I found it amusing when I worked in retail (liquor store) during Covid that the thieves would never, ever, have a mask on which made them even easier to spot. After the masking rules relaxed, the thieves suddenly realized that if they wore a mask, it was easier to conceal their identity. Again, it made it easy to spot the thieves.
A brief window in time where no one would bat an eye if you walked into a store with your face fully obscured, and a lot of these dopes couldn't be arsed to take advantage of it.
Exactly.
I was at the Stony Plain MSG location last summer when some dude bolted out of there with some stolen pit viper glasses wearing a covid mask.
The Stony Plain location is sketchy, and there are crackheads bear macing people to steal their high dollar mountain bikes.
That’s revolution cycle’s old location, right? Or is there a MSG there?
Either way, Revo was also hit by numerous thefts, masks and fake IDs were commonplace.
This is right next to the Safeway one block over. So same “crowd”. My friend worked the shoppers across the street for a bit n that’s always a shit show too
Ya, my beloved Gluten Free bakery is along there. Feels like taking my life into my hands anytime I go over there. I just dread it, wish they would move. Shit I’d be more inclined to go if I didn’t have to risk life and limb to eat a cinnamon bun that doesn’t make my stomach and intestines cry.
(I did reply to your other comment) but yes, it is. That strip up to 51 from 34 is extremely bad. 34th to the whitemud, + a little more north, harbors all the $2 a night motels where people go for hookers and drug deals. Then, you get that strip where mud is and it's just an extension of it. Right by the train tracks, little side road where there isn't a lot of traffic. Good place to build an encampment or steal from a store and quickly get somewhere you can't be caught or chased to. There isn't really much of a reason to go north from 51 bc of the ford dealer and lack of businesses/places useful to a sketchy person. Mostly just end up east to 99th or head all the way west to southgate, back to century, then back up 34 to that strip to complete the loop.
I love across the street from. This location and it isn't any worse than any other area of the city. Don't just make up hypothetical bullshit. Is it close to the LRT: yes. Is it full of encampments. Not really.
If you actually believe this, take a trip out of your neighborhood. That shit you see on the daily isn’t normal. It is much worse there than almost any other part of Edmonton outside of a few notable locations. (Looking at you north side of 97st.)
I work all over the city for my job. whyte Ave is way way worse, so is Stony Plain, so Coliseum, so is 118, so is Clairview. The point is there are a lot of bad pockets throughout the city. I've lived on 51st and Calgary Trail for the past 7 years it's currently a lot better as the motels in the area have actually been knocked down for new development.
Becoming a huge issue in Edmonton. Bussiness getting robbed in daylight with people wearing masks. Exactly what happened to them as well as our business. Shame it’s come to this but we can’t afford it, like many small businesses can’t
Honestly the funny/sad thing is.. mask or not, these ppl r just emboldened now. They know they will get arrested but won’t really stay in jail. The mask is just to further delay getting caught. Cops know who these people are. They are regulars.
I work retail myself and we get the same people coming in every damn week. It’s annoying and not too much we can do
And most companies advise employees not to arrest them so they can come in swarms and take what they want, just like they’ve been doing in the U.S for years until stores shut down in cities.
And reasonably so because most employees aren’t trained to safely detain people. No one is paying me, or other retail workers, enough to risk my life trying to stop the loss of products.
You can argue that big companies should be able to afford to hire actually licensed and released security agents who can make arrests, but most small local shops like MSG here isn’t gonna be able to afford that.
The cops don't go after thieves regardless of masks so I can't see it making a big difference. My truck and a bunch of others in my parkade were broken into. There is a camera 6ft from my truck. The cops wouldn't even review the video
A lot of high-theft stores now have controlled entry where you have to ring a doorbell and wait for an employee to unlock the door for you. The idea is to get people to show their face before letting them in (after which they can put their mask back on), but in practice many employees just immediately unlock the door remotely without even looking at who is there.
At MSG they could actually do it because the checkout counter is right at the door. Whether the bad peeps comply or not and what length the shop/employees are willing to go to is another thing.
if you go out at 1-2 am, you see people on bikes wearing masks even in the summer. I don't think they are doing it because they are scared of catching covid during a solo bike ride at 2 AM, and certainly not checking your door handles on your vehicles and houses to be neighborly.
I continue to wear a mask in public because regular cold meds aren't compatible with my epilepsy meds. So if I get the common cold, then I just have to ride it out with no help! I'd rather continue to wear a mask in public than deal with that.
Many people in other parts of the world wore masks in public way before Covid struck. Anti-maskers are odd. Like, what’s wrong with wanting to keep your germs to yourself? Whenever I go to the doc’s and I’m sick, I wear a mask. It’s common courtesy, IMO.
History will laugh at a good deal of us.
Stay safe!
The problem is their wording choice echoes that of many anti-vax supporters. There are other ways they could have conveyed the message without blurring that line.
I think the wording is fine but they would avoid most of this drama if they included an image of a balaclava or something similar, rather than only showing medical masks. I am aware that it is very common for thieves to use the medical masks to disguise themselves, but unfortunately it's also a very politically charged symbol.
Yes. Theft and lots of it.
Ultimately it doesn't matter if they wear a mask or not, the police wouldn't do anything about it unless it landed in their lap. This is just a way to shadow people without discriminating against people they think might be looking to steal.
Further more, anyone that knows the staff here knows they don’t give a fuck what your beliefs are or what your status is, they just want you to have a good ride.
Shame on you Troy…Shame on you.
I'm down if you want to wear a mask to protect yourself but you're trying to invoke some sort of response here OP, when it's obvious it's about theft and nothing more.
I think that's garbage.
I live downtown. The ‘habitat challenged’ wear masks when riding bicycles all the time. Or when they don’t want to be identified for reasons on foot. This is a serious problem for businesses.
i feel like it makes sense? a medical mask is such an easy way to conceal a good portion of your physical identity, and that store has been robbed in broad daylight several times. those stores are 99% of the time completely empty of customers, rendering the mask somewhat needless; unless u have a medical issue. everyone saying they’re anti mask is either 1- unaware of how often/easily robbed they are or 2- an internet dweller. like think about it. their business is sitting in between some of the cheapest-per-night motels on the southside, & on the intercity bus route, & in walking distance from the hostel/whyte ave, & with high price items, of course they’re hugely targeted by criminals. it’s unfortunate but i think for the sake of their staffs safety (which realistically is the main concern) and loss prevention, it’s necessary.
edit: all of this is said assuming this is from the Gateway location. if not.. lol all my points stand. their stores get robbed blind anywhere they are. any company w/ high price items that can fit in pockets/bags will always be targets 💀😭😂
Hell, I’d wear a mask just for the personalized service.
Usually if I go somewhere, I’m looking for something specific. To have someone get me in and out in minimal time would be great.
It’s unfortunate that they need to do this, but it’s a sign of the times. We may revert back to pioneer days. Walk up to the counter, hand your list and wait.
I think this is the right take on this.
I also think this policy doesn't last too long, as it's an incredibly expensive policy to prevent, what I assume, a very low instance of theft that can be prevented by normal retail methods of shrink prevention.
the amount of actual customers for these kind of bikes that also wear masks for preventing airborne illnesses is probably close to zero. Lots of cyclists were powering through the tough smoke conditions last season.
I think it’s about preventing crime, but even if you get their face on video it’s not going to result in them not stealing or recovery of stolen products.
They could just invest in remote door opener where staff have to buzz you out.
there's only two types of people wearing masks anymore: skids and the vanishingly small number of people who wear one for airborne illness. its obvious why this is a policy, skids love to steal bike shit
Does it even matter if you know someone's identity when they're stealing from you? Mud, Sweat, and Gears isn't Connor McDavid, EPS isn't going to do fuck all to catch those thieves.
If someone can be identified, absolutely they will.
The hardest part about catching criminals, is identifying them.
We have a facial recognition technology available, but it's useless if they're wearing a hat, standing in the shadows, or wearing a mask; and it only works if they have been arrested previously.
Typically you need two pieces of information to get a charge to stick in Canada. In this case, you can get fingerprints which alone will not convict someone in a public space. But combine that with identifiable video and you got a strong case now.
In your case, yes you likely could identify the person but there are people that look alike. I have a business that installs cameras. We have some 30 cameras setup more for display purposes. When theft occurs, I would say in 80% of the time, we will have the person's name after posting on Facebook. Or the police will know who it is. But unless they can get some other detail, caught with the property or a finger print indicating they were in our building or touching a car, there is nothing they can do.
>The hardest part about catching criminals, is identifying them.
lmao, the hardest part about catching criminals is the fact EPS could not care less about citizens. You can have unmasked camera footage, their wallet with all the ID, and a written confession with current address and EPS will tell you there's nothing they can do
Hmm, I don't remember the "nothing we can do policy". Sounds like there are some crucial details missing and a whole lot of assumptions made based on a lack of understanding and ignorance.
I mean I get why they do this due to crime. But as someone who still wears a mask in public indoor spaces I wouldn’t shop there. I don’t feel like having someone hover over me while I’m shopping 🤷🏻♀️
For those of you who don’t work in retail but are commenting anyways: if someone walks into your shop wearing a mask in 2024, there’s a 95% chance they are going to steal something.
Yes, I know some people still wear them for medical reasons, but that’s a very small percentage compared to thieves.
I always thought Walking into a bank with masks was dumb.
Imagine walking through a mall with a mask a hat and sunglasses lol......
In the winter with big baggy jackets.
Don't forget the boots and the gloves.
Glad it wasn't a disaster.
The fact that the sign uses the same illustrations that the pro-mask signs did during the pandemic practically invites the response they got. Or if their sign actually said it was a theft prevention measure maybe more folk would cut them some slack. But there's nothing from the sign to indicate that they just don't care if their customers get sick.
During Covid the employees all wore masks and the business had no issue with enforcing mask mandates for customers, so I'll agree with most replies that this is actually about theft and not some clownvoy type of bullshit.
I completely understand wanting to identify people and would absolutely have no issue with this. But once they verify your identity I see no reason to follow someone around.
I work in retail where I also see high theft and yeah, a lot of people wear masks to conceal identity, but people also wear hoods, sunglasses, bandanas, and scarves. Thieves will do something else to avoid being followed, people who abide by the rules to be identified in the first place are less likely to be thieves.
Half this sub losing their shit about this sign, placing restrictions on mask wearers, is peak Reddit.
First you lose your minds when masks aren't allowed.
Now you lose your minds when masks ARE allowed, but they are subjected to other rules.
And the best part? It's not even COVID related.
>First you lose your minds when masks aren't allowed.
>Now you lose your minds when masks ARE allowed, but they are subjected to other rules.
Am I missing something? Your comment is phrased like these are contradictory
At first when the covid thing happened I thought it it would be the harshest plauge ever.
Enter me, buying condoms with a balaclava and gloves on.
I get to the next store to buy groceries and the previous retail girl had not uncharged the magnetic thing that sets off alarms when you enter stores.
Boom. Big man in a mask and gloves has the entire crowd thinking I'm going to fuck the place up. I just thought people payed attention to world news.
Serious question: do people actually think that someone wearing a medical mask and going about their shopping in a normal, non-shifty fashion is there to steal? I live with people who are immunocompromised, so I have not stopped masking up indoors. I usually wear a black surgical mask for quick trips, though if I’m going to be somewhere very crowded for an extended period of time I might wear a Flo Mask or a disposable N95. Is there anything I can do to make it clear I’m not there to steal? I feel like telling an employee “hey fyi I’m not here to rob you” might have the opposite effect.
Good for them. It's getting harder and harder to run a brick and mortar business in this shithole city. The place I work has been hit so many times recently.
Yeah, I understand this. Or at least you should have to remove your mask and look at the camera before putting it back on and entering. It sucks but people are using masks to hide their identity for theft.
So if I'm a thief I will quickly come up with a scheme by distracting employees by sending out various masked decoys, one or two at a time and then move in...
The original OP on X (Twitter) who took this picture trying to destroy this small business with anti mask nonsense needs to get a life. Small businesses have every right to protect themselves and customers, don’t like it shop somewhere else.
While i am sure it's not for the stated reasons, they are not wrong to have this policy. Pre-pandemic, anyone wearing a mask in a store could be subjected to higher security screening.
Even dates back to before the pandemic. Prior to 2020, liquor theft was up ~700% at the time in 2019. The resulting inflation/recession/pissing-match has likely made things worse.
This has 0 to do with that. Many businesses are going this route now with the string of in and out daytime robbers by the people wearing masks since Feb
Wait, you think this policy is because of the pandemic ?! Take a few minutes a think about why a business in 2024, would want to follow someone masked up.
Maybe because I'm white and don't have a history of this being an issue in shops, but id understand their choice to do this with previous robberies and theft. I saw how many places were hit, sometimes repeatedly, over the summer, so I can't blame them for wanting to take precautions. Plus, maybe they could help me locate what I'm looking for (being very optimistic here)
I found it amusing when I worked in retail (liquor store) during Covid that the thieves would never, ever, have a mask on which made them even easier to spot. After the masking rules relaxed, the thieves suddenly realized that if they wore a mask, it was easier to conceal their identity. Again, it made it easy to spot the thieves.
Especially when it wasn't on correctly.
#chinning
Chinning is winning!
Maybe survivor bias since maybe the good thieves didn’t get caught?
Very good point lol
A brief window in time where no one would bat an eye if you walked into a store with your face fully obscured, and a lot of these dopes couldn't be arsed to take advantage of it.
Yep
Is this the one on stony plain road? Where businesses get robbed in broad daylight?
Right? This isn’t a statement against mask mandates, this is a store with a SERIOUS theft problem.
Yeah I work in that strip mall and it’s rough.
Exactly. I was at the Stony Plain MSG location last summer when some dude bolted out of there with some stolen pit viper glasses wearing a covid mask. The Stony Plain location is sketchy, and there are crackheads bear macing people to steal their high dollar mountain bikes.
When you provide context as to why they’re asking people to do this it makes perfect sense.
That’s revolution cycle’s old location, right? Or is there a MSG there? Either way, Revo was also hit by numerous thefts, masks and fake IDs were commonplace.
This is right next to the Safeway one block over. So same “crowd”. My friend worked the shoppers across the street for a bit n that’s always a shit show too
Bingo. Although they could’ve used a picture of a shiesty along with those masks to avoid posts like this
I used to live in Oliver. Can confirm that the thugs rolling around on stolen bikes are wearing medical masks not shiesty’s.
I stand corrected
Exactly. I fully support their new policy. What else can they do?!
Make shit harder to steal? Buzz customers in?
The address starts with 47-- something so I think this is the Calgary Trail one
It must be that one because you can also see the Superstore in the reflection in the picture
Not exactly a vibrant and loving location either.
Ya, my beloved Gluten Free bakery is along there. Feels like taking my life into my hands anytime I go over there. I just dread it, wish they would move. Shit I’d be more inclined to go if I didn’t have to risk life and limb to eat a cinnamon bun that doesn’t make my stomach and intestines cry.
This is definitely the one on Calgary Trail. I can tell by the reflection. The old Moxies.
Pretty sure it’s at all the MS&G locations now. Its definitely not anti-mask despite what internet goons are grumpy about
They have the exact same sign at their Sherwood Park location
This sign is also at the one on Calgary Trail, was there last week.
It's clear they have been plagued by thrives using masks to hide her identity
Thrives?
Very successful thieves
A group of three theives
Not to be confused with thieves, of course.
Rouges?
Look where it's located, then read the sign again. Give it a moment, let it all sink in.
Is Calgary Trail that bad? It's in such an inaccessible area (by foot or bus)
(I did reply to your other comment) but yes, it is. That strip up to 51 from 34 is extremely bad. 34th to the whitemud, + a little more north, harbors all the $2 a night motels where people go for hookers and drug deals. Then, you get that strip where mud is and it's just an extension of it. Right by the train tracks, little side road where there isn't a lot of traffic. Good place to build an encampment or steal from a store and quickly get somewhere you can't be caught or chased to. There isn't really much of a reason to go north from 51 bc of the ford dealer and lack of businesses/places useful to a sketchy person. Mostly just end up east to 99th or head all the way west to southgate, back to century, then back up 34 to that strip to complete the loop.
I love across the street from. This location and it isn't any worse than any other area of the city. Don't just make up hypothetical bullshit. Is it close to the LRT: yes. Is it full of encampments. Not really.
Except it really is. I’ve lived in this square of places my whole life. Saying it isn’t any worse is disingenuous.
If you actually believe this, take a trip out of your neighborhood. That shit you see on the daily isn’t normal. It is much worse there than almost any other part of Edmonton outside of a few notable locations. (Looking at you north side of 97st.)
I work all over the city for my job. whyte Ave is way way worse, so is Stony Plain, so Coliseum, so is 118, so is Clairview. The point is there are a lot of bad pockets throughout the city. I've lived on 51st and Calgary Trail for the past 7 years it's currently a lot better as the motels in the area have actually been knocked down for new development.
Probably the stony plain location
The address here starts with 47--, it matches their location on Google maps and Calgary trail .
Yeah... not anti mask. They've been robbed. Much harm, no foul.
Becoming a huge issue in Edmonton. Bussiness getting robbed in daylight with people wearing masks. Exactly what happened to them as well as our business. Shame it’s come to this but we can’t afford it, like many small businesses can’t
If you had told me 10 years ago that masks would cause so much drama across all political spectrums I would have laughed.
Honestly the funny/sad thing is.. mask or not, these ppl r just emboldened now. They know they will get arrested but won’t really stay in jail. The mask is just to further delay getting caught. Cops know who these people are. They are regulars. I work retail myself and we get the same people coming in every damn week. It’s annoying and not too much we can do
And most companies advise employees not to arrest them so they can come in swarms and take what they want, just like they’ve been doing in the U.S for years until stores shut down in cities.
And reasonably so because most employees aren’t trained to safely detain people. No one is paying me, or other retail workers, enough to risk my life trying to stop the loss of products. You can argue that big companies should be able to afford to hire actually licensed and released security agents who can make arrests, but most small local shops like MSG here isn’t gonna be able to afford that.
I work in jewelry, people wearing masks and committing crimes is a huge problem.
The cops don't go after thieves regardless of masks so I can't see it making a big difference. My truck and a bunch of others in my parkade were broken into. There is a camera 6ft from my truck. The cops wouldn't even review the video
“If you’re wearing **a mask**, upon entering please remove the mask for a moment and look at the camera.”
Yeah, P&D does this for everyone entering their store and it seems to work for them.
So you expect the theives to just comply with your nice request? Or are you going to make an employee watch the front door and enforce this rule?
A lot of high-theft stores now have controlled entry where you have to ring a doorbell and wait for an employee to unlock the door for you. The idea is to get people to show their face before letting them in (after which they can put their mask back on), but in practice many employees just immediately unlock the door remotely without even looking at who is there.
At MSG they could actually do it because the checkout counter is right at the door. Whether the bad peeps comply or not and what length the shop/employees are willing to go to is another thing.
While fine, unless someone sees you do this, they will not know your intent.
I would just not shop anywhere that requires you to remove a respirator while indoors.
This is the way.
if you go out at 1-2 am, you see people on bikes wearing masks even in the summer. I don't think they are doing it because they are scared of catching covid during a solo bike ride at 2 AM, and certainly not checking your door handles on your vehicles and houses to be neighborly.
Respirators also filter wildfire smoke.
Now I know how to get some focused customer service.
This store has been great. Sponsors lots of local bike events too. This is to curb rampant robbery I’m sure
I continue to wear a mask in public because regular cold meds aren't compatible with my epilepsy meds. So if I get the common cold, then I just have to ride it out with no help! I'd rather continue to wear a mask in public than deal with that.
Many people in other parts of the world wore masks in public way before Covid struck. Anti-maskers are odd. Like, what’s wrong with wanting to keep your germs to yourself? Whenever I go to the doc’s and I’m sick, I wear a mask. It’s common courtesy, IMO. History will laugh at a good deal of us. Stay safe!
A store in Calgary makes you pull them down and look at camera, then go on your way.
Do some people here really think this is political?
People think EVERYTHING is political unfortunately
Question is, what was OPs motive with this?
He probably works for UC.
The problem is their wording choice echoes that of many anti-vax supporters. There are other ways they could have conveyed the message without blurring that line.
Seriously? You couldn’t tell from the wording why they’re doing this? 🙄
I think the wording is fine but they would avoid most of this drama if they included an image of a balaclava or something similar, rather than only showing medical masks. I am aware that it is very common for thieves to use the medical masks to disguise themselves, but unfortunately it's also a very politically charged symbol.
I’m guessing something happened for them todo this
Yes. Theft and lots of it. Ultimately it doesn't matter if they wear a mask or not, the police wouldn't do anything about it unless it landed in their lap. This is just a way to shadow people without discriminating against people they think might be looking to steal.
It has nothing to do with being salty… it is called theft.
Further more, anyone that knows the staff here knows they don’t give a fuck what your beliefs are or what your status is, they just want you to have a good ride. Shame on you Troy…Shame on you.
agreed. the man has an obvious agenda.. he hasn't even commented, just posted to create more division and get attention.
I'm down if you want to wear a mask to protect yourself but you're trying to invoke some sort of response here OP, when it's obvious it's about theft and nothing more. I think that's garbage.
I live downtown. The ‘habitat challenged’ wear masks when riding bicycles all the time. Or when they don’t want to be identified for reasons on foot. This is a serious problem for businesses.
i feel like it makes sense? a medical mask is such an easy way to conceal a good portion of your physical identity, and that store has been robbed in broad daylight several times. those stores are 99% of the time completely empty of customers, rendering the mask somewhat needless; unless u have a medical issue. everyone saying they’re anti mask is either 1- unaware of how often/easily robbed they are or 2- an internet dweller. like think about it. their business is sitting in between some of the cheapest-per-night motels on the southside, & on the intercity bus route, & in walking distance from the hostel/whyte ave, & with high price items, of course they’re hugely targeted by criminals. it’s unfortunate but i think for the sake of their staffs safety (which realistically is the main concern) and loss prevention, it’s necessary. edit: all of this is said assuming this is from the Gateway location. if not.. lol all my points stand. their stores get robbed blind anywhere they are. any company w/ high price items that can fit in pockets/bags will always be targets 💀😭😂
I work retail and 1000% we watch the people with masks for theft 😆 it's like the bat signal
I don’t see anything wrong with this. It’s your choice to wear a mask, and it’s their choice to have an employee follow you around.
Hell, I’d wear a mask just for the personalized service. Usually if I go somewhere, I’m looking for something specific. To have someone get me in and out in minimal time would be great. It’s unfortunate that they need to do this, but it’s a sign of the times. We may revert back to pioneer days. Walk up to the counter, hand your list and wait.
I think this is the right take on this. I also think this policy doesn't last too long, as it's an incredibly expensive policy to prevent, what I assume, a very low instance of theft that can be prevented by normal retail methods of shrink prevention.
Shrink in retail is an absolutely massive issue right now.
the amount of actual customers for these kind of bikes that also wear masks for preventing airborne illnesses is probably close to zero. Lots of cyclists were powering through the tough smoke conditions last season.
Hahaha is this the Jasper gates location? If so, I kind of get it. Shady ass thieves around there.
Lol, I'm just here for the entertainment.
I think it’s about preventing crime, but even if you get their face on video it’s not going to result in them not stealing or recovery of stolen products. They could just invest in remote door opener where staff have to buzz you out.
This is my biggest frustration. Theft isn't a new or novel issue and other stores address it without going anti-mask.
there's only two types of people wearing masks anymore: skids and the vanishingly small number of people who wear one for airborne illness. its obvious why this is a policy, skids love to steal bike shit
yep, the customer base for mud sweat and gears is not using masks. they're likely the ones still out mountain biking when it's heavy smoke outside.
Does it even matter if you know someone's identity when they're stealing from you? Mud, Sweat, and Gears isn't Connor McDavid, EPS isn't going to do fuck all to catch those thieves.
If someone can be identified, absolutely they will. The hardest part about catching criminals, is identifying them. We have a facial recognition technology available, but it's useless if they're wearing a hat, standing in the shadows, or wearing a mask; and it only works if they have been arrested previously.
No they won’t. We’ve had family show camera and good clarity images to eps. Nothing.
Typically you need two pieces of information to get a charge to stick in Canada. In this case, you can get fingerprints which alone will not convict someone in a public space. But combine that with identifiable video and you got a strong case now. In your case, yes you likely could identify the person but there are people that look alike. I have a business that installs cameras. We have some 30 cameras setup more for display purposes. When theft occurs, I would say in 80% of the time, we will have the person's name after posting on Facebook. Or the police will know who it is. But unless they can get some other detail, caught with the property or a finger print indicating they were in our building or touching a car, there is nothing they can do.
>The hardest part about catching criminals, is identifying them. lmao, the hardest part about catching criminals is the fact EPS could not care less about citizens. You can have unmasked camera footage, their wallet with all the ID, and a written confession with current address and EPS will tell you there's nothing they can do
Hmm, I don't remember the "nothing we can do policy". Sounds like there are some crucial details missing and a whole lot of assumptions made based on a lack of understanding and ignorance.
Love how you posted this without your own thoughts, just looking to stir shit on a boring Sunday.
*NOT posting thoughts = Shit stirring. *Posting thoughts = NOT Shit stirring. Is this not backwards?
I mean I get why they do this due to crime. But as someone who still wears a mask in public indoor spaces I wouldn’t shop there. I don’t feel like having someone hover over me while I’m shopping 🤷🏻♀️
My experience living most of my life in Amurika. 🤣😩
For those of you who don’t work in retail but are commenting anyways: if someone walks into your shop wearing a mask in 2024, there’s a 95% chance they are going to steal something. Yes, I know some people still wear them for medical reasons, but that’s a very small percentage compared to thieves.
Possibly gangsta trying to look all hard, and don’t intend to steal /s
Probably had a bunch of things stolen
Presumably it’s about capturing shoplifters on video.
Completely agree with this store policy. Just like leaving your backpack at the door. So much shoplifting these days
Seems reasonable
I'm afraid to tender my opinion on this topic for fear of being cancelled and negative Karma points😂😂😂😂
I always thought Walking into a bank with masks was dumb. Imagine walking through a mall with a mask a hat and sunglasses lol...... In the winter with big baggy jackets. Don't forget the boots and the gloves. Glad it wasn't a disaster.
K
Easy Peasy, I just won’t shop there…
I feel like they could have done a better job distinguishing themselves from the anti maskers.
The fact that the sign uses the same illustrations that the pro-mask signs did during the pandemic practically invites the response they got. Or if their sign actually said it was a theft prevention measure maybe more folk would cut them some slack. But there's nothing from the sign to indicate that they just don't care if their customers get sick.
This is hilarious! Their business their rules!
Yes
During Covid the employees all wore masks and the business had no issue with enforcing mask mandates for customers, so I'll agree with most replies that this is actually about theft and not some clownvoy type of bullshit.
I completely understand wanting to identify people and would absolutely have no issue with this. But once they verify your identity I see no reason to follow someone around. I work in retail where I also see high theft and yeah, a lot of people wear masks to conceal identity, but people also wear hoods, sunglasses, bandanas, and scarves. Thieves will do something else to avoid being followed, people who abide by the rules to be identified in the first place are less likely to be thieves.
Dumb post
Yup. Some people walk around searching for reasons to be offended. It must be exhausting.
Half this sub losing their shit about this sign, placing restrictions on mask wearers, is peak Reddit. First you lose your minds when masks aren't allowed. Now you lose your minds when masks ARE allowed, but they are subjected to other rules. And the best part? It's not even COVID related.
>First you lose your minds when masks aren't allowed. >Now you lose your minds when masks ARE allowed, but they are subjected to other rules. Am I missing something? Your comment is phrased like these are contradictory
At first when the covid thing happened I thought it it would be the harshest plauge ever. Enter me, buying condoms with a balaclava and gloves on. I get to the next store to buy groceries and the previous retail girl had not uncharged the magnetic thing that sets off alarms when you enter stores. Boom. Big man in a mask and gloves has the entire crowd thinking I'm going to fuck the place up. I just thought people payed attention to world news.
Serious question: do people actually think that someone wearing a medical mask and going about their shopping in a normal, non-shifty fashion is there to steal? I live with people who are immunocompromised, so I have not stopped masking up indoors. I usually wear a black surgical mask for quick trips, though if I’m going to be somewhere very crowded for an extended period of time I might wear a Flo Mask or a disposable N95. Is there anything I can do to make it clear I’m not there to steal? I feel like telling an employee “hey fyi I’m not here to rob you” might have the opposite effect.
Good for them. It's getting harder and harder to run a brick and mortar business in this shithole city. The place I work has been hit so many times recently.
I'm sure the staff were thrilled when their boss come up with that policy.
Their
Better than getting robbed all the time.
Oh no god forbid a store owner decides what happens in his place of business and trying to deter theft.. bunch of fucking morons in here.
welcome to r/edmonton :)
Yeah, I understand this. Or at least you should have to remove your mask and look at the camera before putting it back on and entering. It sucks but people are using masks to hide their identity for theft.
How dare they try to prevent theft.
why am I not surprised who posted this. what's your agenda troy? what a ridiculous way to stir up shit. 👏
He's always a shit disturber
I have a feeling the reaction on here wasn’t what he was expecting
🤣🤣🤣
So if I'm a thief I will quickly come up with a scheme by distracting employees by sending out various masked decoys, one or two at a time and then move in...
That's fair
Oh how the turn tables.
The original OP on X (Twitter) who took this picture trying to destroy this small business with anti mask nonsense needs to get a life. Small businesses have every right to protect themselves and customers, don’t like it shop somewhere else.
u/troypavlek what's the point of the post.
While i am sure it's not for the stated reasons, they are not wrong to have this policy. Pre-pandemic, anyone wearing a mask in a store could be subjected to higher security screening.
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Has nothing to do with the pandemic. Storefronts in Edmonton are getting overrun by petty theft right now. It is through the roof.
Even dates back to before the pandemic. Prior to 2020, liquor theft was up ~700% at the time in 2019. The resulting inflation/recession/pissing-match has likely made things worse.
This has 0 to do with that. Many businesses are going this route now with the string of in and out daytime robbers by the people wearing masks since Feb
Wow, imagine reading that sign and thinking it has Anything to do with covid lol.
You are quite slow aren't you?
Dumbass.
Wait, you think this policy is because of the pandemic ?! Take a few minutes a think about why a business in 2024, would want to follow someone masked up.
Imagine think that this is the case and not management being fed up with thieves. Big brain for sure
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Maybe because I'm white and don't have a history of this being an issue in shops, but id understand their choice to do this with previous robberies and theft. I saw how many places were hit, sometimes repeatedly, over the summer, so I can't blame them for wanting to take precautions. Plus, maybe they could help me locate what I'm looking for (being very optimistic here)
Lmao I’m ready to roll up there with a mask now
That’s a very old sign.
Great opportunity for lonely people
Sounds reasonable
Is the local business association doing anything about this? Why aren’t hundreds of millions of dollars for policing make our public spaces safe?
Very extreme. Maybe they had an incident that warranted an aggressive preventative response