I'm working in a book store and I've worked in retail for a while so I can see both sides of the story. Most people would be amazed at how easily a person can go from a prospective customer to a loiterer who's breaking-in books with no intention to pay for them.
We even have "regulars" who come in on a nightly basis and pick up the same book(s), stand or sit in a manner that obstructs the aisles, reads the books for hours on end, and leaves only when we're forced to ask them to leave because it's closing time.
It's a shitty situation but it's almost impossible to gauge who the customers are from those who are nothing more than a liability.
Quote:
|
"yeah, it's not like we're paying customers or anything..."
|
Although it's obvious that you can your friends wouldn't exactly be considered liabilities there's the possibility that the situation would've ended differently if you answered the man in a different tone.