Mojo In The Morning

I Feel Like a Criminal

10 min
Apr 8, 202610 days ago
Listen to Episode
Summary

The hosts and callers discuss everyday activities that make people feel like they're committing crimes despite being completely legal. Topics range from visiting ATMs at odd hours and dropping off packages at neighbors' houses to using store bathrooms and purchasing cannabis at legal dispensaries.

Insights
  • Psychological discomfort with legal activities often stems from environmental context (darkness, solitude, surveillance) rather than the activity itself
  • Social anxiety about being perceived negatively drives performative behavior to demonstrate legitimacy during routine transactions
  • Habit formation from past illegality creates persistent psychological responses even after legalization (cannabis example)
  • Occupational roles (meter readers, bank managers) require deliberate behavioral management to avoid suspicion while performing legitimate duties
Trends
Growing awareness of surveillance anxiety in everyday consumer behaviorPsychological impact of legalization on previously illegal activitiesSocial perception management as a driver of consumer behaviorWorkplace safety concerns for utility and service workers accessing private propertySelf-checkout technology creating new forms of transaction anxiety
Companies
Target
Caller mentioned concern about appearing to shoplift when entering with items already in her tote bag
Kroger
Discussed self-checkout experience and concern about selecting incorrect produce codes to save money
CVS
Caller mentioned feeling suspicious when purchasing prescriptions at pharmacy counter
Starbucks
Referenced as example of business where using bathroom without purchase feels suspicious
Victoria's Secret
Caller discussed feeling monitored for shoplifting when entering fitting room with multiple items
Lowe's
Caller mentioned purchasing electrical outlets in Lowe's bag that appeared suspicious in parking lot
People
Mojo
Primary host facilitating discussion about activities that feel criminal
Shannon
Co-host who introduced the topic about feeling like a criminal
Jackson
Co-host who shared experience of leaving store empty-handed feeling suspicious
Chelsea
Co-host who shared story about dropping off neighbor's package
Kevin
Co-host referenced for leaving store without concern about appearing suspicious
Laurie
Caller who discussed feeling suspicious while reading meters in people's backyards
Linda
Caller from Ohio who discussed farm stand honor system payment making her feel suspicious
Sarah
Caller who described meeting brother-in-law in church parking lot with Lowe's electrical supplies
Kristen
Caller who discussed discomfort making nighttime bank deposits through wall slot
Toya
Caller who shared experiences at Victoria's Secret fitting room and parking lot encounters
Mundo
First-time caller who discussed feeling suspicious buying electronics in store back section
Meg
Caller who discussed feeling suspicious purchasing legal cannabis despite legalization
Greg
Caller who shared anxiety about driving home from legal cannabis dispensary
Quotes
"I felt like this morning I was doing everything very exaggerated to show that I was just holding my phone up to do my card, taking out some cash, that was it, driving away, nothing else"
MojoEarly in episode
"I'm here just to drop off. Like I'm like talking to nothing. Because I feel like I'm doing something wrong."
JacksonMid-episode
"When I go to the dispensary, if I just go there to buy something, even if buying it, I walk out of the thing, I feel like I've walked out of a drug house, which I guess I did."
MojoLater in episode
"You're thinking the entire time, man, that you're back in high school when it wasn't legal and you were driving home with your illegal narcotic."
GregNear end of episode
"I'm very deliberate about walking straight to the meter and walking straight back to my car. Not looking in windows."
LaurieMid-episode
Full Transcript
Mojo the morning, Shannon says that when she does this, it makes her feel like she's a criminal, which is kind of an interesting topic in itself. What are some things that you do on an average basis where you almost have to feel like you're telling people that you're not doing something illegal? What is yours? It's so stupid, I actually did it on my way to work today, but it's going to the bank in the middle of the night, which it's essentially the middle of the night. Yes, when we come to work, and I had to get some cash out this morning so I roll up to the bank and I go through the ATM and I see the bank ATM that I go to is in a mall parking lot and there's a police officer right there. And I know it looks kind of suspicious to go to a bank at 4.30 in the morning. So I felt like this morning I was doing everything very exaggerated to show that I was just holding my phone up to do my card, taking out some cash, that was it, driving away, nothing else, but I'm like, why are you behaving this way? What you're doing is very legal, very normal, but I felt like a criminal in the process. I never thought of it that way, but you're right. I remember the place is right there parked. Yeah. Yeah, you do feel like that's kind of your thing. I think anything at night, you feel like you're doing something illegal. If you're the only one. Yeah, doing it. The bank parking lot is totally empty, lights are off. What are some others that we could similarly add to the list? Because I think that there are different things like where you, if you're doing something that looks like it's a little bit shady. Like if I walk up to a neighbor's door, have you ever done this at all? Do you ever go to a neighbor's door because you wanna like go and drop something off at their house or whatever? Like I've gotten packages from my neighbors that they dropped off like Amazon dropped off. If I go up to their house to drop it off, I feel like I'm walking up with my hands up so they don't think that I'm gonna do something and steal something. Yeah. Because they have security cameras. Yeah. So Chelsea said to me, she goes, hey, Karen's package came. Can you go put this on Karen's front doorstep? And I don't really go over to the neighbor's house and like walk up to their, because you have to like walk down the driveway just a little bit and it's kind of got a bunch of trees. I'll like walk up and go, I'm here just to drop off. Like I'm like talking to nothing. Yes. Because I feel like I'm doing something wrong. Yeah. You know what another one is for me, what happens to me all the time is I have, I carry a big tote bag and it has tons of stuff in it, including snacks and like bags of candy and stuff. So if I go into, for example, Target, I always feel like they're gonna think I stole the items that really I walked in with. I've already paid for them, but I have them loose in my bag. And so I'm like, I don't want them to see what's in my bag because I don't want them to think I just threw them in there and I'm walking out. Yeah. That's good. Oh, those are good ones. I have eight, four, four, six, six, five, six, five, four, eight. Two, four, eight said yours that you just said, when you're returning something at a store, you feel like you have to tell them as you're walking in that I already paid for this item. Jackson, what's yours? The thing that makes you feel like you're doing something illegal. Walking into a store and I'm not having what I needed and then having to leave with nothing in my hands. Yes. Especially if a salesperson talk to you. Yeah. That's hard. And then I buy something I don't want, I buy something dumb. I don't want to do that. It is so funny. Because I don't know what to do. Or going into a store like a Starbucks or something, just use their bathroom. I always feel like I snap. I need to buy something. Well, now you do. Yeah. I think there are some that do require you to go do it. What's going on? Laurie, how you doing? Hey, how are you? Good. Hold on. You got a bad cell there for one second. What's happening? Where are you at? Can you hear me? Yeah, there you go. It's much better. Hi. So I'm a meter reader for a utility company. And we're in people's backyards all the time. And trying to not look suspicious. I'm very deliberate about walking straight to the meter and walking straight back to my car. Not looking in windows. Do you guys have the vests or coat that at least makes you look somewhat official? Yellow coat that we wear here. You guys have to dodge a lot of stuff, too. Probably dodging animals and things like that. Oh, yeah. Oh, yeah, for sure. When I first started this job, all the other guys told me, oh, it's just a matter of time before you get bit. Oh, jeez. Oh, that's great. You haven't gotten bit, though, hopefully, right? Nothing major. Just a couple of nips here and there. Wow. Well, be careful. Thank you for what you do. What's up, Linda? How you doing? Hey, good morning, team. Good morning. So I'm in Ohio and during times you can go to farmer houses, you know, they're the farm areas and they'll have either pumpkins or fresh fruit or vegetables. And then there's the non-resistant where you grab your stuff, do your math, and put money in the pot. Oh my gosh. That's a good one. Yeah. I always feel like I'm doing my math. I'm showing my money up in the air and because there's a camera on and I put it in the pot. Linda, I feel like I'm doing that at self-checkout at Kroger. And I know it sounds weird to say this because they are like, I always feel like even if it when the moment it says, please put that item on the thing, I'm like, I already put that item on the thing. But you feel like when you're weighing a piece of fruit, like you're like, this is a non-organic banana. You know what I mean? Because you don't want them to. Although I do. Sometimes if I get an organic thing, I always put the non-organic because it's cheaper. Oh my gosh. You do math. That is illegal. Kroger, you know. I give them a really good deal on the commercials I do for them. So what's up, Sarah? How you doing? Good. How are you? Good. What's going on? Well, I had to meet my brother-in-law in a parking lot, a church parking lot over near Cleveland last weekend with a Lowe's bag of electrical outlets because he was doing electrical work at my house. And there was a sheriff parked like 15 feet, probably away from us. I think he was just tracking traffic. So he and I are standing out there. Our arms are really big. I'm opening up the Lowe's bag, showing him the electrical outlet. He's talking really loud. So he doesn't think it's like a drug deal going down or running in a church parking lot. Or think that you're going to give the guy oral in the church parking lot because... This is true. It's my brother-in-law nonetheless. Yes. That's funny. Those are good ones. Kristen, what's yours that... When you do it, you feel like you're doing something illegal? Yeah. I'm the nighttime manager at my store. And I do nighttime bank drop. That's a bank. You got your key, it goes through the wall and you put the money in. Yeah. And of course there's cameras, but yes, it's uncomfortable. But definitely uncomfortable when it's pitch dark out and there's only one there. So I can see it. Then I would feel like I'm going to get robbed. But that's true. Toya's got a great one. Toya, what's yours? Well, I have two of them. Actually going into Victoria's Secret and you shop and you fill up your bag and then you go in the fitting room with more items than what you should and you already know that they're looking at you. Yes. Fitting rooms are definitely ones where you feel like they're thinking of your shoplifting. What's the other one? When you run into somebody that you met, you went to school with or something, y'all in a parking lot talking. And you think that everybody is thinking it's a bad drug dealer? Exactly. That is a good one. Or this one happens to me. If I'm with my wife and another woman walks up to me that I've met through work and she comes up, I always feel like Chelsea thinks that she and I had an affair at one point. Like when she walked up and I'm like, I'm like uncomfortable to meet. You know what I mean? You ever have that at all? Like a guy walks up to you with your husband? Well, because I always get, who's that? How do you know him? It's like you get the first thing in question. Chelsea doesn't say anything to me because she doesn't really care. But the funny thing is, I feel like she's thinking to herself something. What's up, Mundo? Mundo, yeah. Mundo. What's up, Mundo? You said first time long time? Hey, first time long time. Hey! What's going on? So for me, it's walking to the back of electronic and buying something like a matchbox controller, something paying for it back there than having to walk out. Oh my gosh. Yes. That happens to me with my prescriptions at CVS too. Yeah, you buy something at the pharmacy? Yes. That's funny, Mundo. That is so true. And I like buying in the back because the guys in the back are usually less busy, you know? Oh yeah. That's a good one. Or if you're Kevin, you just walk out because you don't care, even if it's legit. All day yesterday, I kept thinking about that conversation of him leaving and the guy only charging him for what was the item again? It was... It was Takis. Takis. What's up, Meg? Hey, for me, it is definitely when I smoke pot, even though it's legal. Same. Because I feel like four o'clock hits, I get out of work and I work from home and I smoke pot, but I feel like I'm still at work. Yeah. I feel like I'm doing something wrong. Meg, when I go to the dispensary, if I just go there to buy something, even if buying it, I walk out of the thing, I feel like I've walked out of a drug house, which I guess I did. Or driving home with it. I'm like, oh no, I'm going to get pulled over. Greg, what's up? Coming home from the dispensary, I always feel like I'm going to get pulled over. There you go. There you go. Yeah, that's funny. My heart's beating the whole time, beating out of my freaking brain. Yeah, you're thinking the entire time, man, that you're back in high school when it wasn't legal and you were driving home with your illegal narcotic. Yeah, more like walking to school smoking out of a pop can. You know what's funny? I'll never forget the guy, the buddy of mine, who used to be the guy that was like my weed guy or my drug dealer when I was in high school. His name was Charles. He was the valedictorian of our high school. I was going to say that sounds like a sophisticated weed guy. Guess what Charles had? He probably peaked in high school. He probably still sell weed. Charles had the best dang. He was the richest guy in high school. Let's put it that way. He was the breaking bad. He was the Walter White of Marist High School. I didn't know you smoked in high school. Just, I didn't smoke. I never inhaled. Yeah, I believe it. I believe it. We'll be right back.