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Yo quero Taco HELL?

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Yo quero Taco HELL?

Old 05-16-02, 05:26 PM
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Yo quero Taco HELL?

I worked at Blockbuster last night, and during my break I ran over to Osco to get some vitamins and on the way back I swung into Taco Bell to fill my Quik Trip cup with ice. Which I do quite freqently, almost every night I work at Blockbuster. I didn't get anything to eat cuz I wasn't hungry, just filling my ice, but I also go over there to eat. On my way out, I hear some girl say, "Thank you!" I didn't give it a second thought then I heard her say, "I said thank you!" and thought she must be calling to me but I was already out the door and I just thought they were getting pissy cuz I was getting ice and didn't buy anything but I didn't have time to listen to them.

I went to my car to put the vitamins in there and also to read my Attack of the Clones novel for the remainder of my break and I hear this guy across the parking lot yelling, "EXCUSE ME SIR!" I didn't pay any mind to that either. He repeated that a couple more times then said, "EXCUSE ME, YOU IN THE BLOCKBUSTER SHIRT!" and he is waving me over to the drive up window. Screw that. I didn't need to hear them lecture me about getting ice and not buying anything. I could have cared less, and I didn't have time for it. (And I thought they were going to do that because they usually like to give some of us a hard time if all we go over there is for water. They don't say we can't do it, just try to charge us for the price of a pop if all we want is a cup for water, things like that.)

As I am reading, maybe about ten minutes later, I see a manager walk out of Taco Bell and go into the store. She leaves in a couple minutes and this girl I work with comes out and is walking to my car. I open the door to see what is going on, figuring if they have that much of a problem with me getting ice, there is a place where the sun does not shine where they can stick it. The girl tells me they think I stole a drink and came over demanding $1.50 then said they were going to call the police. I said, fine, I will sue them (Taco Bell) for false arrest.

I finish reading the section of book I was into and then I go over to the drive up window. I told the guy, rather irritately I will add, that I got only ice. Then I pull the cap off my water cup and say, "DOES THAT LOOK LIKE POP? DOES THAT SMELL LIKE POP?" I start to walk away and he says something about me having a bad ass attitude. I yelled, "You are accusing me of stealing and are calling the police! I'll show you a bad ass attitude!" And I went back to the store. And no police came.

I am still livid about that. As many times as I go over there and they have the audacity to accuse me of stealing. You want to see me get a "bad ass attitude?" Accuse me of stealing when I am innocent and I will get all up in your face. Not only that, but that is against the law for the manager to do what she did and accuse me of stealing when I didn't and to go to Blockbuster demanding the money for a drink I didn't even steal.

I called the store manager today, who was working last night and remembered the situation. She said it was another manager who went over to Blockbuster and the manager I talked to said she tried to tell the other girl she was blowing it out of porportion. As far as me saying I am just getting ice...I guess since I am in there frequently, it wasn't that big of a deal and they never had a problem with it in the past.

I also called their corporate office and filed a complaint but they put a spin on it in their favor, saying I was violating store policy by going in there to get ice in the first place. They said that was a health hazard. Where do people come up with this crap is beyond me. Do they really want to get in it with me about health hazards? How many times have people I've known gotten food poisoning from there? Or what about those old ladies who work during the day who are too ingorant to realize when they are cleaning off trays that they keep wiping them with the same dirty towel and they wipe the dirty trays off over the pile of the clean ones so the food and crap just falls on to the last clean one they "cleaned." Please. Besides that, there was no issue of a public health policy violation with the manager last night, just accusation that I was stealing. Furthermore, the health violation policy is an internal issue with Taco Bell, and that is of no concern to me. Public health violation...me getting ice...yeah, that makes sense! I think the lady I was talking to was trying to put blame on me and I said, "What about them accusing me of stealing and going to where I work and calling me a thief and asking my co-workers for money? That's slander and harassment." She said that issue would be addressed by the district manager over the store. But I was also told it would be 72 hours before I heard from anybody.
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Old 05-16-02, 05:48 PM
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OK, I promise I won't buy any more DVDs from Taco Bell.
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Old 05-16-02, 05:55 PM
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Originally posted by thanador
OK, I promise I won't buy any more DVDs from Taco Bell.
Huh?
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Old 05-16-02, 06:00 PM
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Originally posted by calhoun07


Huh?
Exactly!
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Old 05-16-02, 07:35 PM
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thanador, according to the main forum page, this forum is set up so members can "Share Your Shopping Experiences at Stores both Online and Off."

It is not specifically or exclusively for the discussion of dvd or dvd-related stores.

If you have a problem with a particular post, I would appreciate it if you used the "Report this post to a moderator" link on that post.

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Old 05-16-02, 09:09 PM
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Has anyone else ever noticed that there's always a Taco Bell near a Blockbuster?

I can think of no less than six Blockbuster/Taco Bell combinations in three different cities.

Weird.
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Old 05-16-02, 10:32 PM
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Originally posted by Josh-da-man
Has anyone else ever noticed that there's always a Taco Bell near a Blockbuster?

I can think of no less than six Blockbuster/Taco Bell combinations in three different cities.

Weird.
Fascinating observation.

So...does anybody else here think they broke the law? I would like some feed back. I've always understood it was not the place for employees to accuse customers of stealing, and if you do accuse them and they are innocent (heck, even if they are guilty!) they can turn around and sue the store. Do I have the right to demand any legal action here?
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Old 05-16-02, 10:55 PM
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Originally posted by calhoun07


Fascinating observation.

So...does anybody else here think they broke the law? I would like some feed back. I've always understood it was not the place for employees to accuse customers of stealing, and if you do accuse them and they are innocent (heck, even if they are guilty!) they can turn around and sue the store. Do I have the right to demand any legal action here?
I wouldn't think so... You went in there, used the soda machine to get ice and walked out, right? That would look fishy to me.

If you do get a bad ass attitude, that doesn't help either. Usually the people that are guilty are the ones that get really defensive. I saw a kid through a window marking on the side of our building. I went outside and asked him how the writing got on the wall and he went off saying I'm accusing him of this and that.

You should just have told them all you got was ice and if they have a problem with that they can call the cops.

I do know that if I ran a business, I wouldn't want people just to come off the street and take ice and water as they please. If more people do the same, a business would be taking a real hit on water bills.
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Old 05-16-02, 11:07 PM
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Originally posted by Cornfed


I wouldn't think so... You went in there, used the soda machine to get ice and walked out, right? That would look fishy to me.

If you do get a bad ass attitude, that doesn't help either. Usually the people that are guilty are the ones that get really defensive. I saw a kid through a window marking on the side of our building. I went outside and asked him how the writing got on the wall and he went off saying I'm accusing him of this and that.

You should just have told them all you got was ice and if they have a problem with that they can call the cops.

I do know that if I ran a business, I wouldn't want people just to come off the street and take ice and water as they please. If more people do the same, a business would be taking a real hit on water bills.
Valid points for certain situations. However, they were the ones who were confrontational, including going to where I work and telling my co-workers I stole a drink and demanding money. That was wrong in any situation, and was more than enough to provoke me to get angry, not a defensive attitude because I was wrong. I got defensive because they provoked me. I guarantee you I would not have gotten defensive if that manager came to my car and asked me if I got a drink, without accusing me of anything. It would have been cleared up then and there, and rather civilly.

Second, the managers have been used to me going in there and getting ice. I had no idea it would suddenly become a problem. And I am not joe shmoe off the street....I work next door! And have worked there for a couple years now! It's not like I am a stranger to the area. And, yeah, those water bills...whoooo boy. I hope they can keep the doors open!
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Old 05-17-02, 01:29 AM
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It sounds like they tried to get your attention before the manager confronted you, but you ignored them. They had no choice but to become confrontational. I don't know what sort of legal action you're looking at, but most likely, it would be a waste of your time and money.
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Old 05-17-02, 02:29 AM
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Originally posted by calhoun07


Fascinating observation.

So...does anybody else here think they broke the law? I would like some feed back. I've always understood it was not the place for employees to accuse customers of stealing, and if you do accuse them and they are innocent (heck, even if they are guilty!) they can turn around and sue the store. Do I have the right to demand any legal action here?
Your kidding right?!?! Legal agent for what? Maybe it's me, but GET OVER IT! Legal action? Here's your sign!
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Old 05-17-02, 02:52 AM
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Originally posted by calhoun07
So...does anybody else here think they broke the law?
You went into a retail location and took something without asking or paying for it. It doesn't sound like they were the ones breaking the law.
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Old 05-17-02, 03:40 AM
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From the way it was explained to me, a customer cannot legally be accused of stealing until they have left the premises with the product in question. Further, unless you have tracked the item from the moment it was taken, you cannot confront the customer.

So, provided the employee saw you use the drink machine, and watched you exit the store, you probably don't have any legal recourse in the accusation area. You *might* be able to get the employee fired for going to your Blockbuster, but that's way beyond my simplistic understanding of the laws (I doubt you could get anything out of Taco Bell, since all they'd have to do is show that the employee violated policy, and it was a one-time, unpredictable occurence).

As for the health code violation, that's a valid (and probably mandatory) response for their corporate office. There are all kinds of rules applying to how and what may be used with a drink machine, and it sounds like you brought the cup in with you (from how I'm reading your story, anyhow)--which is probably a huge no-no. They have to have some sort of policy controlling what is used to get ice/beverages from their machines; whether or not it's enforced on the store level is another problem entirely.

In the end, it sucks that things escalated to the point they did. They were in the wrong by talking to your co-workers about the situation, but you do own some responsibility for completely ignoring their multiple attempts to get your attention.
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Old 05-17-02, 11:08 AM
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What you did certainly could have seemed suspicious, and you shouldn't have been such as ass about it.
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Old 05-17-02, 12:42 PM
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Originally posted by new2theplace


You went into a retail location and took something without asking or paying for it. It doesn't sound like they were the ones breaking the law.
I'd have to agree. It's silly that it got blown out of proportion like it did, but technically speaking you shoplifted ice. Even though they don't charge for it, I think it's still considered theft. If someone walked in and grabbed a bunch of sauce packets, napkins and straws and walked out, they'd probably call the cops even though they don't charge for that stuff either. I think you are better off just letting it go.
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Old 05-17-02, 02:54 PM
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If I went into a place and took ice and just walked out and they got mad, I don't think I'd get defensive about it. I mean, you should be thankful you've been able to go in there and get ice previously with no problems. I know the situation is a bit different since you go in there a lot, but it sounds like you are blowing this way out of proportion.
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Old 05-17-02, 03:44 PM
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Originally posted by stevevt
thanador, according to the main forum page, this forum is set up so members can "Share Your Shopping Experiences at Stores both Online and Off."

It is not specifically or exclusively for the discussion of dvd or dvd-related stores.

If you have a problem with a particular post, I would appreciate it if you used the "Report this post to a moderator" link on that post.

Let me know via e-mail if you have any questions.
Yes I am aware of that policy regarding the forum. In fact, I double checked it before I posted to the thread.

What I was saying in effect was, "This just makes no sense to me". So I posted an equal nonsensical comment. This is why, when the poster responded "huh?" I responded with "exactly".

I don't have a problem with the post, in fact I found it extremely amusing. Still do.
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Old 05-17-02, 04:35 PM
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If I were you, my big concern would not be the cops or any kind of legal action, but vengance from the store on a more personal level. A pissed off manager (regardless of if he is in the right or not) might 'accidently' drop your gordeta on the floor next time your'e over there. Or there might be a bit of Lung Butter as a special sauce - I'd watch your step.

Kabong's golden rule: "Always be nice to the people in a position to spit on your food".
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Old 05-17-02, 04:35 PM
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Re: Yo quero Taco HELL?

Originally posted by calhoun07
I also called their corporate office and filed a complaint but they put a spin on it in their favor, saying I was violating store policy by going in there to get ice in the first place. They said that was a health hazard.
Well, yeah. Taco Bell isn't a public park or anything.

You just walked into a business, grabbed some of their stuff, and left. Of course you violated their policies.

That ice isn't free to the public. It's provided for customers to add to their purchase. They could hang a sign over the ice machine stating that it's for customer use only... except I would think that would be painfully obvious to everyone even without a sign.


I think you're better off just letting this go.
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Old 05-17-02, 05:40 PM
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You were wrong to steal ice and you got what you deserved.
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Old 05-17-02, 06:40 PM
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[It sounds like they tried to get your attention before the manager confronted you, but you ignored them.
Not really intentionally. I just didn't think at first they were trying to get my attention. Saying "thank you" to somebody when their back is turned? How is that getting their attention in a store full of people?

[quote]A pissed off manager (regardless of if he is in the right or not) might 'accidently' drop your gordeta on the floor next time your'e over there. Or there might be a bit of Lung Butter as a special sauce - I'd watch your step.[quote]

Yeah, as if I am going back there!

And, yeah, maybe they do need to hang a sign. I am not the only employee who goes over there for ice/water.

To be fair, I doubt I would ever sue them. But I am going to talk to their district manager, probably on Monday about it, and I guess I would like to know what to say so I look less like a moron than I did. And I can see from their vantage point why they thought I was stealing...to an extent. Foolish of me to think because I am a regular customer there for quite a few years now that they would know me and that I came in there regularly to get ice. And so I forgot to mention it to them. I did have other things on my mind other than what was going on, which I don't think made me an ass. I just wasn't all there. And tho I was somewhat cognisant they were trying to get my attention, I didn't see why nor understand why. But that doesn't give them a right to go to my store and try to get money from somebody else. If that drive up guy did see me at my car when he was shouting SIR, he knew where I was and they just could have come to me. And since I was a regular customer, I may have taken it for granted that they would know what I was there for and be used to it. Does that make me wrong? I guess some of you think so, but I think it just made for an misunderstanding on both sides. As to who did wrong more than the other? I am not sure, but I still know they could have come over to me in my car rather than go into the store.

I actually agree with the points to drop it, and in the end I more than likely will. Unless the district manager treats me like crap (and I promise to not have an attitude when I talk to them!), I am fairly confident they will resolve the matter to my satisfaction. But I still don't think it hurts to research what legal rights I have or don't have if the situation ends up requiring that. It doesn't hurt to be prepared.

So, those (the few) of you who think I should sue...why do you think that and what do you think my legal rights are?

Last edited by calhoun07; 05-17-02 at 07:49 PM.
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Old 05-17-02, 08:34 PM
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Originally posted by calhoun07
So, those (the few) of you who think I should sue...why do you think that and what do you think my legal rights are?
None.

It does not matter if you had gone into that Taco Bell a thousand times before to get ice, you stole the ice this time as they did not give you permission to take it.

Also, you should know better than to take your cup into Taco Bell to get ice from the machine. It's not a health hazard to you that the people at Toco Bell are worried about.

What if you were sick (cold, flu, ect) when you went into the store to get ice. If you were, you almost certainly got others sick as well. This is not just a matter of Taco Bell corporate policy, it is also state law in most areas.

I would let this go. What would you sue for? You went into their store, stole their ice, and they tried to confront you about it.

It sounds to me like a simple "thank you" after you took the ice would have taken care of the situation.

/Benjamin
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Old 05-17-02, 09:23 PM
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Funny how you people are the only ones who think I stole something. Even the Taco Bell employees were satisfied I had not stolen anything when they saw I got only ice. Nobody was accusing me stealing after I showed them I only got ice. Not even their coporate office said I stole. And I posted this on another forum I visit to see what the members of that board had to say, and none of them said I stole ice. Even if it's a policy or state law not to take ice with your own cup, most stores are cool with it. In fact, I've never encountered this before. I often have my own Quik Trip cup with me, even if I am ordering their food and drink. And often, the clerk taking my order will not even offer me a cup for my pop. They just assume and are cool with the idea that I brought my own cup in there for the pop, but I tell them I just brought it in for ice for my water. Next time I will just use one of their cups to take the ice and let it rest at that. But nobody else is accusing me of stealing now that everybody knows it was just ice. Just the people on this board....odd.

And they never confronted me. Saying thank you to my back as I am half way out the door isn't confronting me. Not in a store full of people. The thought that they may be talking to me crossed my mind on the way out, but I didn't really think they were. And shouting SIR across the parking lot wasn't confronting me either. It was trying to get me back there, yes, but not confronting me. And since I didn't think I was in trouble, I felt I had the option to go or to not go. It's a free society. Of course, had I known they thought I took a drink, I would have been over there in a heart beat. For all I know he wanted to ask me when Monster's Ball came out. You may think I am being smart for saying that, but you would be surprised that in the past, that's been what I've been called to for...to either ask me when a movie is coming out or to complain about a late fee they had or something else I actually could care less about on my break. If he had said, SIR, we need to see what you put in your cup, that would have been clear and concise. Shouting impersonal and unclear things at me isn't confronting me.

Nor is going into where I work while I am sitting in my car and asking people in there for the money. That was confronting them, not me.

And I understand the thing about public health. Just like when I've gone up for refills at fast food places and they have me remove my own cap. That's understandable. But really, I would worry more about some snot nosed kid pushing the buttons on the soda fountain or some woman with a yeast infection who didn't clean her hands after she got off touching things in the store. Of course, I am kidding with that last example, but seriously, there are more things to worry about public health than somebody using their own cup to get ice. I know it's a PR response from their corporate office, but it's a small issue. And if they push it further, then I expect to see signs go up at fast food places all across the country forbidding customers bringing in their own cups, just as now there are signs up at ALL McDonald's warning about the temperature of their coffee.

Last edited by calhoun07; 05-17-02 at 09:30 PM.
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Old 05-17-02, 09:32 PM
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And btbrossard (and potential others) I've already heard your arguments why you think I am wrong. I asked the FEW people who think I should sue why they think that. As much as I appreciate the input you offer, the question really wasn't for you to answer.
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Old 05-17-02, 09:56 PM
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Originally posted by calhoun07
And btbrossard (and potential others) I've already heard your arguments why you think I am wrong. I asked the FEW people who think I should sue why they think that. As much as I appreciate the input you offer, the question really wasn't for you to answer.
You asked and I answered. I'm sorry that my answer was not what you wanted to hear.

Originally posted by calhoun07
And if they push it further, then I expect to see signs go up at fast food places all across the country forbidding customers bringing in their own cups, just as now there are signs up at ALL McDonald's warning about the temperature of their coffee.
This is the death of common sense in America.

How dense do you have to be to not expect the coffee to be hot. And the food, god forbid that that be hot too.

Do you also want a sign letting you know the ice may be hard?

Or what about a sign warning you that the staw could poke your eye out?

How about a sign letting you know that the plastic knifes are sharp and could injure?

[Advice you don't want so don't read] Get on with your life. Stop worring about how to make a dollar by suing Taco Bell. Did they have you arrested? Did they make you lose your job? Never go into that Taco Bell again and leave it alone. There are more important things to worry about, like the hot coffee at McDonald's [/Advice you don't want so don't read]

Best of luck-

/Benjamin
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