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Handbags not allowed

This afternoon, I went to Giant Supermarket in Amcorp Mall, Petaling Jaya, Malaysia. The security guard at the entrance stopped me and demanded me to leave my handbag in an open cupboard (note: not a safe locker).

Well for those who are not familiar with this, you may want to know that there is a funny rule here in Malaysia where certain supermarkets require customers to leave their shopping bags in the cupboard prepared by the supermarket. If you insist on having them they will lock the bags with cable ties so that you can't steal anything with those bags. They will usually let the ladies bring have their handbags in but God forbids, they somehow think that I may steal the whole shop with my "gigantic" handbag.

So I refused and told them that it is in fact my handbag and I will not leave my handbag with them. He then demanded to know the content of my bag which I refused again because he simply did not have the rights to invade my privacy. Then he decided that he will lock my handbag zipper up with the cable tie, and that's when I told him to take his shop and shove it where the sun doesn't shine, and walked away.

Apart from Giant Supermarket, Carrefour Hypermarket in Malaysia also does the same and I have refused to shop there a couple of times when they wanted to "cable-tie-cuff" my shopping bags. So how is this going to work on a "no plastic bag day" when we're supposed to bring our own shopping bags, and they're going to seal all the bags prior to entry? These cable ties are non-reusable so can you imagine how many do they waste in a day?

I will not go in to another Giant Supermarket ever again. My point is: if they want me to spend my money there, they'll have to stop treating me like a thief!

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