Wal-Mart Tries to Steal Shopper's baby

[ChoralScholar]

from Consumerist:

http://consumerist.com/consumer/unlawful-detention/walmart-tries-to-steal-shoppers-baby-298694.php

A Walmart security guard demanded a woman hand over her baby at checkout, thinking it might have been a baby that was reported missing in the store, according to a Myspace post by the mother, Stacy Arrington of Parkville, MD (pictured):

"They are trying to tell me that Ava is not my child. She started fussing so I began taking her out of the seat. The whole time this security guard is asking me to "give him the baby". FUCK YOU! There was no way I was handing her over! I tried to walk away, leaving her car seat, the diaper bag, even my wallet...they blocked me! I am screaming for them to get the fuck away from me. I start crying, sobbing, just holding Ava near me. Everytime the security guard put his hands near her I shifted away. Ava is screaming at the top of her lungs by this time. I am screaming to get a manager. I started telling them everything I could think of to prove she is mine. Her birthmark, hospital card in the diaper bag, my ID in my wallet...pictures of her in my wallet. I am screaming that I am going to sue the FUCK out of them and God help them when my husband and father hear about this!

Finally the manager realizes they have the wrong person..... he gives me everything for free... he puts the bags in my card and I basically run out of the store, still holding Ava. I couldnt get out of that parking lot fast enough."

---------------------------------

</snip>

http://consumerist.com/consumer/unlawful-detention/walmart-tries-to-steal-shoppers-baby-298694.php

[MonkeyFunk]

1. Yes

with a baby missing in the store, people should've been allowed to leave with babies. :eyes:

[redqueen]

4. Trying to forcefully remove babies from their apparent mothers is the ONLY other alternative?

:eyes: indeed!

[Gormy Cuss]

5. Yes, and all the other parents should just hand over their babies to the security guard on request.

:eyes:

[Occulus]

77. But did she have a receipt for the baby?

:yoiks:

(I just am unable to believe they're saying the same thing over possession of a BABY.

This is the receipt debacle of the last week+, accelerated into the absurd.

I'm going through this thread and putting on my ignore list EVERYONE who is arguing against the mother- even and ESPECIALLY if they say "we don't know all the facts".

I haven't read any further than this post, but I'm betting there will be a WHOLE BUNCH of complete assholes I'll have to ignore just on principle.

This thread is probably FULL of fucking shithead Authoritarians, and they DON'T deserve my time- OR yours.

[Habibi]

87. Can I just chime in here to say

LOL and :thumbsup:

[Occulus]

92. Allow me to respond

I. Was. RIGHT. This thread is chock FULL of Authoritarians, JUST like the receipt thread was.

I'm stamping them out of my DU experience like the ants they are. Shithead assholes, the LOT of them.

Hard going, don't you know.

[ChoralScholar]

6. Allowing people to leave is not the issue.

Demanding that folks hand over their children is the issue.

"Excuse me, ma'am, there has been a missing baby reported in the store, would you mind hanging out for a bit until we find the missing baby? You're a mother, you understand, right?"

How hard is that?

[Pithlet]

17. I agree.

"We want everyone with children to stay in the store until child is found." Fine. "Hand over your child." Not fine. I'd even been okay with it if they'd said something like "Ma'am, that child matches the description of a missing child, could you please stay here/follow me to the office until we have this straighted out" Perfectly reasonable. But under no circumstances should she have been asked to hand over her child like that. That's ridiculous.

[MonkeyFunk]

30. and all we have

is her near-hysterical account of what happened. It's quite possible she's not sharing every detail.

[Pithlet]

54. Of course.

If she's making the whole thing up, then no harm was done. I don't think most people would argue otherwise. But, if events occurred as she's stated, then it is beyond ridiculous.

[spotbird]

64. Mothers are funny that way,

when people try to take their babies. She should be arrested if she wasn't "hysterical."

[Dora]

8. Proper procedure would be to lockdown the store and ask first, act second.

Trying to take a baby from its mother is not proper procedure.

[China_cat]

13. She had ID and pictures that they wouldn't even look at.

We've got too much 'shoot first and don't even bother to ask questions at all' going on lately.

[KingFlorez]

14. They just demanded she hand over the baby

They didn't really have any idea if that was the missing baby or not, they were just making an assumption. I suppose the woman should of just handed her child over with no questions asked? What kind of logic is that?

[tabasco]

44. Are you dense?

Is it a reading comprehension problem?

[spotbird]

65. Let's hope that's the problem, nt

[Occulus]

98. It's NOT

which is why I have that poster on ignore.

Very likely, given the topic, to be one of the Usual Suspects.

[Beelzebud]

116. So many Americans openly Welcome police state tactics...

So pathetic...

[Catherine Vincent]

2. How dumb was that?

What they should have done was explained to the woman what happened and asked her kindly to follow them to security for further questioning and then she and her baby would be let go.

[Zywiec]

3. They shouldn't have touched her or the baby

I love that the manager just gave her everything for free to get her out of the store...

[ChoralScholar]

7. Too bad she didn't have a TV, or a Playstation 3 in her cart. EOM

[Richard Steele]

9. He admitted they were in the wrong by doing that. That should make her lawsuit easier. nm

[daninthemoon]

10. They're really getting out of control with this receipt thing.

Seriously: SUE, SUE, SUE!!!!!!!!!!!

[sce56]

11. The mistake I see here is SHOPPING AT WALLMART!

[VP505]

18. That's not fair

to say that without knowing ANYTHING about he financial status. With a new baby she might not be able to afford to shop anywhere else.

[sce56]

46. I hear you but I don't agree. I had a sister that was unemployed for a year and she did what she

could with as little as possible my soon to be ex was mad at me for helping her out monetarily but she never shopped at walmart. If we all stop shopping there they will close. I will only go there if it is the last resort and I have to have it. One of my sons worked there for two years and never became a full time employee so he never worked more than 38 hours a week except xmas and never got health bennies either. I first shopped at walmart in the 80's out side Ft Lost in the Woods Misery, They had a buy American campaign back then 75% of their goods were american made now it is more like 90% cheap chinese crap.

[Cha]

53. walmart is the face

of a corporatefascist America. They're the cheap example of America's gutterside.

It's so liberating not to be one of their herd.

[malaise]

12. I hope she sues the hell out of them

All they needed was for all people with babies to present identification. They fugged up big time and I hope she collects big time.

[silverweb]

15. Overreact much?

This could have been handled a LOT better by all involved, not least of all the mom.

What was rational about leaving all her stuff behind, ID included, to try to run out of the store with the baby? What, was she trying to look guilty?

A bit of calm explanation by the security guard would have gone a long way in averting this melodrama, too.

Common sense seems to be in very short supply these days.

[midlife_mo_Jo]

20. I agree with you

The guard could have handled the issue much better, but trying to run out with the child doesn't seem like the smartest thing to do.

Why not say, "I'll stay right here, but you are NOT TAKING MY BABY FROM ME!"

[silverweb]

25. Exactly.

And loudly demand to see the store manager.

[Pithlet]

31. She did call out for the store manager.

I don't know. Someone aggressively tells me to hand over my child and then physically tries to take him away from me, I think fight or flight response kicks in. It's a sudden, terrible, shocking experience, and I don't blame her one bit for her reaction.

[Occulus]

80. welcome to my ignore list

it was HER FUCKING CHILD IN THE FIRST PLACE

[midlife_mo_Jo]

107. And meantime

some other child might have been kidnapped!

Geesh

[gollygee]

21. A parent isn't likely to react rationally when someone is trying to grab her baby away from her

I used to have nightmares about this kind of thing. I don't doubt I would have completely freaked out too. I would have called 9-1-1 if I had been able to think clearly at all.

[silverweb]

23. The article didn't say he was "grabbing."

It said he was "demanding" that she give the baby to him. He was a dumbass, but she certainly should have countered better.

Even if he had been trying to grab the child (and there's no indication he was), I would think the instinct to stand her ground and scream bloody murder for help would prevail -- rather than the guilt-confirming idiocy of trying to run outside, away from witnesses and people who could help her.

[gollygee]

26. "Everytime the security guard put his hands near her I shifted away."

That, to me, would look like someone was trying to grab my baby. And if talking and yelling didn't help, I would have simply tried to get away. Fight or flight. Fight stops working, you flee. Understandable and predictable, and any security guard who had received actual training, which I doubt Wal-Mart is too good at, would have known that "fight or flight" is how human beings react to extreme stress.

[silverweb]

33. Same thing.

Scream, make noise, yell for help, demand the manager. Don't run outside and away from people.

[gollygee]

35. What if you scream, make noise, yell for help, and demand the manager, and he's still trying to

take your baby away from you?

Fight or flight. Fight didn't work. Away from "people" included the security guard, which is why she was running away.

[Richard Steele]

29. Actually, it kinda does. Perhaps you should read it again.

It may not use the specific word "grab", but it
makes it pretty clear that the guard was attempting
to physically take the infant from it's mother.

[Ilsa]

71. Me too. I had separation dreams that would wake me up in a cold sweat.

I suspect it is part baby blues and part good mothering instinct, a sign of a well-attached relationship. It might be a while before she gets over this emotionally. It would certainly bother me.

[Demeter]

22. I think Mom Handled It PERFECTLY!

The thing to do is MAKE A BIG STINK, KEEP MAKING A BIG STINK, AND FOLLOW THROUGH WITH A LAWSUIT.

Goddammit! What sane person would do anything else?

[silverweb]

24. Scream, make a stink. Yes.

But don't run. I thought everyone knew by now that trying to run only confirms the appearance of guilt.

[Pithlet]

34. You'd better bet, run.

Someone is physically trying to take my child away from me. I try to get away from them as quickly as possible. Forget whatever belongings I'm leaving behind. This is absolutely not only a reasonable response, but an expected one. Most mothers will react this way. They wouldn't even be thinking about it. It's exactly why it was the most boneheaded wrong thing that guard could have done.

[tyedyeto]

111. Bullshit

How did she know the person was hired by the store? Just because they had the proper 'uniform'? We all know that some crazies out there will dress the part to 1) Take a child (think of hospital kidnapping situations), 2) Rip you off (think utility 'repairmen when you've never called them) 3) Dress as police officers (happens more than you think it does). I wouldn't have trusted that he was a store employee when asked to hand over the baby.

[valerief]

38. Yep. If Wal-Mart doesn't want people leaving the store with babies,

then they should either
1) not allow babies in the store or
2) make sure a law is passed that gives them the legal authority to detain babies until the problem is resolved

Otherwise, that harassment is assault.

[Gormy Cuss]

28. Where is the evidence that she was told why the guard was trying to take the baby?

Put yourself in her shoes. A security guard doesn't ask for her ID, just asks her to hand over the baby because there's been a report of a missing baby in the store. The rational response is "No, this is my child." When the guard tries to take the baby, the rational response is to pull away from the guard, yell, stamp your feet, do anything to make a bigger scene in the hopes that someone else will come to your aid.

The rational response is for the guard to explain repeatedly why they would like to confirm that the baby is hers. The irrational response is for a security guard to try to grab the baby away.

The rational response after the guard said they're looking for a possibly abducted baby is to offer ID. She did that. According to her account, it took a manager to do so.

I'm thinking the guard was probably afraid of being the one who let a kidnapper get away and wasn't processing the fact that there could be other babies in the store. It's a perfectly understandable mistake in the adrenaline rush of such a situation. The mother's reaction also sounds perfectly understandable for the same reason. I don't think that Wal-Mart owes her cash, but it would be nice for them to apologize profusely from the top of the chain down to the store manager and to develop better training protocols for the security guards.

[silverweb]

39. I guess I'll just agree to disagree.

Perhaps I'm picturing the scene wrong. Or maybe I just have more of a fight-over-flight response than some.

In any case, I still think trying to run outside was a dumb response to this situation.

Whatever. Carry on. I have to go to work.

[alfredo]

41. The baby is much more important than what she left behind.

In such a situation, rational thinking may not be that easy. Would you act rationally in such a situation?

[spotbird]

66. What rational mother would surrender her

child to a fucking security guard who claims it isn't her kid?

[silverweb]

84. Don't put words in my mouth.

I never said she should surrender her child. I said she was dumb to try to run out of the store and I stand by that.

[Occulus]

79. welcome to my ignore list

it was her child

[silverweb]

101. LOL

Okay. :D

[Kingshakabobo]

108. You have been dissed by The Mad Ignore-er.....

[silverweb]

109. Yep.

And I haven't failed to notice that I'm in good company. :D

[tyedyeto]

110. Store lockdown with announcements that no one may leave until the child is found

is what should have happened. Instead, shoppers heard all these 'code' announcements not knowing what was happening. I would never have handed my children over to anyone in this circumstance and very likely have reacted as did this blogger. If someone, store 'employee' or not, wanted to take my child from me, they would have a huge fight to get him/her away from me.

The 'security guard' did nothing to calm the woman, instead wanted to take her child away from her. That is not rational. You let EVERYONE in the store know they cannot leave because there is a missing child including the shoppers, not just employees. If the mother knew all along there was a missing child, she may have not reacted the way she did.

[Beelzebud]

117. Yes, blame the mother, not the police-state-wannabe wal-mart cop.

[gollygee]

16. If they thought she had kidnapped a baby, they should have called the police

not tried to take her baby for pete's sake.

The problem is that security guards are not well trained and not paid well - the low pay keeps potentially good candidates away - and so we have rent-a-cops playing god all over the place.

[Bitwit1234]

19. I can see concern that it might be a misising child but this

woman had proof it was her child. They should have then looked for the real missing child. There are more diplomatic ways a missing child search can be conducted. After the way she was treated, this is one time I hope the woman sues the heck out of them.

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

27. You people need to learn how to pick your fights.

A store has a right to minimize theft losses by taking your baby.

Sheesh, I can't believe you people consider this an important fight for civil rights.

[Ignis]

55. *snort*

Now if only she had been willing to stop and show her receipt for that baby! She's obviously just some asshole blogger with a chip on her shoulder who wanted to ruin her baby's trip to Wal-Mart.

Right? ;)

[OrangeCountyDemocrat]

32. They Obviously Need Child Workers For Their Chinese Sweat Shops

[madmom]

36. I don't know all the facts here but I work at walmart and she would not

have been able to run out of the store unless the baby was found because the doors would have been locked and at least 2 security personnel at every exit. We are told to stop what we are doing and start looking immediately and if no one else is there stay beside the doors.We had a code Adam as they are called just a week ago and there were at least 10 guys by the 2 front main doors in a matter of seconds, so it would seem she would have plenty of witnesses if it played the way she said and someone will be dealt with appropriately ( I would hope!)

[jayfish]

45. Hmmm,...

I have to wonder about the legality of this whole locking people in the store bit unless done by a law enforcement agency. Sounds pretty janky to me.

Jay

[madmom]

57. most people are pretty understanding because a child is seperated from

their guardian, most even help.I think it would take a real "piece of work" to complain in a situation like this.

[mondo joe]

75. That's what I wondered about the "shopper" in this story. If you know a baby

is missing, wouldn't you find a way to cooperate in resolving the problem?

[Pithlet]

81. But, see, I know that that response is inappropriate from a security guard.

Security guards should not demand that I hand their child over to them. So, if one of them did, I'd immediately be suspect. If they continued despite my initial protest to insist I hand over the child, then I have no choice but to react as if they're full of it and are trying to take my child. If I'm wrong, then it merely becomes an incident for people on the internet to debate over. If I'm right, I've lost my child.

[mondo joe]

88. But I don't have a lot of faith in her descriptio of the event.

Her dramatics don't increase my faith either. :-)

[Pithlet]

100. That's true. It could easily be total BS.

I'm not surprised that people are suspecting it's BS, but that her reaction, if it's true, was unreasonable. And it is possible it did happen just as she suspected, because I've seen some pretty boneheaded behavior from poorly trained idiot security guards. I can easily see one getting it into his/her head during a typical lost child scenario to act like the hero, and completely lose their head.

[tyedyeto]

112. But it was not announced to shoppers that a child was missing

Only that 'codes' were used over the PA system. Now if they had announced the store lockdown to EVERYONE including shoppers then perhaps this whole situation may not have occured.

[madmom]

115. It's called a Code Adam after Adam Walsh, and it says "attention

Wal-mart employees and shoppers we have a code Adam, a lost child, and a physical description, it does not however give names because they don't want to give a potential kidnapper any info. So it was announced to all who could hear the p.a.

[Gormy Cuss]

48. Thanks for posting your knowledge of the policy.

How is it supposed to be handled when a customer balks?
Are the managers supposed to determine who is allowed to leave?

[madmom]

56. that is left up to management, I have no idea.

[Occulus]

89. welcome to my ignore list

Reason: "not knowing all the facts"

Horseshit and YOU KNOW IT.

There's NO excuse for this- and YOU KNOW IT.

[madmom]

118. At least I admit to not knowing all the facts and I just told the policy

as I know it. If you have a problem with that than that's your problem, not mine, and if the situation was the other way around they would be yelling that Wal-mart did nothing, because everything Wal-mart does is EEEEEEvil!!!!:nopity: :wtf:

[karlrschneider]

37. What a great role model for children: "FUCK YOU BLA BLA BLA"

I guarantee if HER kid was missing she'd be goading the security people to 'detain' anybody trying to leave with a baby.
Stupid fucking people on both sides of this.

[mudesi]

50. You are shopping at a retail store with your child...

All of a sudden, some security guard of some sort that works for the retail store is demanding that you hand over your child.

And you're taking the retail store's side here?

I don't know how many times I have to repeat this, since I repeated it enough times with the Circuit City chaos of a few days ago, but I'll say it again.

A CORPORATION IS NOT A POLICE FORCE.

Carry on.

[mondo joe]

73. If it were me I'd simply say "I understand there is a missing child, and so you

are trying to prevent that child from being kidnapped. This is my child, and I'm not handing her to you. But because another child is missing I will cooperate to the degree that I will clear with you that this is my child. That is all."

[2rth2pwr]

40. This is an account from the Mother

The whole set of facts would be informative. Especially when every one wants to sue first and ask questions later.
___________________________________________

Judge Roy L. Pearson has lost his lawsuit seeking $54 million in damages from a dry cleaner
http://www.shortnews.com/start.cfm?id=63232

[gollygee]

43. That's very true

and I am completely open to changing my mind about this after I hear more information.

[Lucinda]

42. I probably would have doubted he was a real security employee

His actions do not sound like someone who was following a store policy...but a lot of info is missing.

[Name removed]

47. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[jayfish]

49. This Thread Hasn't Even Kicked In Yet.

Another hour or two and it'll get real stinky.

Jay

[DaveJ]

51. More from her Myspace

For those of you who didn't click the links to her Myspace page, her other comments are interesting, especially this:

"The next thing I know a security guard is asking me to hand him Ava. Evidentally someone in the store had their baby in a cart and someone rolled the cart away. Moron parent if you ask me if someone can just roll your child away from you and now you've misplaced your baby... but... FUCK.... dont get me wrong I feel bad for the mother and I was wondering while in the store why they kept saying code "something" over the intercom but HELLO, how can someone roll a cart away with your baby in it and you dont notice! PEOPLE WAL-MART'S PRICES AREN'T THAT GOOD!"

She probably is not a liberal since she shops at Wal-mart without a care in the world, and sounds like a real piece of work, but she deservese her rights nevertheless.

I wonder if they ever found the other baby? :shrug:

[spotbird]

104. If she votes, or knows who the president is,

she is a Republican.

It doesn't matter. She had every right to protect her kid under the circumstances reported.

[Arkansas Granny]

52. I would need some corroboration of this story before I accepted

it as a fact. Since it appears to be an entry on someone's MySpace page, I would want to see some sort of evidence that this situation actually occurred as it has been described. If this account is factual, someone has some serious explaining to do and the mother should consider contacting an attorney.

[tammywammy]

58. Agreed n/t

[mondo joe]

59. Me too. She sounds like a major drama queen.

Just what every baby needs in a tense moment - a screaming crying panic in a parent. :eyes:

[spotbird]

67. This is madness

only a nut would give her kid to some Wally World security guard.

[mondo joe]

69. I don't begin by assuming she is an accurate reporter of events.

And I am not compelled to think so after reading of her boast of her hysterics.

[spotbird]

70. Well, I hope your kids are raised

because it would suck to have a parent who would turn them over to Walmart on demand. If the woman is lying, Walmart PR will expose that fact quickly, whether or not it is true.

[mondo joe]

74. Being a sobbing hysteric and handing your kids over are not the only choices.

I hope your kids are raised and not being subjected to this sort of failure to think logically.

[Pithlet]

78. Logic and fight or flight response do not mix.

Someone is reaching out and trying to remove a child from someone's arms. Logic isn't reasonably expected at that point. Adding the necessary caveat that if it did happen the way she suggested, I think her response is the expected one. To expect all human beings to think and behave logically under all circumstances is unreasonable. Human beings aren't capable of it. We are animals. Not robots.

[mondo joe]

83. I disagree.

You're carjacked and your child is in the back seat - logic unfortunately might be lost.

You're in a megastore talking with a security guard - good time to be logical.

And logic aside, sobbing and screaming and acting suspicious is just plain stupid in this scenario.

[Pithlet]

96. But, as I just said in another post, since when

did security guards just start going up to parents and asking them to hand over their children whenever a child went missing in a store? Fight or flight aside, I happen to think her response was the logical one, because security guards generally don't do that. There is absolutely nothing suspicious about how she reacted. Anyone with half a brain would expect that reaction if they're physically trying to remove a child from the parent's arms out of the blue. If the security guard actually thought she should just calmly comply, then I think that security guard is an idiot. I would no more hand over my child to a security guard, and if they insisted and physically tried to remove him, I would scream and run. That security guard could just as easily be someone attempting to take my child. They aren't the police, and aren't vetted as such, so any time one acts way out of the ordinary like that, it's prudent and logical to be suspect, and if they're being physical in their out there wacko behavior, it's prudent and logical to get the fuck away, and it's reasonable to be upset and even panicked during the situation.

Again, this is assuming any of it happened the way she said. But, if it did, I think she reacted absolutely correctly.

[mondo joe]

102. In a suspicious situation I can't begrudge someone getting the fuck away -

but it sounds like she spent plenty of time having a crying swearing fit.

In the end its unlikely we'll know what really happened.

[spotbird]

99. A kidnapper would dart

logically.

The Wallyworld security guys should learn some basic predictable human reactions and not pursue mother lions. They are the professionals, after all. They should learn logic.

[mondo joe]

103. Who knows what a kidnapper would do? It might depend on their state of mind, their

motivation, their mental health.

But I don't think there's much point in discussing logic with you. :-)

[spotbird]

105. You preach the approbate logical

reactions a young mother should display when an ignorant Wallmart security guard wants her to turn over her kid, but suggest it is impossible to predict the reactions of a kidnapper.


Well, you will not understand this in the slightest, but perfectly normal human reactions are not those your direct or predict.

[mondo joe]

106. Normal human reactions are often poor choices, true.

Of course there isn't only one standard human reaction. Some react more wisely than others.

[spotbird]

82. Huh.

You don't have any kids. I hope.

[mondo joe]

85. I have two.

They are smart, fun and decent people. Smart enough, certainly, to know that a some calm talk is a better option than being a screaming hysteric.

[Occulus]

90. welcome to my ignore list

Reason: "not knowing all the facts"

As I said to someone else I put on ignore on this thread, that's a load of horseshit and you know it.

Bye.

[mondo joe]

95. Good. I wish I could have put myself on your ignore list directly.

:-)

[midlife_mo_Jo]

113. :)

:toast:

[Kingshakabobo]

119. The Mad Ignore-er strikes again!

[ProfessorGAC]

125. That's The Fourth Person On This THREAD!

Sheesh! Talk about overcontrol.
The Professor

[Kingshakabobo]

129. Ignoring is one thing but dive-by ignoring is a little:

:crazy:

[ProdigalJunkMail]

120. it is easier to argue with someone you ignore...

i believe i am on that ignore-list as well...and glad of it

sP

[mondo joe]

127. I wish I could put myself on several more ignore lists.

Maybe that would be a nice featuer for DU. :-)

[ProdigalJunkMail]

128. ok...can we officially request a 'reverse-ignore' function?

by placing ourselves on the 'ignore' list of belligerent DUer's (as is the 'mad ignore-er' to quote another fine DUer) in a manner that cannot be changed for say, 6 mos, life would be soooo much smoother around here.

Anyway, i thought the point of a discussion board was to discuss...not to ignore. I guess some people simply cannot be bothered with differing opinions because THEY. ARE. RIGHT.!!!

sP (god, I love this board!!!)

[hedgehog]

126. Bingo!

[Pithlet]

60. The one detail that gives me pause

is the manager giving her everything in her cart for free. I don't think that would happen. It does seem though that people are arguing against the mother even if the events occur as she claimed. I think if it did happen, the security guard should be fired and she indeed has a legitimate complaint against Wal Mart. But it's very possible she is a drama queen exaggerating or making it up out of whole cloth.

[spotbird]

68. There are security cameras

the clerk and other witnesses. If it happened anywhere close to what the mother claims, she was right.

[Pithlet]

86. Yep. Since when did security guards walk around and demand people hand over their kids

when a kid went missing? It's hardly standard procedure. In fact, I've never witnessed it in all my years as both a customer and a retail worker. If it did happen the way she claimed, then she was perfectly right to think things were amiss and react accordingly. It was beyond absurd for the security guard to do that, and I'm surprised people think her reaction was unwarranted. It's mind boggling to me, actually. Question whether the story even happened, sure, because it's the internet. But, I think such a response by the mother, if it happened, is the right one, and I think most parents would react this way.

[spotbird]

91. Exactly, it's not

as if (according to her report) she was hiding the kid, she was checking out!

We probably won't hear much more about this story, because this mother and child are about to be (quietly) made wealthy.

[Occulus]

97. exactly

I'm putting on ignore everyone who thinks otherwise since it's such an obtuse position to take, so completely unwarranted, and very obviously a Freeper disruption tactic.

Every last person on this thread who is siding with the store or saying "we don't know all the facts" or ANYTHING of the kind is very publicly ending up on my ignore list. I STRONGLY encourage others to follow suit.

[LanternWaste]

122. Because we all know there's only one side to a story....

Because we all know there's only one side to any story....

[nadinbrzezinski]

61. There is a clear lawsuit here

and if they did that to me, I'd be calling 9.11

[OPERATIONMINDCRIME]

62. If This Story Is True, Then It's Pathetic. No Way In Hell Should She Have Given Him The Baby.

No way in a million years I would've. And if the security guard even for a second attempted to grab the baby, God only knows in what ways I would've attempted to hurt him. And I mean HURT him.

What the fuck is wrong with some people?

[Jed Dilligan]

63. Considering the number of private security guards

who have turned out to be rapists, robbers, abductors, or killers, I would certainly hesitate to hand a child to one.

If a child had been reported missing, where were the actual cops?

[philosophie_en_rose]

72. But did she have a reciept for that baby?

;)

[Phentex]

76. You beat me to it!

I was about to post it. :)

[lonestarnot]

93. Go own Wallfuck, then come and tell us what you did with it!

[Canuckistanian]

94. And where was the missing baby's mother during all this?

Seems to me if this rent-a-cop had merely asked the mother of the missing baby to make a positive identification, this would have been over in about 2 seconds.

[DaveJ]

114. Update on Wal-mart

Stacy has an addition to her MySpace page entitled "Update on Wal-Mart." Personally I think that she is legit since her page seems well developed with friends and family, and has been around since 1/2006, and that this is not some kind of made up publicity stunt. To me this seems like the real deal.

Further, I do not think that anyone should interfere with a mother and her baby in any manner. Security can ask a mother to wait, but if she refuses (needs to be an ass for whatever reason) and they do not know for certain that she is a kidnapper, then they should have no recourse except to politely follow her to her car and get her license plate number.

One thing that interests me is that she said she is waiting for the Baltimore Sun to call her back. I guess they will try to confirm the story. If this just dies off then either managment did a great job of hiding the story or it is actually a fake.

Anyway, this is what she has to say.

http://blog.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.view&friendID=48433983&blogID=309036047

So now evidenatlly 2 online "news" broadcasters have taken on my story. I never posted to these sites at all. How they found out about this I'll never know I guess.

http://consumerist.com/consumer/unlawful-detention/walmart-tries-to-steal-shoppers-baby-298694.php

http://www.digg.com/offbeat_news/Walmart_Tries_To_Steal_Shopper_s_Baby



I have more supporters than not. Any person who would not completely freak out when someone tries to take your baby from you is not a person who should be a parent.

I also want to go on record as stating that I didnt get "nasty" or "out of line with the profanity" until the security guard tried numberous times taking my baby after being told numberous times that she was mine and no I would not hand her over.

I also had already shown my ID/wallet/pictures to the security guard before flipping out.

Soem comments are also saying it is "suspicious" that I tried to get away from them leaving the cart, diaper bag, wallet etc....

NO, it is not suspicious... at that time I had already explained myself which i should not have had to do to begin with!! I had already shown all the ID I could. I was desperate thinking they were going to take my baby. I could care less about my wallet or other belongings!!

To answer a few questions... I am waiting on several news stations to contact me.
I have not contacted a lawyer, but I do plan on making some calls to lawyers....
THE BALTIMORE SUN DID CALL ME!

I'd like to thank everyone who is supporting me. It was a very terrifying experience!
I AM GETTING SO MUCH MAIL NOW ITS HARD TO KEEP UP... PLEASE FRIEND ME SO YOU ALL CAN GET UPDATE. SUBSCRIBE TO MY BLOG SO YOU KNOW WHEN I'VE POSTED NEWS.

[madmom]

130. I have a few quantries about this.....first she says..

"There was no way I was handing her over! I tried to walk away, leaving her car seat, the diaper bag, even my wallet...they blocked me!"

then in her "up date" she says

"I also had already shown my ID/wallet/pictures to the security guard before flipping out."

I find that a little puzzling. Then I'm wondering if this is a code Adam called over the intercom there are more than a few people around the exits, she should have plenty of witnesses, when a code Adam is called people race to the exits,then the ever famous Wal-mart greeter would be there as would at least 1 cashier and as mentioned in a different post the security cameras, so IF this is true she'll have a slam dunk case.
:shrug:

[guitar man]

121. Mrs Gtrman is not a small woman

and she is damn near as stout as I am. Had that been Mrs Gtrman and Gtrbaby, the story probably would have included security guards being hauled off to the emergency room with broken arms and such.

Asking politely for the mother to wait is one thing. Trying to take a baby is another. It just goes to show what happens when you go for the cheapest in every area of hiring (except a few top execs). You get major incompetence, end of story.

[WinkyDink]

123. Just show the damn RECEIPT!

[Javaman]

124. As if I needed another reason not to shot at that lead toy selling,

china supporting, consumer sucking, hell hole.