Banks Try Charm to Deter Robbers

[A Fleshner Fantasy]

Hmmm....maybe they should be nice and friendly to the paying customers, not only the robbers.

[eaglesrule]

I have not always been a decent, upstanding citizen. I am ashamed to say that as a teenager I had a career as a shoplifter. I stole many things from many stores in my "career," and I did it with a smile and a friendly handshake whenever I could. I would even go so far as to point out to the sales clerks the ripped-up packages I created when I took the item I wanted. I was bold, brazen and beyond being scared by anything like this.

And really, I was nothing special when it came to shoplifting.

So I personally think this program, while a good idea, won't deter many bank robbers. If you're going to rob a bank, a handshake won't stop you.

Disagree pretty strongly with this actually. I had gotten into shoplifting pretty bad when I was younger. Got pretty out of hand with how brazen (and good at it) I got with some friends. Anyway, my ways are mended. One thing we always did was aovid trying it in stores with good customer service. It's unnerving because you do know what you are up to, but you don't know if they know. And paying attention to all customers is key, because it doesn't give would be shoplifters a window of opportunity.

In regards to bank robbers, it might not be that effective on the professional-type. But I could see a newbie being VERY unnerved, and second guessing things because he might be paranoid like "they know something I don't."

[treat24]

yeah, i ran a video store for 6 years... when we started saying hi and making eye contact with every customer when they walked in the door our thefts dropped...

i'm not saying this will translate to bank robberies... but the is something to it...

[knapplc]

I have not always been a decent, upstanding citizen. I am ashamed to say that as a teenager I had a career as a shoplifter. I stole many things from many stores in my "career," and I did it with a smile and a friendly handshake whenever I could. I would even go so far as to point out to the sales clerks the ripped-up packages I created when I took the item I wanted. I was bold, brazen and beyond being scared by anything like this.

And really, I was nothing special when it came to shoplifting.

So I personally think this program, while a good idea, won't deter many bank robbers. If you're going to rob a bank, a handshake won't stop you.

Disagree pretty strongly with this actually.

You disagree with my personal experience? Are you saying what I said happened didn't happen?

[Jimboozie]

I was personally involved in a bank robbery a few months back and had a gun pointed in my face. It's pretty hard to shake hands with someone when they are telling you to open the vault (I had a suit on). The guy was pretty polite though I will give him that. When he saw that I had my head sideways on the floor instead of "nose down" he called me "sir" when he asked me to "please" lie face first on the ground.

That is crazy. Do you know if the cops caught the robbers?

[A Fleshner Fantasy]

I was personally involved in a bank robbery a few months back and had a gun pointed in my face. It's pretty hard to shake hands with someone when they are telling you to open the vault (I had a suit on). The guy was pretty polite though I will give him that. When he saw that I had my head sideways on the floor instead of "nose down" he called me "sir" when he asked me to "please" lie face first on the ground.

Well at least since he was nice it makes it all okay . JP