It should have been so simple. My friend Barbie and I went to a Manhattan department store1 to return a shirt that didn't fit her. But when we got there, the saleswoman2 said that since we didn't have the receipt3 she couldn't take it back. So, thinking there was nothing more we could do, Barbie put the shirt back in her shopping bag and was like, “Ok, let's just go.” Then, everything got crazy.
We were heading toward the exit when someone tapped me on the shoulder really roughly4. I turned around to find two women yelling at5 us to move to the side. I couldn't understand what was going on. Then I saw their walkie-talkies6 and realized they were plainclothes security guards7. They asked me and Barbie what we had in our bags. We said it was just our stuff8, but they demanded to see. It was really embarrassing—there were lots of people walking by, staring at9 us. They looked through both Barbie's bag and a bag I had with me that was filled with clothes from a sleepover10. I thought if they looked and found nothing, they'd leave us alone. Instead, these women pulled out Barbie's shirt and were like, “Did you take this?” I said, “No, we just came to exchange it.” But she was like, “That's not what I see. You took something of ours.”
PRESUMED11 GUILTY
The security guards brought us into this detention12 area—a hot, windowless little room that smelled like urine13. That's when I got really scared. The security guards took away Barbie's bag, my sleepover bag and both of our purses, then told us to sit on a metal bench across from a small jail cell14 and took our pictures. Next thing I knew, the guards told us to put our hands against the wall, so they could search us for weapons! The way they did it was humiliating15—laughing as if it was fun. Then they handcuffed16 us to the bench. Horrified17, we watched them dump18 our purses out and take our IDs—to see if we had criminal records19, they said.
I kept asking how long they were going to keep us, but they just ignored20 me. At one point, another security guard came in and threw an older man into the cell, who complained he was claustrophobic21. I was so shocked that they'd treat anyone like that—but just then, they turned to us and threatened to put us in there if we didn't cooperate. I was really upset22, my wrists23 were in pain from the handcuffs, but I kept insisting that we hadn't done anything and that I wanted to call my mom. One of the security people told me, “If you're old enough to steal, you're old enough to take care of yourselves.” At that time I was almost hoping the police would come, because they'd have to let us call our mothers or a lawyer.
UNTRUE CONFESSIONS24
Finally, after about two hours, they told us to sign papers. It was a statement admitting I'd stolen the clothes and that I'd pay for them. I repeated that we hadn't done anything, but they told us the faster we signed, the faster we could go home. We thought it was the only way out so Barbie and I signed the papers. They gave us back our purses, keeping Barbie's shopping bag and my sleepover bag, and said we were banned from the store for seven years.
When I got home, I told my mom what had happened. She knew what the store had done to us wasn't right, but we just tried to put it all behind us. Then, two weeks later, both Barbie and I got letters from the store demanding more than $300. The store was actually charging me for25 my own clothes and multiplying it by five as a shoplifting26 fee! We didn't pay it, and the store threatened to take us to court.
They never did, and I was relieved27. But a few months later, I saw a piece on the news about this law firm that was suing the store for unfairly profiling and pursuing minorities as shoplifters28. It was like the news was about Barbie and me! We thought we might have been targeted29 because we're Puerto Rican30, so I called the lawyer and told him what happened to us. He said it fit the pattern of what the store had been doing to other minority kids, so now we're part of a big lawsuit against the store31. But it's not about the money: I know that what the store did to us was wrong, and now we've found a way to stand up for32 ourselves.
1. department store n． 百货公司
2． saleswoman n． 女售货员，女店员
3． receipt n． 收据
4． head towards (for) [美] 朝着一方向前进 tap sb． on the shoulder 拍某人肩膀
roughly 粗暴地
5． yell at 对…吼叫
6． walkie－talkie n． 步话机
7． plainclothes security guard 便衣保安
8． stuff n． 东西
9． stare at 凝视，盯住
10． sleepover n． 外宿
11． presumed adj． 假定的，推测的
12． detention n． 拘留，禁闭
13． urine n． 尿
14． 此句意为：然后让我们坐在一间小囚室对面的长条铁凳上 metal bench 长条铁板凳 jail cell 监狱的单人房间
15． humiliating adj． 羞辱性的，令人感到耻辱的
16． handcuff v． 上手拷 n． （复）手铐
17． horrified adj． 惊悸的，恐怖的
18． dump v． 倾倒
19． criminal record 犯罪纪录
20． ignore v． 不理
21． claustrophobic adj． (患)幽闭恐怖症的
22． upset adj． 心烦意乱的
23． wrist [rist] n． 手腕，腕关节
24． confession n． 承认，招供
25． charge sb． for sth． 向…索要钱
26． shoplifting n． 入店行窃
shoplifter n． 商店扒手
27． relieved adj． 宽慰的
28． 此句意为：有则消息报导这家律师行起诉该店取证不公，把少数人种当扒手进行追踪。
sue v． 起诉 profile v． 描写 （事物）简介
pursue v． 跟踪 minority n． (此处)少数人种
29． target v． 瞄准；把…作为目标
30． Puerto Rican n． 波多黎各人
31． 此句意为：律师说此事符合该店对待其他少数人种孩子的一贯作法，因此我们成了起诉该店这桩大案的主要当事人。lawsuit n． 诉讼案
32． stand up for 支持，维护