My good deed of the day: walking out of Marks & Spencers. I was in there for 1 minute just having a look at their range of pickles (before I go and make my own!), when the security guy asked me to take my hood off – because the security camera could not get a good enough profile of my head (!!!). This is outrageous – I am already deeply offended when I have to take my hat off at music venues (I usually don’t ask my money back), but supermarkets?? Is that because occasionally a thief might take a sandwich or cream cake – or because they are actively hunting terrorists? Is that why M&S is making all of their customers feel like crime suspects?
The funny thing is that a friend of mine who is about twenty years older than me, is never asked to take her hood off if she goes in there. So obviously, if you are thirty like me, you are not old enough to leave your hood on – Marks and Spencer can still interfere with what you wear in their shops. Unless you are lucky to be a nun or a Muslim woman, maybe, or will they kick them out, too?? Anyway, how do they know some old lady on a terribly small pension is not going to steal anything. According to some article I’ve read recently, crime amongst pensioners is on the rise (I frankly don’t blame them as I know who little some people get). But somewhat unexpectedly in these times, some politeness and respect is still left for the elderly. Not for teenagers though. My friend said: ‘Maybe they thought you were a teenager – I would take it as a compliment’. So teenagers are equated with criminals – I can understand why so many teenagers are angry. Here is an example how ‘welcome’ the Elephant & Castle Shopping Centre makes people who wish to patronise it:
What about some nice words of welcome for a change?
I am just glad, I can get most of my stuff at the outdoor market – at least, everyone is happily wearing hoods there and no one tells me what to do and what not to do. Thank you!
Something From Anything 
Wow – that is so patronising! I would also feel really offended.
I’ve read that for some reason hoodies are feared in England. Luckily, Germans (Germans!) are much more relaxed. Here in Munich I just get looks for looking scruffy-ish and not up to Schickimicki standards – but I’ve never been banned from anywhere.
I had a funny encounter with Germans the other day when I went to the embassy to have my new Orwellian passport done (with finger prints and all). The lady dealing with the inquiry looked at me with a slightly unbelieving expression and asked: ‘So you are German by BIRTH?’ Ha ha!
“Have a nice day”. Ha ha! Though to be fair, I can imagine you don’t look a shade over 15 with your hood up.
To continue the Orwellian theme:
http://www.boingboing.net/2008/03/31/londons-spitalfields.html
Don’t ever try to photograph the newly converted Spitalfield’s Market. They are so embarrassed about it’s awful yuppification that they try to take away your camera when you try to document it 😉