I was having a conversation with someone in another thread and thought I would make it its own thread. I should start by saying that I wear my back pack everywhere. For me it is basically the equivalent of a purse because of all the crap I have in there. I keep emergency hair gel when I need to fix my hair while I am out. I have house keys, emergency deodorant, headache pills (cause I get those often), a tiny change purse in case I need to take the bus somewhere, spare charger and a bunch of other stuff.

One day several years ago, I was working on some crafty projects with a couple of friends. We ended up needing a couple things so we went to the nearest dollar store because they sold the things we needed at a much lower price than the arts and crafts store. We entered the store and went down one of the aisles. The manager (who was a woman) approached us and told me that I would have to leave my back pack by the front door or vacate the premises. She said nothing to my female friend who had a large purse hanging off her shoulder.

A couple of years after that, another friend and I stopped off at a gas station to get some snacks and fill up the car for a road trip. The same thing happened. The manager (yet again a woman) told me that I would have to leave my back pack by the door or get out.

After that second time, I complained about it to a college friend who said that it could be for one of two reasons. First the terrorists that blow things up pack their explosives into back packs. Secondly, she told me that it is easier to steal using a back pack than it is a purse.