Best Buy Invaded By Blue Shirt Improv Artists

deviantphil writes "About 80 Improv Everywhere agents invaded their local Best Buy store wearing blue shirts and Khakis. Eventually they were asked to leave, but not before capturing some great photos and video." From the article: "Security guards and managers started talking to each other frantically on their walkie-talkies and headsets. 'Thomas Crown Affair! Thomas Crown Affair!,' one employee shouted. They were worried that were using our fake uniforms to stage some type of elaborate heist. 'I want every available employee out on the floor RIGHT NOW!'" Their inspired cellphone symphony from this February is also well worth checking out.

Comments

Thrown out?

[Average_Joe_Sixpack]

What a waste ... they were probably more helpful than the regular employees

Is this isn't News for Nerds ...

[Hulkster]

Then I don't know what is ... ;-)

Well done Improv'ers ...

My mother sent me two Geek Squad shirts...

[technoextreme]

Hmmmm.... Imagine if the entire population of Slashdot each received one. Think of the possibilities. Also, can't this be considered Slashdoting something physically.

Re:My mother sent me two Geek Squad shirts...

[Kremit]

Also, can't this be considered Slashdoting something physically.

Only if the customers starting using so much electricity that the building started to melt :)

Wow

[inexion]

These people rock, I heard a story about them a while back on NPR on This American Life http://207.70.82.73/pages/descriptions/05/286.html

Re:Wow

[Lepruhkawn]

I heard the This American Life thing as well.

I think the leader of this group isn't very aware of himself emotionally/psychologically. He's too comfortable manipulating people. These kinds of "performances" seem to come from having difficulty in asserting boundaries and allowing other people to assert their boundaries. He's not very empathetic and expects people to have the emotions he imposes on them and he even expects them to like it and is unreceptive if they don't.

This touches on the fascination with Andy Kaufmann. Fans were interested in him for manipulating the emotions of other people with his pranks, but when they show up and he manipulates them by reading from a boring book, all of a sudden they're angry. "It's fine if he doesn't respect other people's boundaries but he better respect mine."

I'm not saying these types of performances are unethical, but at least acknowlege them for what they are.

Pranks that don't take into account the emotions of their targets are about exploiting other people for your own amusement. I don't look up to people who deny this. It just makes them more self-centered in my eyes.

Manager called 911

[geekoid]

Jeez, she should be fined.

"Is this an emergency?"
"Dear lord YES! there are people wearing Blue Shirt and Khakis! KAHKIS!!!"

Re:Manager called 911

[merreborn]

The cops took the whole thing really seriously, and gave a few people a lot of shit, if you read the whole page and watch all the videos.

They get freaked out when people show up, act oddly, and video tape stuff.

The manager *was* a total douche though: "You're violating my civil rights by filming in my store!".

Re:Manager called 911

[geekoid]

In California, If a security person detains you, you can Sue, and will probably win.

Of course you have to ask to leave, and they imply that you can't ask.

Re:Manager called 911

[Ariane 6]

That's the thing. They weren't "impersonating" anyone. They were just wearing clothes that happened to be quite similar to the employee uniform. If you RTFA, you'd find that NONE of them EVER said that they worked there.

If Best Buy doesn't like it, they can make a "No blue shirts and Khakis" policy. Barring that, they have no recourse.

Re:Manager called 911

[geekoid]

The 911 number is not for enforcing store policy.

No one claimed to be an employee.

"Best Buy didn't have enough real staff to throw out 80 people and keep the store running at the same time"
Still not a 911 emergency.

" it was confusing the customers "
And this is an emergency, how?
"and it's her responsibility to prevent that from happening"
Still not an emergency.

She should have called the desk sargent and asked for a patrol.
My beef was calling '911', not having the police there.

Your not one of those people that think 911 is just a convient way to help you for any ol' thing, are you? I hope not, I hate those people.

Finally:
Get a sense of humor.

Re:Manager called 911

[collectivescott]

Uh, if the cops bothered to show up they aren't going to fine you for calling. They really don't do that unless it's a prank. Hell, something like 1/3rd of their calls are basically nothing: loud noise, suspicious person. However, having the cops present isn't a bad idea; You never know when a confrontation might occur. Perhaps some manager freaking out about losing control of the situation loses his cool or something. It could happen.

The most interesting thing about the whole affair is the insight that it provides into people's thoughts. When something sufficiently strange is going on, people get completely confused and frustrated that they don't understand your motives. Because of this misunderstanding, they tend to assume the worst. At one point they were speculating that it was some elaborate heist. "Thomas Crown Affair", funny, but at the same time fitting, given what the employees knew. Although with 80 people I might rip off a better target than Best Buy - maybe a bank or something.

I also got a kick out of the human resources woman going undercover to take snap shots of those involved. Don't they have security cameras? Still, I can understand her feeling the need to do something, so that later she can explain it and not look lazy. There's a reason why the managers freaked out the most - they're used to having control. A regular employee just shrugs his shoulders and laughs. And as usual, the cops freak out the most and try to intimidate the guy with the camera.

I think the part that resonated with me the most was when a manager claimed that filming in Best Buy violated her "civil rights". Perhaps they were at the fringes of the law by partially concealing their cameras, but the right to privacy is not guarenteed in an essentially public place. And while it may be against Best Buy policy, unless you commit an actual crime in the legal sense, all they can do is ask you to leave.

However, I do think that at some point they should have just explained the whole thing rather than leave on such bad terms. They freaked people out and then left in an arrogant huff, that shows a basic lack of curtesy. On the whole, the act and documentation offer interesting insights into society, true performance art.

Re:Manager called 911

[ceoyoyo]

They were? Here's the legal requirement for a fraud charge in the US of A:

Fraud must be proved by showing that the defendant's actions involved five separate elements: (1) a false statement of a material fact, (2) knowledge on the part of the defendant that the statement is untrue, (3) intent on the part of the defendant to deceive the alleged victim, (4) justifiable reliance by the alleged victim on the statement, and (5) injury to the alleged victim as a result.

They were specifically told NOT to claim they were employees, but rather state they were not, if asked. #1 down. #2 is meaningless without #1. #3, perhaps. #4 - again, no statement. #5 - injury? Give me a break.

So... out of the five required points there is a maybe on 1. Prosecutor, you have wasted the court's time. I find you in contempt.

Re:Manager called 911

[NMerriam]

she lost control of her store at the time she didnt know what was going on, they never called her in advance and told her what was going to happen

So let me get this straight, if 60 people want to go to a store in Manhattan they should call in advance for a reservation? This giant, 2-story Best Buy has never had more than 60 people in the store before?

How did the manager "lose control"? 60 people showed up and hung out at the store for a while. They weren't claiming to be employees, they weren't robbing the place, they weren't trashing the place, they weren't running up and down the aisles naked and screaming, they were just standing around.

If it unnerved her so much, she should have used her managerial authority to walk up to them one at a time with a security guard and say "Sir, I'm the store manager and you need to leave right now, please walk this way." If they refuse, then they're trespassing. The only times they *asked* (note the word ASKED) someone to leave and he sought to clarify, it was made 100% clear that he was NOT being TOLD to leave, only asked.

Re:Manager called 911

[shugah]

If I ever lost my job and self respect and became a manager of a Best Buy and this happened, I would do the following:

1. Call the police - store managers in a large retail chain should have the proper orientation/training to know the procedure that is best in their jurisdiction. In Vancouver here, I believe the procedure is to call 911 and someone will triage the call and dispatch the appropriate response. Calling the police is the appropriate response because you really don't know the intentions of the "invaders". Employee and/or customer saftey or company property could be at risk.

2. Make some sort of an announcement using the store PA system advising customers and staff not to approach anyone dressed as a BB employee unless they have a Best Buy ID badge or what ever ID is used by BB. This is a judgement call - as it draws attention to the issue, but if I believed customer safety was an issue, it would be important to advise customers not to assume that people dressed in blue/khaki are not necessarily BB employees. If you didn't do this, and someone got hurt, I could be liable.

3. Assemble a security team + any available assistant managers. Give them explicit instructions that there role is to diffuse, not inflame the situation. They are to politely but firmly inform the "invaders" that the store is private property, their presence there is a privalege not a right and is now confusing customers and disrupting business and they have to leave immediately. There is no need to get personal, angry or physical, I would just ask them to leave. If they don't, have them arrested for trespassing.

There is a judgement call here. If I thought they were going to resist and put staff, customers or property at risk, I might give the instructions but wait until the police arrive. You can test the resolve of the group by simply asking several of them to leave. If they go peacefully - continue until you have the store under control. If anyone resists, assign a security dude to simply shadow them until the police arrive.

At no point is there any need to panic.

Re:Manager called 911

[Main Gauche]

"In California, If a security person detains you, you can Sue, and will probably win."

That's nothing. On Slashdot, you can make claims that lie somewhere between false and ambiguous, and will probably get modded +4 Interesting.

Re:Manager called 911

[Beryllium Sphere(tm)]

At least it's traditional. Best Buy is reported to have had customers arrested for trying to claim an advertised price and in one case for paying with legal tender.

NYUD.net Karma Whoring Link

[un1xl0ser]

http://www.improveverywhere.com.nyud.net:8080/miss ion_view.php?mission_id=57

Linus would not approve!

[mctk]

Also, can't this be considered Slashdoting something physically.

Big public wanking sessions are generally looked down upon.

Additional info/video links

[mabu]

Links to more info on the Best Buy incident here.

Re:news?

[Anonymous Coward Gra]

I wear a blue shirt at work and everytime I stop at Best Buy, I would get asked by numerous customers for help.

same group...

[cl191]

FYI, this is the same group that did the fake U2 roof top concert the day before U2 actually plays in NY.

What a coincidence!

[geekoid]

I wear a vacant look and maintain a surly attitude every time I Stop at Best Buy, I would get asked by numerous customer for help!

The Uniform

[texaport]

Twenty years ago it was nearly an artform at some after-work hangouts, for ladies to guess where a guy worked:
navy pinstripe suits indicated a bank, doublebreasted suits meant insurance, charcoal gray suits were brokerages.

Today it is trivial for 21-25 year old women; red shirt is a computer superstore, blue shirt is big box retailer, and
white shirts with a yellow smiley face means WalMartians...

Re:The Uniform

[mh101]

I'd think wearing a red shirt would mean don't bother dating me, I'll be dead shortly.

I understand the Best Buy response

[Anonymous Coward]

I can appreciate the humor but I also understand why the Best Buy folks were freaked out by it.

One time when I was working in the UC San Diego college bookstore back in the 1980's, a bunch of activists came in with cameras to film everybody and the inside of the store. They were eventually escorted out by Campus Security, but it really unnerved some people, because we weren't sure who they were or what they were going to do with film they shot. There was talk that the activists were going to identify us and attack us another time away from the store to get back at the "establishment" and those of us who were helping the "establishment".

So I understand why the Best Buy folks might be a bit unnerved by this event. I suspect if I was an employee, I would have been also.

It's funny indeed

[citking]

To all of the people who complain about the stunts, the immaturity, the panic, the idiotic ideas...lighten up!

I hate to generalize (Ok, I love it, but pretend for a second I don't) but our society today needs some humor. We hear "terrorist this" and "gas prices that" and "x troops killed today in Iraq by insurgents..." every day. We seem so drenched in sadness and tragedy sometimes we forget what we are: free!

As long as a flash mob/stunt doesn't injure innocent bystanders and cause undue distress to officials I don't see the harm. The way that these people carry out "missions" with their "agents" is harmless. I admit that there is no screening process and no, I wouldn't want to be a manager on duty that day at Best Buy. But these stunts are things that you can look back upon 2 days, 2 weeks, 2 months, or 2 years later and grin. We need humor! I give my props to the people who have the audacity to go out there, do something very strange while surreptitiously documenting it, and post it for the rest of us to enjoy later! Way to go!

In a world filld with bad news, depressing ideas, and bad people, it's enlightening to smile at the deeds of others without having read it on Fark or the Darwin Awards.

I know I enjoyed the missions (the pantsless ones are priceless!) and I think that they have a great way of making people laugh. If you don't enjoy, that's fine. I don't get British humor and I hate Monty Python. Some humor isn't for everybody. But lighten up!

Re:Ask them to leave...

[Firethorn]

That's the problem, the employees made it conditional. You don't make it conditional.

"Excuse me Sir, you have to leave now" would have worked. Still, any of the 'performers' who refused could have been hauled into court for trespassing.

Unreported

[Zepalesque]

Unreported were 5 red-shirt clad improv artists at the same event. Unfortunately they all were all killed by a freak car accident in the parking lot ;)

Works at the supermarket too

[kbob88]

Try wearing khaki pants, a white button down shirt, and a tie next time you shop at the supermarket. I used to have to wear that at work, and we'd often go to the Jewel supermarket deli counter for lunch. Usually I'd get mistaken for a store manager at least once per visit.

Eventually I stopped trying to tell little old ladies that I didn't work there. I had gotten to know the store well enough that it was easier to just tell them where their item was...

ok, this is a bit of sad commentary:

[artifex2004]

[from Agent Ace$Thugg:] And then he asked me if I had a child at home, and if I knew any children. Curious about his line of questioning, I asked him what he was getting at. He said he noticed that I was in the children's section for a long time and it was making him uncomfortable.

Are people really that scared of single adult males, now? Because it probably wasn't to do with his appearance...

Hysterical.

[sootman]

I tour the store and feel pretty good about landing a spot next to the vacuum cleaners. There are no employees in sight. I hover. A 50-something bearded Jewish man makes eye contact, walks toward me, my first customer.
"Do you work here?" he asks.
"No, I don't."
He starts looking at vacuum cleaners, not knowing where to start.
"What are you looking for?" I ask.
"I need a vacuum cleaner," he says. "I have a Dirt Devil. It works really well, very powerful machine," I say.
"A Dirt Devil. Dirt Devil, OK."
A real employee approaches.
"May I help you sir?" the employee asks.
"Yes, I'd like to buy a Dirt Devil," the man responds."
I sold my first vacuum cleaner. Damn, it feels good.

Walmart

[Davus]

Related to my life.
A few times, going into Walmart wearing my "Your Company's Computer Guy" shirt, I was asked for assistance, because of the way Walmart employees wear those vest-like things. Sure, it's a totally different shade of blue, and a different style, but that didn't stop them. ;)
And yes, I did help them even though they realized mid-question that I don't work there.

Re:hostage taking

[Jafafa Hots]

"In this day and age..."

You know what age we live in? We live in an age where some pathetic mouthbreathing pantswetters are so fucking scared that they want a fascist, rigidly coontrolled police state to prevent the terrifying prospect of a bunch of people showing up wearing the same color shirt.

Re:helpful employees

[(Cheesyhackerhandle)]

Hehe...I work there...and what's even funnier...Is that I work on the geek squad, and I am the biggest noob in this forum :) Wanna know why some of the employees aren't helpful? Best Buy is a shit place to work. Pay is crap, the rules that we have to abide by: crap. And the customers? Well I assume that most people in this forum would be some of the better customers, seeing as how your all tech-savvy, but you try explaining to a stay-at-home mom with 8 kids why you can't back up her HDD b/c it is fried. The ignorant people ruin it for the rest. There is no energy or desire to be helpful after you get yelled at for an hour b/c someone screwed up their own computer and we were unable to fix it. And as for the guys in the blue shirts... well usually those same push, ignorant people reach them before they even reach us... with that being said, I personally am never impolite, and I always try to help people because I've shopped there before I worked there, and I know how frustrating it can be. So I apoligze to all of you who had bad experiences there, but it isn't going to change until the corporation changes. Unfortunately...we can't do anyting about the ignorant.

"People in uniform" attitude

[fishbowl]

This is just a special case of a general phenomenon -- people in a uniform, even if it's just a shirt color, tend to become defensive about that uniform.

I once had a temp job at a hospital loading dock. Horrible, crummy job, but it was a job. So all the people on the loading dock wore brown polyester pants, white shirts, and black shoes. So, my second day, I wore brown polyester pants, a white shirt, and black shoes. I was reprimanded for "wearing a dock uniform", paid for a half day, and asked not to return.

A different situation: There was a Greek Festival, where all the food service people were wearing black pants or skirts, white shirts and a black hat. My girlfriend and I happened to both be wearing black pants, white shirts, and we each had a black hat, all coincidentally (we didn't even know about the festival, just chanced upon it), and so we just sort of hung out for a while and all the workers treated us like we were hosts not patrons. We ate and drank for free and hung out while everybody partied after the festival was over.

Anyway, if you wear a blue shirt to Best Buy I'm sure they can throw you out if the laws of your state allow it, "for any reason", but not just because you wore a blue shirt, unless they eject *everyone* wearing a blue shirt (not just you.)

The band of pranksters could test this by being not just a bunch of clowns, but some organization whose uniform is *also* well-established as blue shirts and khakis, go in the store with legitimate business, and get kicked out for no reason other than their attire, they might be able to force the store manager to explain to a judge why he considered a shirt and khakis to be inappropriate attire, or whatever was his bais calling the police was.

But in this case, it is clear that the group was intentionally creating a disturbance, and that it was not terribly difficult to get a police officer to agree. If a reasonable person believes your intent is to disturb the peace (which it clearly was) then I hope it was enough fun to be worth the potential legal hassle.

Re:hostage taking

[dangitman]

Yeah. If you see anyone who looks even a little bit funny, YOU TAKE THEM DOWN!! Then you'll be a hero like those guys on Flight 93. Someone looks like he's from another country? GOUGE HIS FUCKING EYES OUT! He's probably a terrorist.

Re:Manager called 911-Unlimited laws

[Firethorn]

But there is an exemption to this. Trespass can only be charged when the person on the property has had ample notice that he or she isn't welcome there. Trespass can be pressed if you break in, go through or around a sign that says 'no tresspassers', into a private house, etc... When you operate a public storefront, permission is assumed for the entire public during your business hours.

For a store to kick people out during business hours, the people have to be formally notified that they're no longer welcome, whether this be by verbal or written notice is up to the owner or his representative(the manager or employees).

If you withdraw your permission, the person you're kicking out is still allowed to collect his or her possessions and leave in an orderly fashion (IE not running, but not lingering).