do I act or dress like a thief! The manager didn't even apologize for humiliating me.

Once home I called the store because the manager's name was not on the receipt and whoever answered gave me a hard time, asking me why I wanted the manager's name. Afterwards, he finally relented and told me the manager on shift was Mr.

Swanzi. What was so hard about giving me the manager's name?

Location: Warwick, New York

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Guest

Is it raining in the store? No lol so take off your hood.

Any store that sees a customer walking in covered up, they will keep alarm of it. Stop making a story that isnt there

Guest
reply icon Replying to comment of Guest-1454784

Boy what a dumb dumb

Guest

Walgreens is absolutely racist. Every time I enter the store an employee enters a room to watch me.

When I start to approach the cash register they come out of the room and follow me to the cash register. Then, after I pay for the item(s), an outside security guard in an unmarked vehicle (probably security for the shopping plaza) watches me and sometimes follows me to the shopping plaza exit. This behavior makes absolutely no sense. In my opinion it is a mental sickness; it is not what healthy minded people do.

I'm done with Walgreens forever. Don't need them.

Don't want them. Bye.

Guest

walgreens is not racist. certain *** stores make up *** codes, but Walgreen in general is okay.

just don't go to that store and report it to the corporation or district manager. I work at walgreens and we only have code 21- a cashier can't ring alcohol, 22-almost out of money, and 44- register pickup/out of a certain kind of money. Please report this store! That is ridicules!

I'm sorry for you dissatisfying experience! Please don't stop using Walgreens!

Other locations do not do that! REPORT IT

Guest
reply icon Replying to comment of Guest-997358

That's a *** lie that's not the only code y'all have cause every time I walk into a *** Walgreen they call code five as soon as I walk in the door and that means shoplifter in store. So don't gives that *** about walgreens aint racist cause the only people i ever see in walgreens are white and walgreens didcriminates against the blacks.

Guest

Yes, Walgreens is racist. Include Las Vegas Walgreens on Maryland Parkway in your avoid list. Hidpsnics, whites and trained coon blacks discriminate against black people, no matter how they dress.

Guest
reply icon Replying to comment of Guest-904580

Maybe you should try not being so terrible.

Guest

At Walgreens if they have a security concern they literally say. "Security walk the floor".

I highly doubt you were suspected of stealing however.

If you were it is not the wrongdoing of the company. They have an obligation to protect the company assets in trusted in them including merchandise and employees.

Guest

code 5 in Walgreen that I used to work means some good looking person in the store and check that person out. lol and i'm serious.

Guest

Well you have stolen before so they are discriminating against you because of your past behaviour.

Guest

i hate shoping at walgreens its always a last resort,and a racist experience.

their service stinks,their slow at checkout and their focused on watching the black customers even when they are black. trained dogs tend to be loyal that way.

Guest

Did you come in with a bag in your hand and then proceed to walk around, shopping? That is consistent with a lot of shoplifters.

You should have asked for the refund first, and then done your shopping. Nothing you said indicates with any certainty that the store employees did suspect you were shoplifting. However, if they did, it is probably because you handled this poorly.

You should look at it from another's perspective: If you ran the store, would you be suspicious of someone under similar circumstances? If you answer yes to that question, you owe that manager an apology.

Guest

In the walgreens store i work at, a code 5 means that theres a customer whos either returning or exchaning an item so i highly doubt that they were watching to see if u were stealing something. I hate customers who think one way about something but dont know the whole truth

Guest

all stores have different codes! ive worked at atleast 8 different walgreens filling in and such and non of them had a code for theft!

the codes go as follows one for returs, transaction voids, post voids (cash purchases), exchange, backdoor (vendor), ic3 meaning theres 3+ ppl in any given line and that register needs help checking people out each store has different codes for each like code 45 we say service (#) instead of code but either way the manager nos what they need to do! hope that makes u feel a little more comfortable

Guest

An employee at Walgreens just told you what a code 5 is. Maybe you are suspicious because you actually have stolen before? Whether you stole two years ago or five years ago or the day before they don't care you are a high risk to them.

Guest

Honestly, I don't know the system up in New York, but I work in a store elsewhere in the States. At my store, a Code 5 is a Vendor that needs let into our Stockroom, and a return is a Code 50.

I was trained to call a manager anytime we suspect a customer of stealing something, then, they must keep a visual contact of you until you are out of the store. Obviously you don't sound like someone who would steal, but at the same time, we can't possibly know who everyone is, or how solid their morals are.

On the other hand, the employee had no right to try and withhold the manager's name. There is a certain amount of respect in the customer/employee relationship that one has to give, and it was definitely broken there.

Guest

Okay maybe racism is the wrong word and I apologize if used the wrong word. However I know what a code 5 is since I used to work there and a code 5 means to watch out for a suspicious person in the fifth aisle.

They are profiling me because a few years ago when I was 17. Two years ago I was caught stealing merchandise and was fired for it. They are discriminating against me because I stole from them when I was in high school. I am in college now and would never steal.

I cried becausee they can't forget my past which was a whold two years ago. I am older now and ahve changed.

Guest
reply icon Replying to comment of Guest-179268

There you have it! Interesting you left that history out of the story in your original post.

It is a very important detail. You used to work at Walgreens, you got caught stealing and you were fired. You EXPECT them to take a chance on you, trust you? You are emotionally invested clearly.

Imagine this was a romantic relationship for a moment. You got caught cheating. You expect to be forgiven. They are NOT obligated to forgive let alone forget.

You even try to excuse yourself based on being high school age when you stole. That excuse *might* fly for a five year old, however a teenager in high school has enough life experience to damn well know better, just as you should know better than to try to excuse yourself from stealing based on being a teenager now that you are a few years older going to college. based on your comments I don’t believe you are more mature and have changed. Two years wasn’t enough for you to mature obviously.

You haven’t figured out they do not owe you a damn thing. The world doesn’t revolve around you. You don’t get to have your way by throwing a childish fits. You aren’t an honest person.

You have witnessed against yourself. I do hope you grow up. You’ll be a happier person. You accuse Walgreens of racism over this!!!

You have issues. It’s not Walgreens who needs to change- it’s YOU.

Guest

There was no racism. Racism would be if they followed you around because of the color of your skin, or your background.

They followed you around and discriminated against you because of how you dress. Yet you make a discriminating comment such as "I don't look or dress like a thief" which means just like they do you have your own exceptations of what a thief looks like and how one dresses. Funny isn' it that when it is them doing this it is discriminating but you make a lamebrain commment such as I don't dress like a thief when the issue is you feel that you are discriminated against because you were wearing a sweater. So what does a thief wear you tell me.

If thieves don't wear sweaters what do they wear? How do they dress?

Guest

So how is a thief supposed to dress. Funny how you say they are discriminating against you when you are the one discriminating.

You say you don't dress and act like a thief, well you do, and so do I, and so does every other shopper the sales people and even the manager. There is no way a thief dresses or acts. They act the same way you do, the same way I do, the same way the manager does. They also dress the same way we do, or different from us.

But you can't judge someone as a thief based on what they are wearing. Even college graduates steal. Also where does race have anything to do with this? Then you wanted the manager's name.

It is not you personally they are after. I think you are just paranoid, and the fact that you say that you dont dress and act like a thief(when you claim you were discriminated against based on what you were wearing) makes you a hypocrite.

Why should they have to give you the managers name? Grow up.

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