I am no stranger to harassment but my latest harassment experience took place today when I was in Sainbury’s supermarket (Coventry). At about 3.30 p.m., I had stopped in the shampoo aisle to look at the products when a man suddenly barked at me from behind. When I say barked, I mean exactly like a dog. It was extremely loud and I instantly went into shock as I felt very threatened as he was very near to me. He was with a female accomplice and they both sniggered and looked back at me as they walked away.
I took a moment to compose myself then followed after them. The man had disappeared but the girl was standing alone in line at the self serve tills. I immediately spoke to one of the shop assistants and told her I needed to contact security because the ‘lady’ in the queue and her partner had just harassed me completey unprovoked and in a threatening way.
The assistant contacted the security guard and it appeared they were familiar with the man who had harassed me, apparently he was a well known nuisance. The most disappointing thing, and perhaps worse than the harassment itself, was that the Sainsbury’s staff barely acknowledged me after I reported the event and they certainly didn’t do anything about it. The security guard simply went back to his post by the door and wandered around in a trance and the shop assistant simply walked away.
Surely a duty manager should have been contacted to take a statement, or somebody should have stopped the girl who was right there, or maybe the security team should have been contacted to see if the man was still in the store so he could be stopped from harassing anyone else. And maybe at the bottom of the list, I should have been given an apology!
– Cordelia Reardon
Location: Sainsbury’s, 330 Fletchamstead Hwy, Coventry, CV4 9BJ
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beckie says
i don’t know if it is worth it to you but you could call or write the store and tell them how disappointed you were at the response and that you will not be a returning customer unless your concerns are addressed. Good for you for trying. It takes so much effort to get people in charge to do something. I’ve had simliar situations where I have tried to address a complaint with very little result from authorities. Very frustrating. I’m glad you shared here.
Alan says
While your experience is horrible and inexcusable and as you say, you should have received an acknowledgment of some sort and I am sorry you didn’t….but it makes me wonder what life for female accomplice must be with a guy like that!
Golden Silence says
She’s probably living it up at the moment because she’s not on the receiving end of the harassment, but I’m sure if she were ever flying solo and got harassed by a random guy, she would feel just like Cordelia did here.
I agree with Beckie. Contact someone from the store, maybe ever someone hire up like from corporate.
Golden Silence says
“…higher up…”, I meant.