imported post
I do need to apologize here for the fact that I don't want to start a false rumor about Walmart. This was something that someone I know had heard about but I can't verify it. The point still stands, however, that private property and especially businesses are still subject to state and federal laws and regulations. They cannot illegally detain you, they cannot put cameras in the restrooms, they cannot confiscate personal property unless it was used in a crime andonly throughdue process, nor can they require a chip be embedded inside you prior to purchasing groceries.
The good news is that most companies simply want business to make a profit. With healthy competition, most companies will put the consumer first or risk losing too many people to its competition. Sadly, when some companies get so ridiculously large that they no longer have any real competition, they can fall prey to abuse of power. Since there is no measurable risk of losing too many customers, some companies will try to trample on the individual rights of customers, treat them like numbers, and form in a sense a private government over their properties.
People do need to be aware that companies cannot simply do whatever they want. As consumers we reserve the right to spend or not spend our money in any establishment. We also understand that if we don't abide by the lawful rules of the establishment (i.e. no smoking, no weapons, no loitering, no stealing, etc.) that we may be asked to leave the premises and/or be subject to criminal charges. Anything much beyond this is likely illegal. A company cannot violate your Constitutional rights or state and federal laws simply because you are on their private property. This applies to the fact that Walmart cannot simply fire someone for having a gun in their car when the state law clearly prohibits them from doing so. It also means that (pretending the rumor is true) that if a power outage occurs in a store, the company cannot lock all exits and detain people simply to prevent shoplifting.
I don't care if I sound radical here because I stand for my individual rights. If a company doesn't want my business of if I have somehow broken their rules (but not the law) I will leave the property without issue. However, I will nottolerate illegal searches, manhandling of any kind, or illicit violations of my privacy. Sad to say it is proven again and again that some businesses don't respect individual rights and often we hear of these places eventually getting sued or eventually shut down. Consequences apply to everyone eventually but simply means that you either choose to learn the easy way or the hard way. Enough said.
