Speaking to us on the condition we don't reveal his identity, the victim's husband detailed what he says happened. He says his wife was trying on a pair of shorts when she was pricked by what she though was a pin, only to discover after reaching into the pockets that three syringes were inside.
"They were obviously used. They had blood on them," the victim's husband said.
What troubles him is that store employees seemed to downplay the incident, only notifying the sheriff's office after he suggested it.
"That's the first question I asked them, 'Did you call law enforcement?' They told me they hadn't. They had called their loss prevention individual," said the victim's husband.
The sheriff's office confirmed a police report was taken, but without any evidence the syringes were left intentionally, it was strictly taken for information.
A spokesperson for Kohl's said, "We are cooperating with authorities as they investigate."
Just to be safe, Kohl's employees are rifling through their stock of pants to make sure no more stabby surprises are lurking in any pockets. As for the pricked shopper, she's already getting preventative treatments for whatever nastiness might live on a bloodied syringe.
Woman says she was pricked by syringes [ABC13] (Thanks to Steve!)
(Photo: OakleyOriginals)
I just threw up in my mouth a whole lot...choked on it and died!
]]>Protocol.
[/spelling Nazi]
I agree, though. Kohl's did everything they were required to do, and it doesn't seem to me that they brushed this couple off or anything; they just weren't sure what to do next.
]]>I don't think it's the responsibility of Kohl's to pay for her medical treatment with the information we have so far. They didn't put the needles there. Neither did she, but that's what insurance is for. No, I don't have insurance, so don't think I'm being high and mighty here; I just don't think Kohl's should pay for someone else's (the needle user) stupidity and neglect. And before anyone argues that they hung the pants back up, that may not be the case. I always restock my own clothes when I try them on and don't want them.
I'm only saying it's a little early to start blaming Kohl's.
]]>I do see your point, though. This situation could easily be someone trying to make a quick buck.
]]>My take on what probably happened in this case with the "uncaring employee" is that this person ran to the nearest person she could find to tell them, the person contacted LP, and since LP is busy taking care of the important stuff behind the scenes, they don't have time to call back and say 'hey, just called the police'. So the employee would have no knowledge of it occurring, but I'm certain that police are the first people LP calls.
Also, it should be noted that not all phones in the building make outside calls. In our store, only customer service, managers' offices, LP and jewelry can call outside. So going up to a floor associate or cashier who does not readily have access to these phones, they call the person who can make the call.
Lastly, as sad as it is to say this, we are sort of trained not to overreact. Over-the-top panic is good for no one. Part of this is because of frivolous lawsuits. If someone falls randomly, we can ask if they are ok, we can tend to their injuries and fill out paperwork, but we cannot say "I'm sorry". It's difficult to bottle up this natural response, but we have to do it because to say this implies that we are to blame, and apparently is grounds for people to sue, whether we are at fault or not. Either way, I'm not surprised that this was handled in a calm manner.
]]>"What troubles him is that store employees seemed to downplay the incident, only notifying the sheriff's office after he suggested it."
The police were called by the employees after the husband suggested it
]]>@morlo:
No, the true irony of the story is it destroys one of George Carlin's rules to live by:
"It's okay to prick your finger, but dooooonnnn't finger your prick"
]]>@alexanderpink:
The story indicated she did seek immediate medical treatment and will have to undergo blood tests for at least several months.
If I see any follow-up stories, I'll forward the links to The Consumerist. If you're interested in following it directly, the link to KTRK-TV is www.abc13.com
]]>@Brent: It's true. I work in the same district as the store it happened in. We were checking all bottoms in the store within 30 minutes of the incident.
]]>Simmer down detective.
]]>I work at a Kohls store in the same district as where this happened and wanted to say a few things. First, by notifying the loss prevention, or chief ass covering as you put it, every store in the district and surrounding districts were notified. Every store immediately checked (by patting down)every pair of bottoms in the store. This included misses, mens, juniors and kids. We checked everything, even though it took hours, just to ensure that this did not happen in any of our other stores. As for the store employees acting uncaring and not calling the cops I have to say that if I was the manager that was notified I would be at a loss for how to respond. I'm sure they were just as shocked as the woman was. After all, this is not a common complaint! And I would have never thought to call the cops since this was not a crime. It is a horrible thing and I have no doubt Kohl's will cover all her healthcare expenses. They cover every minor thing that happens to customers and associates so the same will be done here.
]]>@Kimberly Gist-Collins: As a registered nurse, I can address this. If you get a needlestick, there is a treatment to reduce the likelihood you will get HIV. However, you don't want to take it unless you have to, because it causes massive diahrrea. Also, there is no preventative if the needle is contaminated with Hepatitis C.
]]>Most people who use needles are using Heroin. Heroin dosn't make you crazy or unable to recap a needle. And yes most addicts are actually caring people. Most of whom recap their works cause they don't want to get pricked themselves. If you don't know what your saying DON'T say anything at all.
]]>I also agree that an "uncaring" sales associate is hardly an offense to sue over, and I have no idea where these commenters are getting the idea that these people were treated horribly because they person they reported it to didn't think to call the police.
]]>This is exactly why people can't do anything without the fear of being sued anymore. Because people think insurance = free money regardless of liability.
]]>@Trai_Dep:
Maybe Michael Jackson's personal physician stashed them there to hide the evidence.
This was the lead story on Friday night's 10 PM newscast. As soon as it hit the KTRK web page, I passed it on to The Consumerist.
Although I fault Kohl's for not contacting law enforcement immediately, my point is this incident could have happened at any clothing store. As such, unfortunately, it's yet another thing we have to watch out for.
Thirty years ago, nobody paid attention to the plastic seal around the Tylenol bottle. Ten years ago, the biggest threat from an airline passenger's shoes was foot odor and - until I saw this story - the only thing I ever checked on clothes I took into a dressing room were the size and price tags.
After this incident, I'll be patting down every piece of clothing before I try it on or buy it.
]]>"Unintentional Stabbage" would make a great name for a band.
]]>You do realize that insurance isn't just a magical pile of money that can be handed out like Halloween candy with no consequences? Let's say that Kohls gets sued and loses. Chances are that means their insurance company will raise their premiums, insurance companies will look at the decision and raise premiums for similar retailers because of the risk that they might have a similar problem, and everyone will pay more for clothing to make up for it.
If the company is negligent, by all means they should be sued. But there is no duty of care to checking the pockets of all clothing at a retailer on the off-chance there may be something sharp in the pockets.
]]>@Brent:
Actually (profanity) left in payphone slots is factual. Common teenage prank. Dog Profanity (if you know what I mean).
Needles? Highly doubtful. Profanity left in the slot? Oh yea baby.
]]>@Hoss:
Think for a moment.
You see a person slip and fall in a grocery store.
Two things go through your mind: 1) Gosh, I hope the person is not hurt and 2) I wonder if the slip was intentional.
Somebody claims they found syringes in a clothing garment. Three thrings go through my mind: 1) Gosh, I hope the person was not hurt, 2) Who the profanity would leave the syringes in the garment and 3) Wonder if the claimant is at fault.
Sorry to say, suspecting the claimant is a natural thought process because we all have seen way too much faking to gain a few $.
No matter how sincere the claimant may be, no matter how much of the incident I see with my own eyes, there is always going to be a bit of suspicion.
Companies deal with this crap all the time and their policies are designed to prevent the scammers from taking advantage of the company. Unfortunately honest people get caught in the cross hairs.
]]>Weird occurrences that could not have reasonably been prevented happen every day; it's a shame so many people feel the need to get money for every bad or inconvenient thing that happens to them, even when they're out of everyone's control.
]]>"The sheriff's office confirmed a police report was taken, but without any evidence the syringes were left intentionally, it was strictly taken for information."
So, yes, the police were called. The victim's husband asked if the store had done it, and they had not, but apprently they were eventually called by someone.
]]>another reason that you don't recap used syringes:
more than once the needle has actually caught on the side of the cap, gone through it, and into my hand.
Most (if not all) addicts recap their needles. Just cause they use drugs dosen't mean they are evil people. Plus, the whole thing dosn't make sense. Why would somebody get high in a pair of Khols shorts, place uncapped needles in the pocket then return them / leave them in the dressing room?
Some nut bag most likley did this on purpose. Intentionally trying to harm someone.
People have done weirder things.
]]>There was one time where some teenage guy was actually injecting in a fitting room, but an associate caught something odd about it and told out LP. LP watched the guy, called the police, and he was arrested not long after.
There are a lot of things we can and cannot do, even as managers or as LPs. It doesn't say whether or not they knew who did it, how busy the store is/was, nobody probably caught it. So if something like that is being worked on, it probably is.
]]>Me too. And I can't help feel vaguely like a corporate tool for suggesting that the woman could have made this up. I'm just skeptical.
]]>I would be more inclined to believe a junkie changed clothes to A. get some new duds and B. ditch the junk.
isn't this why we have a sue happy society. we cannot accept that occasionally really crappy stuff happens. I don't believe Kohls set out to harm this customer.
just sayin.
]]>1) If the victim is trying to fraud, why 3 needles when 1 is just as believable?
2) Listen to the victim's husband -- he must be a great actor if he's in a fraud.
3) Try AM talk radio if you like controversy
]]>Not to excuse Kohl's from not acting as quick as the OP would have liked, having worked there it is possible that the Loss Prevention guy was called first because he's the one who watches the store through all the cameras everyday. Perhaps he saw something suspicious or maybe he can go back and review the tapes.
]]>@mythago:
What would you have want the Kohl's employees to do, run around panic stricken like a chicken with its head chopped off?
There are protocals for dealing with less than desirable situations. Kohl's employees followed the protocals. Nothing remarkable, no employee of the month award to be given, just followed protocal.
(which by the way, is what the employees at Walgreens did last night when a customer fainted while waiting for a prescription.... protocal... call the local Fire Rescue to medically evaluate the victim and then take witness statements from the other customers who might have witness the incident)
]]>Or the cameras just plain "weren't switched on" or "didn't have tape".
About four years ago the local bus company made a big stink about how they were "protecting the safety of their passengers" by installing "state of the art" hard-drive based CCTV recorders on their entire fleet of buses. Well, it turns out that a year or so later, they got sick of replacing/rotating the hard drives. About six months after that they just stopped switching the CCTV on....
]]>The customers usually bend the truth a little bit. The "uncaring" employees could've just been...hmm...caught off guard and not sure what to do?
]]>That's exactly what I thought. Most likely to me.
]]>Stop. Think.
Who did what, when and why.
Not blaming the OP, but the first reaction of everybody (nonvictim) in such situations is "what is going on here", also known as "is the OP trying to shake down the store for a quick out of court settlement."
Remember the Tylenol scares way back when? How many false alarms were there? Yes, lots. How many of them were attempts to extort $ from the merchant or manufacturer? Way too many of them. Other were just wanting special attention.
Regardless of how, why or purpose, the proper response for the Kohl's employee would be to contact the floor manager and/or loss prevention.
Kohl's employee did his/her part.
Loss Prevention did their's as well (documenting the incident and contacting Uncle Leo when requested).
No issues remain with Kohl's.
Now the victim is seeking treatment. Good. Unless somebody can raise fingerprints from the weapons (syringes) or their is videotape of the action there will be little to do at this point.
In the long run, Kohl's is going to settle with the victim or prove the victim is fabricating the story.
]]>Also, from the article, "We're going through all the pants to make sure that everything checks out all right. We just want to be sure that the entire store is safe after this," said the employee.
Just yet another precaution to watch out for everywhere else.
]]>Sorry, Youthier, carry on and disregard this comment.
]]>I think we're being a little hard on the Kohl's employees. If I was working there and someone comes up to me (probably a little hysterical) saying they've been stuck with syringes, I'm going to be a little confused as to what to do. It's not like a gun shot wound, where someone is gushing blood and in need of a paramedic. The victim's husband didn't say that they avoided calling the police - he just suggested it first.
The victim and husband were very upset and rightfully so but I think it may have colored their view of Kohl's actions because I don't think they did anything particularly terrible.
]]>@Shoelace:
I am not sure what additional information is needed to make this seem intentional. Why were there syringes in supposedly brand new shorts except for that reason? The other possibility is that they were used shorts returned to the store, but I daresay that if that were the case, the smell and grime would have been telltale...
]]>Also, sometimes shoplifters switch the clothes they wore in for new clothes off the rack, and put the tags from the ones they stole on the old clothes so they switch and hope no one notices until they've left the store. They walk out wearing the new stolen clothes and put their old clothes back on the rack. It's possible someone left their crap in their pockets when they did this.
Some SCARY looking people shop at the Kohls in the town next to mine. There are also frequent shoplifting arrests there. The bus stop outside the store is filled with frightening looking characters, some dressed like strung out hookers. In fact, I see them there so often when I drive by, I wonder if they ply their trade at the bus stop there.
]]>Would be helpful if there were some evidence on store cameras, but I'd bet Kohl's loss prevention individual already got on those.
]]>B) You never ever reuse a syringe so the ones without a cap are easily identified as used.
C) Immediately after use they go directly to a Sharps container.
Now it may or may not be obvious that these may not apply to the story above however they are valid reasons not recap a syringe.
]]>Anyone stupid enough to shoot up in a department store isn't going to care or think to put the caps back on the needles. I wonder of loss prevention just might have caught the person who left them on tape.
]]>I would hope Kohls would at least use their insurance to cover the womens medical bills and lab tests.
]]>@rockergal: Easy. You aren't expecting syringes in "new" shorts at a dept store, and you aren't looking for them. I don't check the pockets of clothing I try on in shops. Syringes come in all sizes; some are quite small.
]]>I'm not at all surprised that they downplayed it. I had an incident happen at Meijer's once. I was working the return desk and some stoned-out loser decided to bring back a dj laser type thing without a reciept. As I reached into the box to check the condition of it (very obviously used), my finger very narrowly missed getting stabbed by a used syringe. I called the manager and the police. The asshole manager didn't think it was any big deal.
That was the last day I worked there. There's just too much scary shit that can happen with someone's used syringe. It wasn't worth it to me.
]]>If they review tapes and find an employee did this, they are going to be SCREWED.
]]>@Kimaroo - 20% More Kitty Added!: Only if they bother to put the cap back on.
]]>@Kimaroo - 20% More Kitty Added!: New ones, yes. Used? Maybe not.
]]>@VvsK: I'd probably be too stunned to think of that right away either.
]]>@talamant3z: The article says it's at the store at FM 529 and Barker Cypress.
]]>Not at all surprised that the Kohl's employees started covering ass immediately by downplaying it, notifying their loss prevention (chief ass covering) individual, but not contacting law enforcement.
Don't understand what used syringes would be doing inside the pocket of new shorts being sold at Kohl's though.
]]>i would like to know which kohls it is so i know not to shop there
]]>sorry, couldn't resist.
]]>