Supermarket Bans Jedi Knight

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Posted by samzenpus on Friday September 18, 2009 @05:25AM from the allowed-in-this-store-you-are-not dept.

The employees at Tesco seem to be immune to mind tricks, and have kicked out the founder of the International Church of Jediism. Daniel Jones, 23, who founded the religion based on the Star Wars movies, was asked to leave because his robes were against store rules which forbid the wearing of 'hoodies' in their premises. "I told them it was a requirement of my religion but they just sniggered and ordered me to leave," he told The Daily Telegraph newspaper. "I walked past a Muslim lady in a veil. Surely the same rules should apply to everyone." It's exactly this kind of stuff that turns young Jedis to the dark side.

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Why? by sixteenraisins · 2009-09-18 05:56 · Score: 4, Interesting

They ban hoodies?

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1. Re:Why? by cronco · 2009-09-18 05:59 · Score: 2, Interesting
  
  AFAIK, hoodies are a sign of aggressive youth in the UK (kind of a stereotype, really). They might be afraid to let the "riff raff" in.
2. Re:Why? by Anonymous Coward · 2009-09-18 06:06 · Score: 2, Informative
  
  The reason is young people use them to obscure there identity while causing trouble. Try going into a bank, post office or petrol station wearing a full face crash helmet. You get the same reaction for the same reason.
3. Re:Why? by Korin43 · 2009-09-18 06:13 · Score: 2, Insightful
  
  A lot of stores have a policy of banning their potential customers. Look at malls trying to keep kids away. It's because they only think in the short term and don't consider that all the people they banned for being kids are never coming back. I'm guessing this is the same sort of thing. "I hate kids, they don't buy enough stuff" or "All kids who wear hoodies are thieves".
4. Re:Why? by The+Evil+Couch · 2009-09-18 06:20 · Score: 4, Informative
  
  Why in the world would anyone ban hoodies, and how would they stay in business if they actively enforced such a ban? Seriously, that's like banning jeans in your store.
  Not quite the same. Most store security cameras are located at head height or higher, making the faces of people wearing hoodies nearly invisible. I don't know about the UK, but in the US, the courts are over-worked enough that the police are likely to drop any shoplifting case unless there is solid evidence that the person they have in custody actually tried to steal something. Anyone caught shoplifting in a store wearing a hoodie is unlikely to be prosecuted, unless they did it right in front of a security guard, so banning them is an understandable move.
  
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5. Re:Why? by welshbyte · 2009-09-18 06:31 · Score: 3, Informative
  
  Here in the UK, the media (in their infinite wisdom) have taken to calling aggressive-looking youths who wear hoods 'hoodies'. This tends to add ambiguity to sentences like 'hoodies are banned' because 'hoodies' is also the name of the item of clothing worn by people from many different walks of life (e.g. they're fairly popular with students and, um, boxers?).
6. Re:Why? by theJML · 2009-09-18 06:34 · Score: 3, Informative
  
  Actually most stores in this area (Virginia) ban the wearing of any hood/head concealing garment while in the premises. It goes along with them banning scarves/baklavas/3 hole head covering masks/cotton hats/ski-masks/etc that hide the face and or other discernible personal features. Especially places like 711 and gas stations.
  I can see both sides of the argument, but why not just allow them in if they drop the hood? that's usually the way it works. stores don't have a problem with a hooded jacket, as long as the hood is not in use while in the store (you can carry a ski-mask with you too if you want, as long as you don't put it on, no one can say anything, just put it back up/on when you leave.
  Really I think stories like this do a lot more harm than good for their cause. Sure they think they've been caused an injustice, but most of the time it's better for both parties if you just go along with it. Not that I don't think oppression is wrong, but trying to make a ruckus by going against a policy like this is just stupid. It's not like anything is going to happen by taking the hood down for a few minutes while you shop. And if you don't like it, just go somewhere else, no harm no foul. I tell people to take their shoes off when they come in my house, if they don't want to, they can sit on the deck, thems the rules.
  
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7. Re:Why? by phoenixwade · 2009-09-18 06:53 · Score: 2, Informative
  
  Just so you know, to a bank, $5000 is nothing.
  Or if it isn't "nothing" then you have bigger problems to worry about than the dress code.
  
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8. Re:Why? by michaelhood · 2009-09-18 06:57 · Score: 4, Funny
  
  Actually most stores in this area (Virginia) ban the wearing of any hood/head concealing garment while in the premises. It goes along with them banning scarves/baklavas/3 hole head covering masks/cotton hats/ski-masks/etc
  What do they have against delicious pastries?
9. Re:Why? by Dahamma · 2009-09-18 07:33 · Score: 2, Interesting
  
  Why in the world would anyone ban hoodies, and how would they stay in business if they actively enforced such a ban? Seriously, that's like banning jeans in your store.
  Not quite the same. Most store security cameras are located at head height or higher, making the faces of people wearing hoodies nearly invisible. I don't know about the UK, but in the US, the courts are over-worked enough that the police are likely to drop any shoplifting case unless there is solid evidence that the person they have in custody actually tried to steal something. Anyone caught shoplifting in a store wearing a hoodie is unlikely to be prosecuted, unless they did it right in front of a security guard, so banning them is an understandable move.
  I'm going to have to completely disagree, considering they are a major RETAILER OF HOODIES!
  http://www.clothingattesco.com/mens/jackets.html
  More on Tesco's perfectly "understandable" position: "Tesco has defended itself against accusations of hypocrisy after a security guard told a six-year-old boy to remove his hooded top that had been bought in the supermarket."
10. Re:Why? by Anarchitektur · 2009-09-18 08:08 · Score: 4, Funny
  
  They are too close to balaclavas for comfort.
11. Re:Why? by shacky003 · 2009-09-18 13:10 · Score: 2, Insightful
  
  This would be similar to the "No baseball caps" policy with some bars/clubs in the US - in some localities it's considered a symbol of gang activity, etc.. (Also some clubs in urban areas ban sweatshirts, etc, with certain gang-related colors..
We all know that if... by Mavrick3020 · 2009-09-18 05:57 · Score: 5, Insightful

If Scientology, another "religion" based on a science fiction book, was in a similar position, they would sue the pants off of everyone and win. I'm not saying I believe Jediism, Haruhism, or the Church of Oprah; I agree with his sentiment that smaller religions should have fair treatment.
1. Re:We all know that if... by AdmiralXyz · 2009-09-18 06:49 · Score: 5, Insightful
  
  Yes, so rather than get into a complicated debate about how large and accepted religious practice has to be before a supermarket chain grants it exceptions to its rules, why don't we sidestep the issue and say that banning people from a supermarket for wearing hoods is dumb?
  
  (BTW, the correct spelling is 'Haruhiism'. Blaspheme like that again and we'll have you killed.)
  
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Jedi religion by obliv!on · 2009-09-18 05:58 · Score: 2, Interesting

I know you can answer Jedi on a census in some countries apparently the UK is one of them, but I don't know if it is given all of the recognition of other religions. It could I suppose if the wikipedia numbers are accurate than that would count in many countries. Otherwise if it has such protections than this company has probably just ran afoul of the law and this young Jedi will be getting some cash out of it.
Discrimination by Evildonald · 2009-09-18 05:58 · Score: 2, Insightful

I think this really depends on whether Jediism is actually a registered religion. If it is or it ever becomes so, there is going to be a lot of hoodie wearing kids ready to sue. As much as this seems like a joke, if the following quote:

"Obi-Wan Kenobi, Yoda and Luke Skywalker all appeared hoodless without ever going over to the Dark Side and we are only aware of the Emperor as one who never removed his hood.
was said instead as "Many muslim women have appeared Burqa-less, so why can't she?" they would get the pants sued off them.

"If Jedi walk around our stores with their hoods on, they'll miss lots of special offers."
What is more if they said: "If women walk around our store with their burqas on, they'll miss lots of special offers", i'm pretty sure there would be outcry for a boycott, because of perceived insensitivity.
1. Re:Discrimination by Homr+Zodyssey · 2009-09-18 07:05 · Score: 3, Informative
  
  Lovely tax break? I'm no accountant, but I wasn't aware that individual clergy-members received a tax-break. My father is an ordained preacher. He currently is employed as a college professor, but when he was the minister of a church he had to file as "Self-Employed". This was ridiculous, because he was hired by the church, remained employed by the church and could be fired by the church. However, he was legally required to file as "Self Employed" and pay taxes at a higher rate than an "employee" would.
Hmmmm..... by bobmarleypeople · 2009-09-18 05:58 · Score: 2, Insightful

He may be a Jedi, but he has a point. Equality my arse.
Money... by TheUni · 2009-09-18 05:59 · Score: 3, Insightful

You should try asking them for money, otherwise you'll never be recognized as a legitimate religion.
1. Re:Money... by interval1066 · 2009-09-18 06:13 · Score: 3, Funny
  
  If he asked ME for money I'd pay him in Imperial Credits and tell him to buggar off.
  
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Rules for all by A+Pancake · 2009-09-18 06:06 · Score: 4, Insightful

Dude seems wise beyond his years. The same rules should apply to everyone regardless of religion. Chances are no matter what you believe, there is someone out there that views it as a ridiculous fairytale.
1. Re:Rules for all by PitaBred · 2009-09-18 06:12 · Score: 3, Informative
  
  Screw you! The Flying Spaghetti Monster is real, and I'll sue you for implying that he might not be!
  
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Paper? Plastic? by The+Damned+Yankee · 2009-09-18 06:42 · Score: 2, Funny

A Jedi craves not these things...

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Re:His problem is that he is white by runningman24 · 2009-09-18 08:59 · Score: 2, Insightful

So are you saying that if this guy was black and walked into the store with a jedi robe, he would have been allowed to wear it around the store? If you are, I think you're crazy and that the owner would be even more convinced he was going to get robbed. If you aren't saying that, what is your point about bringing up minorities, since they would in fact have been treated the same.
Re:Jediism, a.k.a. $CIENTOLOGY..... by c6gunner · 2009-09-18 11:53 · Score: 3, Insightful

If Jediism is a religion, then any clown can start a 'religion'.
BINGO! DING DING DING! Give the man a cigar!
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