Toy store tired of shoplifters, will scan all customers' driver licenses

[Newsjock]

http://www.mercurynews.com/top-stories/ci_18601069?nclick_check=1

NOVATO, Calif. -- When Linda Becker opened a toy and hobby shop in southern Novato 17 years ago, security was not her top priority. Instead, she wanted an environment where customers could have fun with the product.

"I wanted a store where you can go in and look at it and touch it and see it," she said.

Then the stealing began. During the Beanie Baby stuffed animal craze of the mid-1990s, the popular "princess" model disappeared from shelves at the Entrada Drive shop, called Dollhouses, Trains & More. The thefts continued as thieves targeted the store's bounty of small but valuable items such as model cars, trains and figurines.

... The store has taken a number of measures including closing off its rear entrance, adding a motion-activated beeper and installing a camera security system, but problems have persisted. Now, with the theft problem threatening to cripple the business, Becker is taking the unusual step of creating a mandatory membership program whereby every customer will need to fill out a form and submit a driver's license to be scanned by a machine.

[fishwax]

1. I can't imagine shopping at a toy store with that condition

But maybe it's a really great store and will survive under the club format ...

[saras]

2. Stupid, stupid, stupid

If they had properly tagged the merchandise, they could have reduced SUCCESSFUL shoplifting to exactly zero, without impacting non-shoplifters.

Sounds like an elaborate excuse for creating a membership program and defusing people's objections ahead of time. I mean, who could argue for shoplifting?