Warning: Gross

From talk2melikethatagain, TalesFromRetail

This happened a few years ago over the course of several months. I work at a mid-size retailer. We sell a variety of items including apparel for which we have fitting rooms.

I was cleaning out the fitting rooms (FR) and I notice these little half-circle red marks in a criss-cross pattern all over the 2 foot by 5 foot mirror. It looked like someone had marked it with a red crayon. Maintenance cleans it the next day and no big deal.

About a month later I notice these little marks again but this time it looked liked blood and snot mixed in. I call a manager over to the FR and ask what they think. It is shrugged off and the manager cleans it.

Another month later, I had just emptied out the FR and a customer goes in after me. I was suspicious of her because of a previous encounter. About 6 months prior to this story she had come in and gathered up all kinds of items from around the store, and came over to the FR. She had make-up, office supplies, sporting-goods, etc. I was just walking over to clean out the FR when she came out of one, handed me a backpack and said "I don't want this." One of the bottles of make-up broke and gotten all over everything, I assume she was trying to steal but was thwarted by an open bottle of concealer.

Anyway, I am waiting for her to come out and I see the mirror behind her. I am shocked to see it be the worst it had ever been. Full of bloody gobs of snot. All over the entire mirror. I call the loss prevention (LP) and we finally know who it doing it. I want her to be immediately banned but they say no because she technically didn't do any damage.

This happens several more times. I wait for her to come out (20+ minutes each time) because I think she might steal and to block the FR off so no other customer has to deal with it. At this point I am fed up and I want her gone.

One of the final times she went in to the FR, I called the LP to the FR. When she came out, she handed me a shirt full of snot (thankfully I didn't touch any of it). Now she has destroyed property and can be banned the next time she comes in.

My supervisor had enough as well. The final time this happened LP wasn't there to ban her. I call my supervisor over and let her know the booger bandit (BB) is back. My supervisor grabs some windex and a towel and waits. When the booger bandit finally comes out, my supervisor (S) tries to hand her the cleaning supplies.

S: You need to go back in there and clean up your mess.

BB: I don't know you! Get away from me!

S: No, I'm tired of this. Go back in there and clean off the mirror.

BB: I don't know what you are talking about, get away from me!

It goes on like this while the booger bandit is rushing up to the front doors and my supervisor following her with the windex and towel. Saying very loudly that she needs to come back and clean up her boogers. She hasn't been back.

--talk2melikethatagain