I spent an hour down at Dick Smith browsing laptops (the hoverbook screen is just about to break at the hinge.).

We also needed a new house phone - the old ones aerial is falling off (it is 6 years old :)). So Lynne pops up there after doing some browsing elsewhere and we find a neat digital phone with 200 hours standby. (Wow!). Buy that, leave, and get accosted at the exit by a staff member asking if 'may I inspect your bag'.

To which I give the simple answer - no.

Why the blog ? Well, theres no way I'm buying a multi-thousand dollar laptop from a store that doesn't trust me - and pays someone to stand outside the store and check everyone whos wearing a backpack. (Mine had my old laptop in it). If she had insisted (rather than asking) - I probably would have allowed her to check, as well as returned the new phone I had just purchased.

What is Australian culture coming to that this is considered 'normal' ? I don't recall seeing that at any store I've been to from the various Ubuntu conferences.

Shame Australia. shame.