My knitting needles set off the store alarm!!!!!!
@Masihi (4413)
Canada
September 28, 2011 5:31pm CST
Strange, but true. Today was cheque day, and I went to the bank, did some necessary shopping, and got a good workout while I'm at it. I also took my knitting with me (I'm always knitting a dishcloth when I'm out walking somewhere. So I walk into Shoppers Drug Mart to pick up some kleenex that was on sale for 69 cents a box, and didn't the alarm go off! I told the lady it may be my knitting needles because they're metal, and she let me in saying it was okay. I got my items, made the purchase, and told the cashier that my needles might sound off the alarm again. She asked if that was me that set it off when I came in and I said yes, and she started to laugh. A customer behind me said "drop that bag and run!" as a joke, so I left, and there it happened again :-p
Funny, but kinda freaky at the same time. I suppose I could've put my knitting in my backpack, but it'll still set off the alarm :-p
2 people like this
10 responses
@Janey1966 (24170)
• Carlisle, England
29 Sep 11
Don't you just HATE it when that happens?!
Your story reminds me of the time I set an alarm off in Tenerife, coming out of a shop. If memory serves a bar code sticker was underneath my foot and as soon as I tried walking out the store the alarm sounded. It was very hot too as the air-conditioning was non-existent. I was quite relieved when they found the culprit. I can laugh about it now but I was VERY hot and flustered at the time, as you can imagine!
1 person likes this
@Janey1966 (24170)
• Carlisle, England
29 Sep 11
LOL. I can't remember to be honest so I guess I wasn't. I do remember the offending sticker being yanked off by a shop assistant, as if I'd put it there on purpose or something.
Needless to say, I never went in the crappy shop again after that experience!
1 person likes this
@carmelanirel (20942)
• United States
29 Sep 11
Wow, that is funny and embarrassing for you. I guess the needles stay in the car next time???
@carmelanirel (20942)
• United States
30 Sep 11
Ah, who is..Then I remembered, you walk and knit at the same time, so leaving them at home isn't something you'd want to do. Man, knit and walk, I can't imagine doing that...
@leeloo (1492)
• Portugal
29 Sep 11
Never had it happen with knitting (I have plastic ones) or crochet needles but it did happen with a library book. The guard made me take the book out and walk through again. The worst part is there were two books both had been demagnetized at the library because they did not set off their alarms but the guard passed one book through at a time and only one set off the alarm. Sometimes it is funny what will set off alarms or not but definitely annoying.
1 person likes this
@Masihi (4413)
• Canada
30 Sep 11
Ack! That would be sooo annoying, it would make me feel like a criminal :-(
@gloryacam (5540)
• Philippines
29 Sep 11
That's right, must be the knitting needles. In our place (where people are paranoid. For a reason), the cashier would have let you remove them needles and walk through the entrance again. 
1 person likes this
@gloryacam (5540)
• Philippines
29 Sep 11
That's right...well, those knitting needles are 'deadly weapons', too. So, I'm betting that you won't get past security carrying those here.
1 person likes this
@hardworkinggurl (37062)
• United States
29 Sep 11
I guess the alarm works in the event someone steals something metal from the store. lol
This happened to me in Walgreens here several years ago, where I walked in with my purse and no bags or anything else and the alarm went off. I immediately went to the cashier and told her you did hear that didn't you. I just walked in and do not want an embarrassing moment on my way out.
So after shopping the alarm went out and the cashier laughed and said go ahead you are good.
1 person likes this
@hardworkinggurl (37062)
• United States
29 Sep 11
I should add mine was not needles, and it turns out I had some cover girl cosmetics in my bag that had to sound off the alarm. Since nothing else could have I figured that was it.
1 person likes this
@fashionfever (2200)
• Indonesia
29 Sep 11
Hahaha your story is funny, but I never had this kind of situation happened to me. I have bamboo knitting needles and metal crochet hooks, Im a beginner in this craft worlds but i do love to bring my needles and yarns so i can continue my scarf when im outside or when im free. you give me a devilish idea to tease the security guards in mall, i will bring my metal needles to mall and see if it will work there :D Uhmm I just want to have a little fun.
1 person likes this
@Masihi (4413)
• Canada
30 Sep 11
LOL! That's hilarious! 
I'm curious to see if your metal needles will set the alarm off.
I'm curious to see if your metal needles will set the alarm off.
@GardenGerty (169477)
• United States
29 Sep 11
I started setting off the alarms at my grocers and did it often. I had also, occasionally done it at Wal Mart, but not all of the time. It seemed really random. Then I realized that it was only if I took my wallet out of my purse and carried it in, not in a bag or purse. It happened once at the grocery store and the store manager (someone I know and like, so it is okay) came up and I let her search through my bill fold, and we did not find anything, either one of us. I finally went home and went through it again. It turns out that the security tag was on the back of the card you are supposed to put your information on! Have your needles been magnetized? Did you look for a security tag inside the yarn spool? It might not happen if they were in a heavier back pack.
1 person likes this
@Masihi (4413)
• Canada
29 Sep 11
Actually it was a small bit of yarn that I balled up and I was just knitting a simple dishcloth.
@Masihi (4413)
• Canada
28 Sep 11
Ya, the next thing I know my hearing aid batteries and loose change will set off the alarm :-p hehehe. Maybe I should've asked the cashier to demagnetise my needles 
@mysdianait (66005)
• Italy
29 Sep 11
I knit too and last autumn I was knitting squares to make up a blanket. I had to stay overnight at the airport as I had an early flight and I took my knitting with me to keep me awake.
Before Ichecked in my suitcase I thought that I would have to put my knitting into it because no way did I think that Iwould be allowed to take knitting needles into the lìplane in my hand luggage.
I asked a security guard and was I surprised when she said that it was fine to take them aboard 
That meant that I could continue knitting a whole lot longer but surely they would have been considered as dangerous? I was still dubious when, a few hours later, my hand luggage was scanned but there was no problem at all, evenafter I told the guard dealing with the scan system that there were needles in my case. Weird 
That meant that I could continue knitting a whole lot longer but surely they would have been considered as dangerous? I was still dubious when, a few hours later, my hand luggage was scanned but there was no problem at all, evenafter I told the guard dealing with the scan system that there were needles in my case. Weird @Masihi (4413)
• Canada
29 Sep 11
That's good that you were able to knit on the plane. I think don't don't allow it anymore because recently one of my foster mothers was travelling and she was told she wasn't allowed metal needles, so she started using wooden needles for travelling on the plane.
@marguicha (230350)
• Chile
29 Sep 11
I never heard something like that! Maybe your needles are made of a special alloy, same as what they use for the tags.
I think that the alarm would have sounded no matter where you place your needles.
Maybe your needles are made of a special alloy, same as what they use for the tags.
I think that the alarm would have sounded no matter where you place your needles.@marguicha (230350)
• Chile
30 Sep 11
Don´t you worry, Masihi. Some people see terrorists even in babies.
@Masihi (4413)
• Canada
30 Sep 11
I hope it don't happen to often, :-p the clerks would think I'm a terrorist
