February 10, 2013 - maxo
Target helped me to stop shopping at Target
I moved to a new city 10 months ago and I started shopping at the local Target every week.
As I had done for the last 10 months, I parked my car in the Target parking lot and let my dog out of the back of my car (on the leash) and let it urinate in a planter. I would then walk back to my car with my dog still on the leash, put it back into my car, lock the car, and enter Target to shop.
Recently, as I was walking with my dog back to my car, a Target security drone walked toward me as I was about 10-12 feet from my car.
He started to lecture me that I couldn’t have my dog with me.
Huh?
He told me that the parking lot was private property and that I couldn’t have my dog on private property.
I told him that I was placing my dog in my car and to leave me alone.
He wouldn’t leave me alone.
I told him that if he was threatening me, I had the means on my person to decisively retaliate against him.
He wouldn’t stop. He just became more menacing and continued toward me.
In the meantime, my large dog was becoming agitated and lunging toward this guy.
I told him to back away and leave me alone.
Still he wouldn’t.
I managed to get my dog back in the car.
The security guy then gets on his communications device and tells someone he’s being threatened.
Weird.
I get in my car and drive away.
Happy ending to the story:
For the last four months, I had been going to the grocery store and Target every week.
I looked over my weekly shopping list and realized:
I don’t need to shop at Target. I can get what I need at the grocery store and continue to buy a few things on Amazon.com
Final result: No more shopping at Target!
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Agreed that the security guard was out of line in his/her approach however.
1) You are letting your dog pee on private property. A parking lot is not a public toilet for pets.
2) How long were you locking your pet in the car and what is the temperature outside?
If these were the guards concerns he was well within the boundaries.
That said, again there was a much, much better way to approach you.
One other thought if the guard thought your dog was a threate to him or others in the parking lot he would be well within his rights to protect himself and other by calling the authorities.
Seriously. I read that post as "I abuse my dog, and the security guy didn't like it." Sure, the pissing on their parking lot might be annoying to them. But I think everybody should piss on target. The problem I find with the story, is it's all about leaving their dog locked in a car while they go shopping. That's abuse.
Re:...
"1) You are letting your dog pee on private property. A parking lot is not a public toilet for pets."
I understand.
If the dog defecated, I picked it up.
As for urine, well, I frequently see dogs urinate on private property every single day. Nothing new here on planet Earth in this regard. Anyone who is upset about that has small problems.
2) I lock my dog in my car for about 20 mins. Average outside temperature is about 55 degrees F^. About the same temperature inside the car (no working heat).
3) Dog wasn't a threat. Dog as confused as me as to what the fuss was about. Security guard wasn't concerned about the behavior of the dog, just the fact that I had a dog.
Love the freedom of not shopping at Target anymore. I was just in the habit.
One more thing: For better or worse, many Americans treat their dogs at least as well as their immediate human family. For 2012, approximately $53 billion was spent on our pets in the U.S. Bottom line: There is big money to be made keeping peace with people who own pets.
Also, to my way of thinking, these days in America, it is a wise approach not to escalate matters with other people unless you are completely out of options. Murders, assaults, etc. happen so easily nowadays it seems. My city of residence is no exception. I could've easily pulled the self-defense means I had on my person at the time and taken the Target security guy down in mere seconds if I had chose to. Why risk this outcome by hassling people instead of prioritizing what you are going to confront others about? You may be gambling your very life.
Until the Target security fiasco over the dog, I had forgotten what a cesspool that Target was. Thanks for the wake-up Target. I don't miss visiting your store one bit! 🙂
It's cute how you say people treat their pets the same as their children. If you left a small child alone in the car for 20 minutes, you'd be in trouble.
So on this one occasion it was 50 degrees. What about all the others you mention.
I agree that dogs and cats pee all over the place. Most of them are stray and no matter how you try to justify your actions you are still walking your dog on someone else's property and intentionally exposing others to bio-hazards.
Based on your statement you must be perfectly OK with a neighbor walking their pet on your lawn and just letting pee all over your shrubs.
Sorry, no defense for Target here but I have a feeling that the guard was not the only one offended by the lack of responsiblity for pet ownership you demonstrate.
I know if I saw you walking your dog in any parking lot I would probably say something to the proprieter of the property.
Re:
"It’s cute how you say people treat their pets the same as their children."
What was written:
"For better or worse, many Americans treat their dogs at least as well as their immediate human family."
The only mention of children in this thread was by you, TargetSucks.
This thread has nothing to do with children.
Bye. 🙂
Children are not human family? OK, so what do you mean by immediate human family than? Spouse? Parent?
You dumb fuck, you said that in your response above. Stop abusing animals, dumbass.
Sorry but Targetsucksis right. While you are correct that the putzs working security are that indeed that, you are still the jerk who keeps his dog in a car while shopping then lets him shit and piss for all to see and smell. yay. You were right to just drive away but you should have done that first but instead you tried to make some stand.
And you were annoyed that the security guard talked into his "communication device" and said he was being threatened. Yet, you said you told him you had the means on your person to decisively retaliate against him...which can ACTUALLY be taken as a threat. He wasn't doing anything but his job and had probably noticed you locking your dog in your car while you went shopping. The best part in all of your statements is where you point out how much money is spent on pets each year and suggest it is in the best interest for businesses to keep peace with pet owners. You are very narrow-minded...no one has to cater to you, and that's that. You did them a favor by driving away and not returning. I can just hear you complaining to your friends (who are probably rolling their eyes and mocking you behind your back) "...and then he said I couldn't let my dog use Target property as a restroom. Can you IMAGINE!?! This is a $53 billion/year business and he is turning my pet down for pissing in their landscaping!?! THE NERVE!"
Grow up. Leave your pet at home when you go somewhere to shop. WHY do you make it a habit to take the damn dog with you? Do you know that customers are constantly complaining to employees when they see an animal left in a car? How would you like to be paid minimum wage and be complained at for something not in your control? Yeah...weird...there's two sides to this story: the side that is right and then yours.