After working in
retail for a good three or four years, you start to learn a few
tricks of the trade. For example, most of the
alarm gates in retail stores can easily be rendered
useless by someone who is determined to take something without paying for it.
Most alarm gates consist of two tall pillars near the entrance or exit of any given store. Usually a metal strip or "pad" is on the floor between these two pillars. Retail stores place little metal strips inside and/or on the outside of most of the merchandise they carry. When you walk between the pillars, the alarm will go off if the metal strip is detected.
Sometimes the alarm will go off my accident, either by someone's car keys or another metal object they're carrying on their person. In which case, store security usually comes running up to check the person's bags to make sure they're not taking something they haven't paid for.
However, if you would like to get past these detectors undetected, there are a few things you can try.
1. Usually these pillars aren't very high. If you know you can't be spotted, you can raise your arm carrying the object over the pillars. That way the metal strip inside the product will completly miss the detectors.
2. Sometimes these pillars don't extend from wall to wall. If there is any space inbetween one of the pillars and an outer wall, what's stopping you from simply sliding the item in question between the wall and the pillar?
3. If you're really swift, you'll find a way to actually remove the metal strip from the item before walking out. Unfortunately, most retail stores are now putting these metal strips in locations where they can not be removed without calling attention to yourself. For example, most music stores will place cd's in protective sheaths that can only be removed with some sort of key they have behind the counter.
Most stores have noticed these flaws in security and have taken steps to prevent these workarounds, including hiding cameras pointed at the pillars. So even if the alarm doesn't go off, the police will have plenty of evidence to land you in jail. Stealing is wrong. And if you're caught, what happens next isn't fun. So practice 'paying for what you want.'
Okay, so now I have to write an amentment to my writeup because some people have to be stupid about the whole thing. Notice where I pointed out that stores have taken steps to prevent the workarounds I listed? In layman's terms (because apparently I need to spell it out for some people) that means
DON'T DO IT!
I apologize for the outburst. Just trying to remove some people's heads from their rear ends.