RORY SALAZAR | Finance | Contact
There’s been a bit of a scene today down in good old Betoota Heights’ notorious South Point shopping centre.
The centre’s supermarket, Skinners, had to be sealed off when a bagless shopper went on the run after leaving their full basket at the automated checkout.
According to witnesses, the man appeared agitated after realising he’d forgotten to bring his own bags, leaving him with an unexpected additional cost burden of having to buy new bags to complete his shopping experience.
The man was overheard by nearby staff exclaiming incredulously, “15 cents for a plastic bag?!” It’s alleged the man then looked back and forth between his full basket and the rack of 15 cent plastic bags for some time, before darting his eyes left and right, grunting “fuck that” and briskly exiting the scene.
The situation caused panic in the immediate area, with the next shopper going to use the same automated checkout only to discover they could not place down their full basket due to one already being there.
Staff were quick to respond by removing the unattended full basket from the checkout, while the store manager began a foot chase to run down the bagless shopper to address what had occurred.
Things only escalated from there.
“I should’ve just left him alone,” store manager Andrew Wiley said with regret. “He saw me running and immediately he started arking up like a maniac.”
“Fuck you maggot! I’ll stab ya!” Wiley claimed the man screamed at him. This and many other far worse things were allegedly said. The heated exchange resulted in the police being called in to get control of the dangerous situation.
Police later said the man, who they believe to have identified as Jason from Betoota Ponds, remained unruly and after resisting arrest subsequently spent the night behind bars.
A spokesperson from Skinners supermarket has since informed the Advocate that the store has reopened, and the contents of Jason’s basket have been returned to the shelves, leaving all 8 automated checkouts clear and available for use.
