hi! wondering if you have any tips on finding blind spots. I’m absolutely horrible at figuring out where cameras are/where they’re pointed and it rlly deters me from concealing anything on the floor.
sure! most stores use dome cameras - these are tricky as you can’t tell where they’re pointing, so it’s best to assume that whatever dome camera you can see is focused on you. scoping out a store is helpful as you can identify blind spots before lifting and lower some of the risk. once you’ve got your blind spots figured out you can focus more on lifting during your next trip!
don’t look directly at the cameras, try to move your eyes rather than your head. you can bring a water bottle or some other drink with you, and as you drink from it take the opportunity to tip your head back and examine the ceiling for cameras. keep an eye out for obstacles that you can put between you and the cameras. things like shelves and displays, clothing racks, etc. a blind spot doesn’t have to be absolute - e.g. if there’s a shelf in front of you that comes up to your chest and a camera beyond that, you can still take things from the shelves even though the camera can see your face. you just need to make your movements subtle and focus on something on the shelf in front of you rather than what your hands are doing. a good rule of thumb is “if i can’t see the camera, the camera can’t see me.” the cameras sight line can’t see around shelves or ppl, so you can create blind spots by standing behind things. you can also crouch or lean down to create a small blind spot if there’s a low shelf or rack between you and the camera. ppl can also be used as blind spots (this is why i love to lift in crowded stores), so you can stand beside ppl and use their body to block the camera’s view of you while you conceal. however, this carries the risk of a customer seeing you and snitching.
if you absolutely can’t find blind spots, or you feel you need some extra security, i suggest trying sleight of hand methods. you can use the sleeve method where you take an item and use your fingers tips to push it up your sleeve, or the method of taking two of an item at once and putting only one back like you changed your mind about it. sleight of hand is for situations where you need to trick anyone watching rather than ensure that no one can see you, so maybe it’s worth brushing up on. in the end, finding blind spots mostly requires estimation - if the shelf you’re behind hides you, if you can trust yourself to spot all the cameras in view. i suggest scoping out blind spots multiple times on different trips to ensure you’ve found them and to memorise them, and then try a very small haul that requires minimal risk. from there you can slowly build up your confidence!
hope this helps you!😊✨
