Best Buy and screening customers for terrorism
12 Jan
A few months ago, a friend of mine who works at a local Best Buy told me that his manager had recently held a special meeting with all the employees working at that store. The employees were told that any suspicious looking person or someone who would fit the profile of someone dangerous should not be allowed to purchase more than one cell phone and service plan.
The employees were told that anyone who fits the profile would need to have another person with them to justify the 2nd cell phone, like a spouse or a kid, for whom that additional phone is being bought. Otherwise, the employees were not obligated to sell the cell phone and could refuse the sale. My friend and some of his coworkers asked if that would be too extreme and may even result in legal action by the customers. The manager told them that the store had been sent a letter with this information by the local police department, and thus they had to follow that guideline and could not be held liable.
If that story wasn’t weird, I’ve been hearing all over the news today that different government agencies are investigating multiple disposable cell phone purchases in the country, specially large volume purchases. There is some reason to believe, according to the officials, that these purchases may be used for communication between those who’re a danger to national security of the country itself.
I just wanted to share that story and see what you think. Do you think all of the above is normal? Do you think some of it is a bit extreme? What do you think should be done to either improve/rectify or further the above theme? In your view, is this different than filling out any official government form that asks you to identify your ethnic background?
My friend still works there, and says that so far none of the employees have told any customer that they cannot purchase a phone because they fit a certain profile. Customers have continued to purchase more than one cell phone on different occasions. So the next time you’re buying a cell phone for yourself and a cell phone for your child or your spouse, make sure you buy them separately, or simply tell your loved one that you didn’t buy them anything because of national security.
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I would say a bit extreme. Particularly as it’s based on a very subjective judgement about how someone looks. Scary stuff.
Man… I don’t know what to think about this. Sadly, though, things like this usually only end up hurting the real customer… it’s like gun control laws in my opinion – all the criminals still have them but the law abiding citizens are done without to protect themselves. But then again, the store does have the right to refuse service to whoever they want… right? *sigh*
A bit extreme? I guess I could understand if someone was buying say more than 10 cell phones. People are always getting those "buy one phone get the other free" plans… I’d hate to go in and be the one who couldn’t get a phone for a friend and myself because of national security (although I’m sure I wouldn’t necessarily fit their "suspicious" profile). Who knows what kinds of problems this could start! I never knew this stuff was happening, I’m glad you wrote about it. :)
As for me and my school books, I pay upfront and the hospital I work for reimburses me… I’m very lucky in that aspect. Those students who don’t get tuition reimbursement have to pay for everything themselves(or through scholarship, etc). Believe it or not, the books were more than the total tuition! Yikes. 8O
Wow, that is a bit extreme…
Ally — > Yes, it’s very subjective and scary indeed.
Valerie — > Things do end up hurting the customer. Good example about the gun laws. It’s also true that every store has the right to refuse service to anyone, just like the signs say in almost every store. However, if it’s based on physical features, gender/sex or something else, then I think it’s prohibited by law as it becomes discrimination. But if these orders come from a law enforcement agency, then there’s probably no easy way to deal with it.
Celestial — > np. This thing will definitely create a lot of problems if it goes into effect full time, everywhere. We’ve already seen this happening before, in the previous century, somewhere. Regarding your books, that’s good. Sometimes, yes, the books do cost more than the tuition, which is crazy in many cases, I think.
Chau — > Yeah. :|
The only thing that is being restricted is Prepaid (non contractual) cell phones. These phones are being used to set bombs off and there is absolutely no way them being tracked. Know all of the facts before you have such a strong opinion on something. No one (no matter race, age, sex) can buy more than 2 prepaid cell phones at any Best Buy store.
Speaking of terrorism:
George W. Bush committed hate crimes of epic proportions and with the stench of terrorism (indicated in my blog).
George W. Bush did in fact commit innumerable hate crimes.
And I do solemnly swear by Almighty God that George W. Bush committed other hate crimes of epic proportions and with the stench of terrorism which I am not at liberty to mention.
Many people know what Bush did.
And many people will know what Bush did—even to the end of the world.
Bush was absolute evil.
Bush is now like a fugitive from justice.
Bush is a psychological prisoner.
Bush has a lot to worry about.
Bush can technically be prosecuted for hate crimes at any time.
In any case, Bush will go down in history in infamy.
Submitted by Andrew Yu-Jen Wang
B.S., Summa Cum Laude, 1996
Messiah College, Grantham, PA
Lower Merion High School, Ardmore, PA, 1993
“GEORGE W. BUSH IS THE WORST PRESIDENT IN U.S. HISTORY” BLOG OF ANDREW YU-JEN WANG
______________________
I am not sure where I had read it before, but anyway, it is a linguistically excellent statement, and it goes kind of like this: “If only it were possible to ban invention that bottled up memory so it never got stale and faded.” Oh wait—off of the top of my head—I think the quotation came from my Lower Merion High School yearbook.
great post, love the blog