IS THE WORD “THIEF” PLASTERED ON MY FOREHEAD?

I love to shop- I’m a girl- it’s just what we do. I can spend hours in a mall just buying everything from the bottom up; shoes to hats, everything and anything imaginable. I like my alone time when I’m shopping. I feel rushed when I’m with people and feel like I’m taking up their time by making them wait for me to try on these shoes, or that shirt. When I’m shopping alone I can work at my own pace and take the time to think through every purchase without worrying about my bored friend standing off to the corner.

Yet again, sometimes the most fun shopping is when you’re with your friends, laughing it up, trying on ridiculous outfits just for shits and giggles. But shopping with a group of friends can come with a price- DIRTY LOOKS FROM STORE OWNERS AND EMPLOYEES.

Just because I am a teenager doesn’t mean I am going to steal everything I can get my hands on, I have money, I will buy it. Often times when you’re in a store as soon as you walk two feet near a rack of jewellery an employee comes so close to you, you can feel their breath on your neck; “Can I help you out with anything, hun?” “No thanks, I’m just looking.” “Okay, well just let me know.” THEN conveniently, the lady decides that the rack of jewellery right beside you is messy and she must fix it up right at that moment. She has nothing to do- she is just moving rings from the bottom to the top while keeping one hell of a close eye on you the whole entire time.
What’s worse than being watched an entire time in a store, is being talked badly or mocked by employees. Yea, so what, I’m a teen in an expensive store, you think I can’t buy anything? Half of the time when a teen goes into an expensive store the manager doesn’t even ask if they need any help or asks if they need a shoe size for the pair of amazingly gorgeous four inch heels they’ve been staring at for the past 7 minutes. They may just buy something, but because the employees are too snobby because they work in a store on the third level of the Eaton Center teens are just simply not good enough to wear such a shoe. How rude.

Who made up the stereotype that all teenagers are thieves when shopping or not good enough?

Can this be considered racism? Because I would sure like to point it out to someone how obvious this age discrimination is.