If you shop with any frequency at giant chain stores such as Circuit City, Best Buy, Home Depot or even Bed, Bath & Beyond, you've probably grown accustomed to showing a security person your receipt and allowing him to inspect the contents of your bag as you leave the store.
For most of us, this inspection is routine and nothing more than a nuisance. But, have you ever stopped to wonder if this is even legal, or that this search of your bags is essentially an accusation of theft? Well, this past weekend, an Ohio man decided to refuse the search of his bag at an area Circuit City and soon
found himself behind bars.
Though he tells the story in much
more detail on his own blog, here's a synopsis of what happened to Michael Righi of Brooklyn, Ohio. This past Saturday afternoon, he dropped into Circuit City and bought a surge protector and a copy of Disney's
'Cars' video game for the Ninetendo Wii. When Righi was told by the door person that his bag needed to be inspected and compared to his receipt, Righi refused with a polite "No thank you" and kept walking outside, where his father was waiting behind the driver's seat of his car. The security person and manager ran out of the store and blocked the car's exit from the parking lot. When neither could tell Righi which U.S. law gave them the right to search his bag, Righi asked to be let go or he would call the police himself. They refused and Righi called the police. When the officer showed up, he inspected the bag and saw nothing had been stolen. He also asked Righi for his driver's license. Since Righi was not driving his father's car, he refused to give up his driver's license, but was happy to give his name and address at the officer's request. Not amused, the officer arrested Righi and booked him for 'Obstructing Official Business.'
Righi is now fighting the charges. He plans to involve the ACLU and is even taking donations on his site to help fund his defense. You need to
read Righi's full account of the events before you come to any conclusions, but we think it's fair to say that he definitely stirred the pot. Sure, this bag search is definitely an invasion of privacy, and now that we think about it, it really is kind of like accusing us loyal customers of theft. The police officer may or may not have had the right to request Righi's license, but once you refuse an order from a police officer you kind of have to expect you'll end up in the clink – right or wrong. It'll be interesting to see what comes of this case.
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