[TriLUG] TigerDirect is having problems

[Steve Litt]

On Wednesday 29 October 2008 01:44:47 pm Brian Henning wrote:
> I was gonna say, isn't Fry's home of the original "Final Indignity"
> (i.e. exit-door receipt-check and belongings-rifling)?

Frys' rep in the San Fernando Valley was worse than that. Rep was, if you keep 
going there, you were gonna get either detained or arrested.

I needed a backup tape drive in about 1994, so I went to Frys in San Fernando 
Valley (near LA). Some tape drives had a tape within the shrink wrap, while 
others of that same model didn't, so I asked a salesman if they were the same 
price with or without the tape, and he said yes, the tape was just a special 
offer so get the tape.

I stood in line to buy the tape drive ($400 IIRC, back when $400 was 20 days 
rent), Then, receipt in hand, I went to security, which was a musclebound 
thug in a security guard uniform.

He takes my tapedrive package out of the bag, rips the extra tape right out of 
the shrinkwrap, shoves the tape in my face, and growls "what's this!"

For a second, just a second, I reverted to being 20 years old, when the cops 
stopped me daily "hands against the wall, spread your legs, (frisk), where 
you coming from, where you going to, what have you been doing?" Then I 
remembered I was 44 years old, a top notch programmer paying big taxes, 
husband, and father of three. For just an instant, I though of knocking his 
teeth out, but then remembered I was a respected member of the community. So 
I just said "It's been a long, long time since I've been accused of theft -- 
get your manager over here right now." I stared the punk down til he blinked 
and got the manager.

So the manager comes over. He's this skinny, pimply little 19 year old kid, 
with a good case of Tourettes going. As I told him the story, and he realized 
that the tape was a simple promotion, and his tension grew, he blinked and 
tic'ed ever more frequently. Finally he said "well, you know, we have to do 
this, because we have a lot of memory sticks that just walk right out of this 
place."

In other words, he called me a thief AGAIN.

I looked at this poor, pimply, twitching kid, felt sorry for him, and 
soothingly said "look, you know that tape was a promo item, so why don't you 
just let me go. Oh, and a piece of advice -- I'd fire this security guard 
before someone gets hurt and Frys is responsible".

I've never understood why East Coast Geeks have Frys envy. On the California 
Coast, every computer vendor is better than the best we have on the East 
coast. Frys might be a little cheaper than most, but be sure to bring your 
bail money and have your criminal lawyer's phone number in your wallet.

STeveT