Your Dolls and Security Officers-ever a problem?

Well, the reciept thing is sorta special. Once they watched the camera's and what not, they'd know you didn't do it. But, it's the first off accusation and harassment that's not real fun.

 

heh, I had this happen well, yesterday. 0_o I was in a mall ( a Simon mall) And I was dressed preppy because I was looking for jobs. I had Mika (my yo-sd Suzu) in my purse until I was done job searching. When I was done, I decided to bring her out and hold her while looking around stores. I went to this store that sells Vera Bradley purses, since my dad said to look for one my mom would like for her birthday. I was in there for about 5 min. and there were those typical girls that like to put down everyone and stuff- laughing and pointing at me- I'm like whatever and ignored them. Apparently a cute little girl doll and a normal looking girl (well I'm kinda fat lol) caused a huge disturbance. The girls left but then came back with a security guard, and he asked me to either put the doll in my purse or leave the mall. I left the mall, I wasn't going to be bullied by someone! That really ticked me off- I've been to that mall several times with my dolls, even bigger ones, and had no trouble! I think those uber preppy girls had it out for me I think. ><

 

xXDarkNekoXx- I demanded they tell me what brand he was and what exactly he was. The manager told me it was a brand new doll they had just gotten in and told me some name. I then proceeded to pop his head open and proudly showed them where it had molded right into resin CP Yder Elf. They quickly realized they were wrong and left me alone. And basically the same thing for the second toy store as well.

 

Aha, wouldn't happen to be VCC would it?

Because, I know a lot of those security guards. And while most of them know how stupid the rules are, they like keeping their jobs.

Actually, the minute you say "no" you have given them plausible cause.



(SO I JUST WROTE FOR TEN MINUTES LOL AND PRESSED THE WRONG BUTTON!)


My two cents on the clothing issue?

You deserve it. Says this here mohawk toting female. When you wake up in the morning, you choose your clothes. When you did your hair like that, you knew how people would react. When you buy clothes in the store, or customize them, you know what kind of light it's going to cast on you.

Why? Because as much as we'd like a non-judgmental world, we know it doesn't exist. People are going to judge. And if you're going to go for a look outside of the norm, you're going to have that stereotype on you.

Want to know what to do about it?

Easy enough. Don't misbehave. Don't feed the stereotype. Show that you're not some little chavy kid just because you like plaid, straps and studs. Why? Because the stereotype exists for a reason. And it just needs some breaking. Even if the local mall security just recognizes YOU as a good person, they remember that. They remember the little girl with purple hair they followed for a half hour who didn't even suggest she might steal. They remember following the kid with the trench coat who went so far as tipping some worker in the food court. They remember good people who they wasted their time on based on appearances.

Don't want security messing with you over a doll you brought? Also easy enough. Don't be so drole as to bring the resin kid on a friday or saturday when malls are on a little bit of a lock down. When you do bring them, don't act embarassed or ashamed at any point. Because the body language you give off from those emotions is the same you give off when you've done something wrong, and THAT's going to have a mall cop, or any cop, on you in a heart beat.

Don't think you can muster that? Then don't bring the resin kid. It takes brass balls to begin with to take the resin kid out any where, but it's going to do nothing but make it a bad experience if you take them out before you can mentally tell any one to jog off for giving stares or making fun, and smiling at them instead.

Also, I'm going to go out on a limb here and say I am visually one of the most shocking people you'll see in every day life here in Richmond, VA.

I hate attention.

I do it because, well, I'm sorry, but I honestly like the way I look with it. End of story. No depth of it being a creative outlet. No abuse story. Nothing. I just honestly like the look of it. I wish I could do it without getting stared at. But, ya know, I don't think I can. SO I grin and bear it.

 

Wow. This entire thread has made me very, very grateful for the malls around me. I have never had any problem with security, no matter what I wear or what I have with me. I've gone to the mall with a My Size Baribe doll (don't ask) and in numerous occasions in full-out Lolita (even with a parasol, to the outdoor malls) and the only times I get treated crappy are by snotty employees who apparently don't like my clothes, never any security. There's never any excuse to treat someone badly because of how they dress. :/

I would say it might be a wise idea, for anyone who's gotten accused of stealing a doll, to maybe put some sort of proof of ownership instead the headcap, if you're very worried about it being a problem?

 

A thousand times this ^

Aside from my work uniform, which has to be kept as Tesco handed it out, I will customise my clothes to bits to suit myself...and if I couldn't handle the reactions of others I wouldn't be woman enough to wear my clothes.

I wear a huge range of clothes from the gothy to the goody and I accept that I will be judged upon what I choose to put on myself that day. Case in point, I went out last week dressed in a 1940s tea dress, cute little pumps, not much make up, and an alice band in my hair. The old ladies in the village thought I was a cutie I went out a few days later in a nu-rave kind of outfit, jeans, bright converse, bright fluffy top, covered in jangly fluorescent beads and they looked at me like I was made of plutonium Even my parents ask me what I think I'm wearing - I've been wearing normal, hanging out clothes and my dad has asked if I'm going out for the evening because I'm "dressed up", or if I do dress up for a night out, I'll get asked if I'm going to make an effort!

Just realise that no one is going to understand your personal style and you'll be ok. If you hold out and believe that everyone has to understand you and put no labels on you, I challenge you to look at another person and not make a single judgement based on their appearance.

Anyway...the malls we have in the UK are nothing like American malls. I can't speak for city kids, but where I live we have shopping centres which don't have food courts or much in the way of public space. People only go there to shop because there is no where to just hang out and there is no visible security presence either. I could easily wander around the Victoria Shopping Centre and not get stopped by security, but I would get stopped by other shoppers asking about my doll.

 

Yeah, I've never seen them in my life either. I asked the guard what was wrong, he said I was interrupting other customers, i.e. the little snots. I see teen girls carry huge build a bear around that mall- no problem, I have an 8 inch tiny doll, I mean come on!

 

I think you were better off not making a fuss though. Shows you have more decency than those girls do. You can also go and report them next time you see them with a build-a-bear

 

Why thank you

It just makes sense to me. You and me, we look different. But, we're good people.

Just because people judge us, we're not going to change. You like your purple hair. I like my cotton candy mohawk.

But we're also not going to feed the stereotype.

It just buggers me to death when kids who DO steal and do things that are chavvy and are rude to people get mad because "Oh they're profiling me because of what I look like".

Well, yes, because it's kids like that who made the stereotype.

XD

It's the same as when people bring dolls to school or work and get mad when they're asked to put them away. It's a common sense thing. Don't take the doll to class and take it out. It IS a distraction. Same with work.

Poo!

 

About 3 or 4 years ago, I went to a fairly decent sized gathering at Fair Oaks mall in Fairfax, VA. We didn't get hassled by security and we had a great time explaining things to curious passers-by.

I have taken my dolls on planes and to museums without ever getting hassled by security guards. I don't take an attitude with them and I take time to explain my dolls and what I'm doing. They're usually very pleasant and happy to let me go after I explain what my doll is, that it's hollow etc...etc...*shrugs* I've never had a problem with it.

 

The personality that comes with it?? I may buy clothes but I've had a personality for a good while now. They're seperate. At least, I thought so. Who knows? Things tend to bleed in the laundry.

And isn't it a little off to assume everyone here is human?? Just kidding, but psychology varies from person to person and from culture to culture.

Really, appearance doesn't affect the way I treat people. I mean, yeah, if somebody had a shirt that said "I kill puppies and all whales should die." or was foaming at the mouth, I'd probably stay away from them. And if a person had a shirt a shirt of a band I like, I may comment on it. But as for clothing styles and items (like dolls) I don't see what the big deal is. I guess it's cause I've always thought differently (Aspergers kid!! ) so I never really understood this judging stuff.

I don't even get why it matters. I don't judge, and as far as I'm concerned, I don't get judged. I think to be judged, the judgement has to matter to you. Ignorance is bliss in a case like this. <--Yay for rhymes!

And that is the last comment I will post that doesn't directly relate to dolls. So feel free to flame. I won't be replying.

(I have a smiley addiction...)

 

No offence ment in the slightest, but this is why you don't get what Suuchan means. I know plenty of people with autism and Aspergers (my boyfriend worked in a special needs school and with young people with different abilities, and my brother's brother-in-law is an Aspie kid ) and none of them understand how (or why) clothes can make a difference to how other people see you or assume you to be.

Of course everyone here is human, but in baseline human psychology, we tend to judge each other based on what we look like at first. No one can avoid this, this is the 'first impressions' thing and for a lot of people (I can't say most...there being about 6 billion people in the world, and I haven't come close to meeting them all...) first impressions count for a lot and affect their future dealings with a person. Clothing and accessories are a big part of this initial impression. There is standard dress for an interview, for instance. If you turn up in a suit for a bank manager's job, they will get a good impression of you, you've turned up dressed formally, you look smart, they're prepared to give you the time of day. If you turn up for a bank manager's job in jeans and a jumper, even if those jeans and that jumper are nice, they won't pay attention to what you have to say at all. You could be a genius and they won't care.

And what this has to do with dolls is...? Answers on a postcard plz.

 

As we all know, this thread has gone completely off-topic. Totally and completely. And although the discussion is valid - and believe me, you do NOT want me to trot out the harsh facts of life as a punk rocker in the 80's for y'all! - if it doesn't get taken to livejournal, this thread will be locked.

Deep breath, refocus, back to dolls. Thank you.

 

It's one thing to get harassed by security out of the blue, but I can't blame managers from toy stores thinking that you stole something from them, they can't be expected to memorize every single toy or brand that they have on their shelves. My mom always told me to never bring toys into a toy store or food and snacks into a grocery store, because that's just common sense; there's always a possibility that people will think you stole those things from them.

Unless you never set foot in those toys stores and the managers came running out accusing you of theft, then yea, you did nothing wrong.

 

i had rather an interesting situation happen the other week at my local mall. I commonly carry my doll around in a padded video camera bag and no one is the wiser to the fact that i am carrying her. I walked into a Halloween store and saw a sign asking patrons to check their bags at the counter. I walked up and asked the lady if i needed to check my bag and she said "yes" so i said "That is fine i will remove one thing from my bag though." she gave me a puzzled look and was considering refusing my request, I leaned over and whispered "what is in my bag is worth x amount of dollars" Her eyes went big and i put my bag down opened it and took out my doll. You should have seen the look on her face! Shock, horror and for a moment the thought flashed across her face, "is that a real baby?" she backed up several feet, as i adjusted my dolls feet back to normal. She then realized it was a doll was curious and we talked about them for a few minutes before she insisted that i put her back in my bag and she insisted that i was okay to carry my doll and bag around the store! i thought it was kind of funny but in the future i will remove my doll before i walk into the store and hand them my bag and carry her around. hehe! since i know i will be going back. I know why they have the rule and it does not bother me to check my bag, i just did not want to take the chance her and the other cashier would not step on, kick or loose my bag behind their cramped register with the other bags on the floor. were anyone can walk up bend down and grab multiple bags and be gone before they even notice. kind of weird eh?!
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I haven't brought Jinx out into public areas before. I've been tempted, but I'll wait a bit until I get a better carrier. Until then, I'll wait up for a doll meet or a party with my friends in this town who also own BJD.