• magnetosphere
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    779 months ago

    You might get away with it, but here’s the part that really sucks: you’d be stuck in the shed until they opened the next day. No riding a bike down the aisles, not even any trips to the bathroom. The alarm system likely has motion sensors, and the cops are called automatically when the alarm goes off.

    • @[email protected]
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      9 months ago

      I used to work at Costco in loss prevention (for real) - yes you’d be found instantly. However, rather than calling the cops, the store would autonomously release the intruder bot 3000, which would deal with the problem and clean it up prior to store open. It’s really cool what AI can do nowadays.

    • @[email protected]
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      319 months ago

      They probably have employees stocking at night. So no security system unless you try to open the wrong door, but you’ll still probably get caught.

      • magnetosphere
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        9 months ago

        Sure they can. Just aim/calibrate/whatever so they only detect stuff at floor level, or beyond a certain size.

      • @[email protected]
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        99 months ago

        …birds? Just flying around the store crapping everywhere until they start pining for the fjords? 🤨

        • TragicNotCute
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          89 months ago

          When you have mega high ceilings and big doors that stay open, birds indoors are a thing.

        • @[email protected]
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          89 months ago

          Yeah. Like, birds love hardware stores. You can’t keep them out since they can fly in through the customer doors or through the loading docks they use for the big stuff.

          Birds getting into things like hardware stores, large grocery stores, or shopping malls is a thing.
          It’s particularly difficult with a grocery store since they tend to have piles of vegetables and fruit sitting on easy to see tables. I once saw a sparrow sitting on the birdseed shelf looking absolutely smug.

          https://www.audubon.org/news/what-happens-when-birds-invade-stores

          • @[email protected]
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            59 months ago

            You could just do like here in Denmark: not have ridiculously tall customer doors and keep the loading docks closed when they’re not actively in use 🤷

            I’ve lived here for all of my 41 years and I’ve never seen a bird in a grocery store and only twice total in hardware stores 😆

            • @[email protected]
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              49 months ago

              That’s so weird to me, I see them all the time. They just walk through the door when they get opened and it’s not like the doors are too big.

              They just really want to be in there, and so you see lucky little sparrows pretty often.

  • @[email protected]
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    539 months ago

    Costco evening employee here:

    Yeah, we check those at closing time. As well as behind the mattresses, the bathrooms and anywhere else someone might reasonably hide. There are generally people stocking stuff for 3-4 hours after the store closes and from 5 hours before the store opens in the morning.

    There’s a small window when the place is completely empty, but it’s only from about midnight to 4am.

    • @[email protected]
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      109 months ago

      How about in the rafters? Can you guys even physically check up there? I’m just asking for a friend.

      • @[email protected]
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        9 months ago

        They have those electric lift things. They can check up there.

        I don’t know their proper names. We just called them scissor lifts

        Edit: apparently that is their proper name.

        • NickwithaC
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          69 months ago

          There are scissor lifts and there are cherry pickers and both are called that officially.

            • @[email protected]
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              89 months ago

              Mobile elevated work platforms! I prefer MEWP because I can call out “MEWP!” as I point at one and my coworkers can start MEWPing along with me like a clutch of hungry chicks.

              We take work seriously.

      • @[email protected]
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        49 months ago

        We don’'t check there, as we can literally look up into the rafters. But we do have the tools to physically check if we need to.

  • @[email protected]
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    419 months ago

    Just because the store closes doesn’t necessarily mean it’s empty, there’s probably people restocking and cleaning in there

    • FenrirIII
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      169 months ago

      This. The parking lot always has cars because of the night shift restocking, cleaning, etc.

      • @[email protected]
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        89 months ago

        And the homeless living out of their cars staying in a lot where they will not be disturbed by pigs.

      • TTimo
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        19 months ago

        Yeah that sucks - I was half seriously considering how I could sneak for a night in a Costco the other day.

  • @[email protected]
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    9 months ago

    You can get away with it if you cling to the ceiling Splinter Cell style when they check it for the night. Nobody looks up.

    • @[email protected]
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      99 months ago

      They even wrote a whole movie celebrating it! I believe it was called “Avoid Turning Your Gaze Skyward” or something like that…

  • @[email protected]
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    299 months ago

    It’s possible. It happened frequently enough at IKEA that it became an internet meme/challenge and they had to start prosecuting people who did it.

    The general store employees have a big “not my job” attitude about it. If it’s time to clock out, it’s your problem that you’re still in the store after closing. Not likely to confront you about it unless you are wandering the aisles.

    Cleaning staff will probably tell someone if they find you hiding out.

    Security guards will be actively looking for you and also search in obvious places like tents and sheds that are set up indoors, as well as behind shelving units, in the backrooms, etc.

    • @21Cabbage
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      59 months ago

      If they’re doing their jobs yes, I’ve found over time that even security guards aren’t immune to people who just rubber stamp shit.

  • Ech
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    89 months ago

    “The store is now closed, please exit the building.”

  • @[email protected]
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    9 months ago

    It’s funny the amount of people thinking this is a hardware store, I would recognize those aisles and ceilings anywhere. That’s a Costco (the particular style of price plate also gives it away)

  • @[email protected]
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    59 months ago

    Likely not. If it weren’t for the proximity sensors and contact sensors on the doors we’d never know when the mother-in-law escapes.