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TIFU by getting “arrested” over three pomegranates that a guy thought were apples

Obligatory this happened on Tuesday, and yes, it’s exactly as stupid as it sounds.

So I’d been working all day, had soup on the stove, and realized I was out of pomegranates (which are basically the only food my anxiety lets me eat without a full blown panic attack). The grocery store is two streets away a simple five minute walk. Easy. In and out and back home to finally relax.

So I stop at the dollar store first to grab my grandfather a sudoku book and some chocolate. Then I head into FreshCo with two bags:

- one dollar store bag (already paid for)

- one empty green reusable bag for groceries

First thing I grab? Three pomegranates. They’re awkward to carry, so I toss them into the green bag and keep shopping.

I grab cherries which I balanced on my fingers, juice boxes, and a FreshCo gift card. I check out. I even buy a bag at checkout to put them all in.

What do I forget? Three pomegranates. The only thing in the green bag...

So I pay, grab my receipt, and start walking out, fully in go go go mode because my soup is sweating on my stove at home.

Right before the doors, a random guy dressed like a normal shopper steps in front of me and says:

“You didn’t pay for those apples.”

Immediately I’m like… what apples? I don’t buy apples. I don’t like apples. I don’t even think about damn apples.

So I’m like, “I didn’t buy apples. Leave me alone.”

He insists. I insist. Then suddenly he goes:

“That’s it! You’re under arrest”

Like excuse me? At this point, my brain still hasn’t connected “apples” to “pomegranates” because:

  1. They are not apples.
  2. I already paid
  3. My brain is fried from the lack of sleep and stress from working all day.

Then he points at my bag and it finally clicks.

“Oh shit. I forgot to pay for the pomegranates. I’ll just go back and pay.”

“Nope. Too late. You had intent to steal.”

I had not left the store.

I had not passed the doors.

I was still in the little area before leaving the store.

Doesn’t matter now. Because I’m now a hardened criminal (I guess he got intimidated by the tattoos and black hair).

He escorts me to the back room, reads me my rights (which I later learned he legally should not have done), tells me I’m being charged with theft under $5,000, and says I’m going to jail.

Over. Three. Fucking. Pomegranates.
So there I am panicking. Straight into fight or flight (thank you anxiety). I start shaking, crying, I threw up on the floor, stuck trying to call my veteran grandfather who I look after who is waiting for me at home, while also thinking about my soup probably setting on fire at home.

They tell me the police are on the way. They are not. I sit there for four hours. FOUR FUCKING HOURS.

The store closes at 10pm It’s 9:30pm. Police finally call and tell the loss prevention guy they’re not coming tonight and to just release me.

So they do. But not before trespassing me from the store for a year... I’ve been going to this store since I was 12 years old, where I shop multiple times a week, where the owner literally custom ordered items for me...

Now here's the kicker folks!

So the guy thought they were apples, eh? Apples are $1 each and Pomegranates are $4.50 each (on sale for $2), so he thought I was stealing three apples worth $3...

TL/DR: Forgot to pay for three pomegranates, loss prevention guy thought they were apples, “arrested” me, threatened jail, made me throw up, held me for four hours, and banned me from the store over $6 of fruit.

EDIT 1: This is not AI I was recording as it went down as I knew there is something wrong about them detaining me and reading my rights especially bringing me into a room with no cameras for 4 hours.

EDIT 2: For context I am 5 foot 2 inches and this guy was like 6 foot, I'm a 22 year old woman, and he looked to be a man in his mid 30s. I should've also mentioned that I am deaf and use hearing aids and at the time I was leaving the store I was listening to music and If you know about listening to music with hearing aids you can't hear much other than music it's not like earphones you have to disconnect them via the mobile app to hear anything outside.

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