When did this become a thing in the first place?!?!

[u/scuttlebum_k]

At Home Depot today - why on earth did someone think this was ok in the first place?!

[u/Komonkantsu]

we have to tape all of our spray paint closed because people love to spray it all over the shelves and the electronic labels.

[u/rkcth → u/Komonkantsu]

I owned a discount store, people would spray it all over. I thought it was just the people in my area. Sad to hear it’s not.

[u/dropkickoz → u/rkcth]

People suck everywhere. More at 11.

[u/Coreysurfer → u/dropkickoz]

This…people care less then they wonder why someplaces lock it up even without having to ..law wise and makes it tough for people that use it responsibly

[u/Comfortable-Disk407 → u/dropkickoz]

Exactly the reason why I'm a recluse just like Howard Hughes, never go anywhere because I can't deal with stupidity of society. I only leave my house if it's absolutely necessary. I have everything that I need at home, my 5 dogs give me more love than I can handle.

[u/BigRoach → u/Comfortable-Disk407]

Even if it was just stupidity it might be tolerable. What we have in the U.S. is people who think they’re too important to follow basic rules of society.

[u/Kristietron → u/BigRoach]

It’s just such a strange mentality to me. The cognitive dissonance of people who are gleefully antisocial, whilst simultaneously feeling perfectly entitled to exploit and benefit from the very societal rules, laws and norms that they consistently violate. A double standard that runs rampant, while pointing to immigration and ‘communism’ as our downfall. Obviously not referring specifically to this vandalism, but the greater problem that’s been raised here which this behaviour represents.

Can anyone offer any insight into the appeal of being the richest fucker on the Titanic? Truly a race to the bottom.

[u/wazzup-notemuch → u/Kristietron]

The authoritarian personality is pretty simple: they prioritize their social status above all other survival needs.

If the only thing you care about is your social status in relation to everyone else, you don't have to become a better person, nor make the world a better place. All you have to do is make sure everyone else is worse-off than you are.

[u/Lonely_Writer_1883 → u/Kristietron]

yep just look at the Bricks and Minifigs scandal going on right now - it’s insane. The people / crooks involved in all of it are in leadership rolls and, simply put, are all selfish assholes and i think that’s what all of this boils down to especially after the pandemic. People just want to do what they want, when they want and how they want no matter how it may affect others or goes against rules or laws and when large amounts of money are involved or items of high value like these Lego sets in the BAM scenario then we get overly confident assholes who now believe they are above the rules and laws established. We can now only watch and wait to see how it all plays out but my good if true justice isn’t served on this case we are doomed! They did just adjust the TRO against Reckless Ben tho so it’s a step in the right direction but still it should’ve never even gotten to this point. The Lego sets should’ve been accounted for once the store owners changed hands plain and simple.

[u/UserNameDeletedAgain → u/BigRoach]

That has a lot to do with their parents seldom correcting their children.

[u/Fritzi_Gala → u/UserNameDeletedAgain]

I think it's deeper than that. Every social contract has been broken at every level. Our leaders are liars and crooks. I think these conditions encourage people to think along the lines of "No one cares, everyone lies cheats and steals, nothing matters. So why should I care, why should I follow rules?"

[u/ElectronicZebra6526 → u/UserNameDeletedAgain]

Our leaders seem to model the idea of not having to follow rules as well.

[u/Kristietron → u/UserNameDeletedAgain]

Only in part. There’s a bigger, systemic issue which ignores or rewards antisocial behaviour so long as the perpetrators are part of the dominant group. No one - at any level - is leading by example.

Instead of trying to find ways to fix these problems, young people see the unfairness of what the privileged few get away with and become disenfranchised, because all you get for trying to do the right thing is further screwed over. We’re all successfully distracted with the rhetoric that somehow everything is worse and it’s the fault of today’s younger generations, while we’re all wallowing in the “Find Out” phase that was inevitably going to follow generations of Fucking Around at everyone’s expense.

[u/Okie294life → u/UserNameDeletedAgain]

I think you nailed it. Maybe parent would be a better way to describe it. I saw a video of several kids a year ago breaking a bulletproof drive through teller window in a bank during a riot. I was thinking to myself when a couple of these kids get shot or tased it will be the first time they’ve ever been held accountable for anything.

[u/ryanidsteel → u/Comfortable-Disk407]

I spend less and less time away from home as well. I call it Mountain Man Maxxing.

[u/Kristietron → u/ryanidsteel]

Sanity Maxxing.

[u/enadiz_reccos → u/Comfortable-Disk407]

Hopefully not "just like" Howard Hughes

If I ever become a recluse, I hope it's more like the Grinch

[u/Comfortable-Disk407 → u/enadiz_reccos]

I'm just more comfortable inside my house than around the dregs of society! I will leave occasionally to go to the pharmacy or doctor appointments, other than that I have my groceries delivered and anything else that I need delivered. I see nothing wrong with the way I'm living because it suits me just fine.

[u/Original_Zekemilli4 → u/enadiz_reccos]

Speaking of Hughes, didn’t he wear tissue boxes on his feet after he became a recluse, or was that just a rumor?

[u/kickitback44 → u/Comfortable-Disk407]

Uhhh, OK, that sounds perfectly normal.

[u/soedesh1 → u/rkcth]

My local Walmart keeps theirs locked up.

[u/gadget850 → u/soedesh1]

In the Ace Hardware case.

[u/DesolateRuin → u/soedesh1]

Yeah, Michaels does too.

People are shit.

[u/Glad-Watch3506 → u/soedesh1]

Between huffers and taggers, it's probably a high theft item

[u/Different-Fondant570 → u/soedesh1]

Chicago got to the point where it is illegal to sell spray paint in Chicago and the surrounding suburbs. It's been like that for years. The 80s and 90s were the peak for gangs tagging everywhere and everything. Pathetic. Certain areas in Chicago and around show you how atavistic, churlish, and crude humans can be in Western civilization. I assume being the product of your environment rings true in most cases.

[u/Comfortable-Disk407 → u/Different-Fondant570]

Learning and discipline begin at home. If the parents aren't willing to teach their children right from wrong this is the product that they reap. I can't stand this crap of gangs going around and tagging. How absolutely childish to need that much attention, obviously it was lacking during their formative years.

[u/Boomkj → u/[deleted]]

Being fair to Walmart. Good for you.

[u/TheSnackWhisperer → u/rkcth]

This looks just like the Lowe’s down the street from me, and the Walmart near it before they put their spray paint behind plexi.

[u/DisposableSaviour → u/TheSnackWhisperer]

My local Home Depot puts a piece of shitty OSB (Oriented Strand Board) by the spray paint section that they replace semi regularly

[u/TheSnackWhisperer → u/DisposableSaviour]

That’s probably the better way to go, if people are going to spray anyway. Might lead to more paint sales lol.

[u/turtlebro5 → u/TheSnackWhisperer]

Still. Shouldn’t encourage people to test a product that someone else will have the misfortune of getting miffed of a full can. Same goes with the detergent and those people that will top theirs off with another container.

[u/IllusionaryHobo → u/TheSnackWhisperer]

I feel like the only kind of product where this is actually widely accepted is deodorants and perfumes.

There the sales people put out unboxed "testers" you can use to spray yourself. And if you wan to buy you grab one of the boxes behind the tester display.

The same could be done for spraypaints. If people were willing to play by the same rules.

[u/MediumAcceptable129 → u/DisposableSaviour]

Why cant they just bring their own bag and huff it like a normal person?

[u/Kristietron → u/[deleted]]

The smarter way to go. When you realise this is a human compulsion, evidenced by the little notepads provided on every pen and sharpie display I can ever remember. Reminds me of the ancient graffiti and crudely- drawn dicks all over the ruins of Pompeii.

[u/Stargazingdragon → u/rkcth]

It's not just spray paint I worked at a Sallys and people would paint the shelf with nail polish. I assume they had color on already and wanted to see it dry but most of them had painted nail tips displayed so idk maybe they were bored

[u/Imaginary-Duck1333 → u/Stargazingdragon]

My local Marshals got tired of this and moved the nail polish into the checkout line. Which is really annoying. I like to sit on the floor and work my way through the colors. The nail polish is always on the bottom shelf and too much up/ down makes me nauseous. So I’m on the floor just past the first turn into the checkout area. Not everyone pays attention.

[u/disruptioncoin → u/rkcth]

One morning working in the dollar general distribution center we had a little meeting where the boss was like "whoever though it was cool to open some spray paint and spray dumb stuff all over the nearby pallets of product, that's vandalism and we're gonna catch you, also just why"

[u/timetrapped → u/Komonkantsu]

When I worked at a craft store all the nozzles were taken off the cans and kept at customer service

[u/AlbatrossNo1562 → u/Komonkantsu]

Home Depot has them behind locked cages

[u/Legitimate-Pomelo638 → u/AlbatrossNo1562]

At my Home Depot they have a roller of paper that people use to test spray paint, didn’t realize it wasn’t common

[u/YellowBreakfast → u/Legitimate-Pomelo638]

I don't want to buy used paint.

It's likely to clog too if put away wrong.

[u/Reno_Potato → u/Legitimate-Pomelo638]

I really wouldn't want to buy spray paint that random entitled idiots already sprayed x% out of and let the paint dry in the nozzle. Maybe 1 out of 20 people know/tale the time to turn the can upside down and clear the nozzle after spraying.

[u/Numerous_Photograph9 → u/Reno_Potato]

The lid colors are surprisingly accurate.

[u/CivilRuin4111 → u/Numerous_Photograph9]

Assuming the lids haven’t been swapped is a bi assumption. 

[u/Shakleford_Rusty → u/Reno_Potato]

Facts. Im with you on that one

[u/Numerous_Photograph9 → u/Legitimate-Pomelo638]

My local lowes keeps some strips of cardboard on the floor for this purpose.

People still hit the floor.

[u/Complex_Solutions_20 → u/Legitimate-Pomelo638]

the Lowe's in my area has that...but people still spray on the floor and shelves...

[u/AThrowawayProbrably → u/Komonkantsu]

Why don’t they just put up plywood or foam-core that people can spray on? It’s not ideal, but it’s inevitable. People gonna people.

[u/ComparisonOk8602 → u/AThrowawayProbrably]

Because the people shouldn't be encouraged in this behavior. They're essentially stealing the paint from the person who eventually buys the can, and they're very likely clogging the nozzle.

There's a reason for the caps are different colors!

There should be another sign that says something like "You spray it; you bought it."

[u/Higher_State5 → u/AThrowawayProbrably]

You’re not supposed to spray that in a store.

[u/TamanduaGirl → u/AThrowawayProbrably]

If I buy spray paint I want it all not a bottle half used by others "testing" it.

[u/Adam_Ohh → u/TamanduaGirl]

Well only suckers buy the one in the front.

You gotta reach to the back, past the other 16 on the shelf, knocking at least half over in the process, not picking any of them up(duh, it ain’t my job!) and then maybe you decide you need to research the color more first before you buy.

[u/chewwwybar → u/AThrowawayProbrably]

Well because the ppl that would spray the plywood won’t just randomly spray the floor.
While the ppl that don’t give af will prob just spray wherever anyways

[u/PerfectAbroad3441 → u/chewwwybar]

I used to work at a hardware store, we put up a painted white plywood board with a sign asking people if they needed to test the spray to use the board. Surprisingly almost everybody did, not everyone, but probably 90-95%.

[u/Countermove → u/chewwwybar]

I feel like if they also just showed a sample of what it looked like outside the can it would help prevent this crap. Still an issue, just show the sample and lock up the actual cans

[u/Judge_Syd → u/Countermove]

The cap is the color of the paint. All they need to do is look at the cap.

[u/Bearfoxman → u/Countermove]

What you're painting GREATLY impacts how the paint turns out. Paint some BC plywood, a 2x4, and a sheet of foam board with the same can and you'll get 3 different hues and 3 different shines.

[u/Recent_Trifle_8159 → u/AThrowawayProbrably]

They do that with demo drills

[u/Economy-Flower-6443 → u/Komonkantsu]

Similarly in any dollar tree or five below i’ve ever been in people will vandalize shelving with nail polish

[u/aasocial146]

HD near my place has a plywood board right next to this isle where you can spray the cans. There is no paint on the floor.

[u/No_Preparation7895 → u/aasocial146]

Seems like a no-brainer. Like art stores that have a little pad of paper in the market and colored pencil aisle.

[u/Red_240_S13 → u/No_Preparation7895]

Yeah it seems like a no brainer but tell that to my home depot's management team . They have nothing to test the paint on and get mad when people test on the floor or the shelf . They also dont take returns on any kind of paint . So if you grab the wrong one your boned

[u/SuperSiriusBlack → u/Red_240_S13]

Your periods are weird. What's up with you, bud? You good?

[u/BVRPLZR_ → u/SuperSiriusBlack]

Might be stress, I’ve heard that can cause irregular periods.

[u/itsnotapipe → u/BVRPLZR_]

Oh my. Excellent work.

[u/Depreciacion → u/itsnotapipe]

You. certainly have regular periods

[u/UsefullyChunky → u/BVRPLZR_]

Perimenopause

[u/Glad-Flow9391 → u/BVRPLZR_]

I’d give you an award if I could. I actually closed this right after reading this comment and had to come back to give you an upvote.

[u/HAIL_LUMPUS → u/BVRPLZR_]

WHY I OUGHTA (what?)

[u/DrumsKing → u/SuperSiriusBlack]

A space for everything, and everything in its space.

[u/ThisIsMyCouchAccount → u/SuperSiriusBlack]

You know...I don't hate it.

We dropped the double space and this does make it very clear where the sentence ends.

Would never want to be forced to do this tho.

[u/essensiedashuhn → u/Red_240_S13]

You shouldn't be testing paint in the store anyway. It clogs the sprayer tip for the next person and fucks them over

[u/OopsIHadAnAccident → u/essensiedashuhn]

Yup and these idiots would never take the “used” can they just “tested”. Gotta grab a fresh one if it checks out.

Any time I buy spray paint I’m looking to make sure someone didn’t spray it already. I’m sure I’m not the only one.

[u/Nuttyrolo → u/OopsIHadAnAccident]

Slightly different but when I worked in retail the AMOUNT OF PEOPLE that would rip open a toothpaste box to check to see if the toothpaste matched the one they had at home, comfirm yes it did, PUT THE RIPPED ONE BACK and pick up a "perfect" box.

What the fuck are you going to do when you get home‽ RIP IT OPEN

NOW THEY CAN'T SELL THAT AT RRP AND I'M GOING TO GET SHIT FOR IT

[u/zexcis → u/Nuttyrolo]

I hate when someone steals one thing out of a box. Just take the whole fucking thing so you don't have to steal more. The rest of the box is basically garbage unless it's something the store uses.

[u/ShoddyJuggernaut975 → u/Nuttyrolo]

I used to work at a hardware store. One day, a guy came in and wanted to look at a drill that we did not have on display. I said, "Sure no problem!" and carefully opened one up for him. He looked at it for a moment, said "I'll take it!" and handed it back to me. I put it back in the box and tried to hand it to him. "No," he said, "that one is open, I want a sealed box."

[u/Jamesgweny → u/essensiedashuhn]

Not to mention it's not a good test unless you're actually testing it on the surface in which you will be painting because it won't ever be the same.

[u/AllKindsOfCritters → u/No_Preparation7895]

I worked in an art supplies store and people would still write & spray everywhere. The worst was the glitter shelf, people just dumped it out to be an asshole.

[u/Timely-Bluejay-4167 → u/AllKindsOfCritters]

Better than them dumping it on their asshole, I suppose.

[u/Moo_Kau_Too → u/Timely-Bluejay-4167]

or shoving it on their testicles.

pretty nuts, am i right?

[u/AsanoSokato → u/aasocial146]

This is the approach to take. There's being correct and then there's solving the problem. 

[u/abusche → u/AsanoSokato]

the prob is then that the paint nozzles will dry and clog.

[u/StirlingS → u/AsanoSokato]

I'd argue the signs make it worse. People who will obey the signs will probably not spray paint anyway and some non-zero number of people will see the signs and think "fuck you! I'll do what I want! No sign is going tell me what to do!"

[u/wargames_exastris → u/StirlingS]

I’m gonna test it on the sign

[u/thisplacewackyaf → u/wargames_exastris]

[u/thelivingdead188 → u/wargames_exastris]

Yes.

[u/GabrielGames69 → u/StirlingS]

Actually I think the people that will obey the signs would see the amound of spray paint on the floor and go "oh I geuss we test the color here on the floor". I also don't think the amount of people that would only do it now that there is a sign is larger than the first group.

[u/A_Drop_of_Colour → u/AsanoSokato]

I might be in the minority but I hate that people are allowed to just open and spray test any can. I once bought some spray paint only to get back and be told I got the wrong finish (she never put what finish she wanted on the note but besides the point). I took the spray can back to do an exchange and Home Depot denied it because when they removed the top we could see the stains around the nozzle showing it had been sprayed. The refused the return because they said I had already used it.

I went to check the cans and so many of the cans had paint stains on the nozzles from people testing them and putting them back on the shelf. Now I dig all the way in the back and always check to make sure it hasn't been used.

[u/Unapologetic_Canuck → u/aasocial146]

Aisle.

[u/nightgraydawg → u/Unapologetic_Canuck]

This post actually takes place in Home Depot Island

[u/Tea-Storm → u/Unapologetic_Canuck]

https://giphy.com/gifs/l378aUIDVRapQXXfG

This where you can spray the cans. There's also some plywood next to it.

[u/SippyTurtle → u/aasocial146]

Like cats to a scratching post.

[u/TransiTorri → u/aasocial146]

Yeah, at a certain point of trying to fight a problem you accept you can either fight human nature, or channel it so that it's less destructive.

[u/Tricky-Sprinkles-807 → u/aasocial146]

That's so smart

[u/Any-Fox-838]

wow used to just be on the rack.

[u/userhwon → u/Any-Fox-838]

Used to be locked up in a cage. I guess they care less about lossage now.

[u/Informal_Tell78 → u/userhwon]

This varies by location

[u/YeshuasBananaHammock → u/Informal_Tell78]

Used to just spray it in a plastic bag and oh wait nevermind

[u/hell2pay → u/YeshuasBananaHammock]

You gotta use paper bags, that way you don't suffocate

[u/Harey-89 → u/userhwon]

I've never seen it in a cage in my area.

[u/SASSIESASSQUATCH → u/userhwon]

My area only used to lock them up because of local regulations applying age limits on spray paint (huffers). They locked them so they could card to adhere to the local laws.

[u/Playful-Profile6489]

I've never done it but every hardware store I go to has a paint aisle that looks like this.

Nice of them to provide signs to test the paint on

[u/CirclleySquare]

Customers used to do this when I worked at advance auto and then get all mad when I kicked them out

[u/Sir_Clarence_III_Esq → u/CirclleySquare]

Not saying it's OK, but I understand wanting to see the exact shade for auto touchup paint.

I've never really cared what the exact Pantone number the color of a can of spray paint is. "Red" is close enough for most projects.

[u/Pennifur → u/Sir_Clarence_III_Esq]

But people don't want used products. Look up your vehicle and get the right color.

[u/10000Didgeridoos → u/Sir_Clarence_III_Esq]

Strong disagree. It makes NO sense. Whatever a color looks like inside a fluorescent lighted store on a medium of "metal shelf" or "tile floor" or "concrete floor" isn't gonna tell you how it looks on your car compared to the paint already on it, outside, in daylight.

You aren't going to know how it matches until you bring it home or unless you have an actual sample from the thing you're touching up with you to compare in the same lighting.

[u/chain_letter → u/10000Didgeridoos]

also it's not even dry

[u/Putrid-Tap3992 → u/Sir_Clarence_III_Esq]

But to see that you usually have to wait hours for it to dry to get the accurate color

[u/FewAct2027 → u/Sir_Clarence_III_Esq]

but I understand wanting to see the exact shade for auto touchup paint.

it's not accurate though, The surface needs to be properly prepped, then the paint needs to cure. There's no benefit to seeing how it looks in store unless you want to know what it looks like wet which is completely useless.

[u/ObviAshley]

The solution is to have examples of how each colour sprays - this is a desire path situation.

[u/hardcoretomato → u/ObviAshley]

The home depot next to me have a wooden board that you can spray to test the color, and honestly i feel like this is the best approach here.

Edit: as it seems a lot of people are not aware, they have testing cans of each color, you're not using new ones to try the color 😅.

[u/Unlikely_Meat4027 → u/hardcoretomato]

Yeah I’d say they could have done that. Stores though like my local Michael’s have isles too small for that.

[u/ObviAshley → u/hardcoretomato]

That's a perfect solution! It's not reasonable to spray the floors, but it's evidence that their customers have a need

[u/Inflatable90sChair → u/hardcoretomato]

But its the fucking cap color? Like i buy alot of spraypaint and never once have i thought hmm this red looks right, cap matches perfectly... better spray it on something cuz it could be blue....

[u/DryContract8916 → u/ObviAshley]

yep, like nail polish swatches. don’t have it in generic chips or print outs but have a worker spend a few hours to create real samples of each color & throw them on a big key ring to display. i doubt they’d get push back for locking them up either if they have this on display.

[u/im_wudini → u/ObviAshley]

Feel like the cap does an ok job of that, these aren't huge investments.

[u/ObviAshley → u/im_wudini]

Yeah but anyone who has done a bunch of painting projects can tell you that the paint is always slightly different than the cap. It might not seem like a big deal, but it can be.

[u/ImprovementElephant → u/ObviAshley]

It also changes as it dries

[u/FuzzyAd9407 → u/ObviAshley]

As someone that does a lot of spray paint projects. This is a bullshit excuse, especially since no one spraying paint in the store is standing around to watch it drysince the tint slightly changes when paint dries. 

[u/ObviAshley → u/FuzzyAd9407]

To be clear, I'm not suggesting that spraying the paint on the floor is a reasonable thing to do. I just think that rather than trying to fight against it with these signs, the store could try to find find a solution that meets the customers' needs

[u/Sir_Clarence_III_Esq → u/ObviAshley]

I'd get it if we were looking at acrylics or oil paint. Or anything for fine art.

But this is just spray paint, and it'll look different if the object you're spraying isn't polished concrete floor. The cap is plenty close. Hell, most of the paint on this image is black. Are we really evaluating the shade of black?

[u/ExpBalSat]

Wow. I have never seen this. Heathens.

[u/Limp_Bookkeeper_5992 → u/ExpBalSat]

Have you never been in a hardware store? This has been the norm for decades now.

[u/khall20 → u/Limp_Bookkeeper_5992]

I worked in a hardware store in my teens and never seen this in person but have seen it on the internet like this!

[u/Vohasiiv → u/khall20]

I worked at a hardware store a few years ago and there was always some on the floor or the metal shelves

[u/penpointred → u/Limp_Bookkeeper_5992]

i've NEVER seen this and there's a few i frequent at least once a week. wild.

[u/Sir_Clarence_III_Esq → u/Limp_Bookkeeper_5992]

I can't count the number of hardware stores I've been into in the last decade. Never seen this.

[u/TomNooksGlizzy → u/Sir_Clarence_III_Esq]

Go to any rougher area, very common. My Target also has it sprayed on the shelves

[u/BottomPieceOfBread → u/TomNooksGlizzy]

My Target has nail polish all over the nail polish shelves

[u/veiledxvoodoo → u/Limp_Bookkeeper_5992]

I worked in a hardware store, in the paint department, a decade and a half ago... this surely wasn't normal

[u/iloveplant420 → u/veiledxvoodoo]

I worked in one about 20 years ago and they had pieces of scrap cardboard hanging from the racks with a piece of wire. They would be covered in paint and changed regularly. Never on the floor or racks. But it did lead me to assume that people testing spray paint colors in the store was normal and accepted. I don't really ever buy the stuff. I guess if I did I'd want a full can and not one that's been tested by 5 people though.

[u/fabulousfantabulist → u/Limp_Bookkeeper_5992]

I’ve been to dozens of hardware stores in four different states and have never in my life seen this. 

[u/twincities612 → u/Limp_Bookkeeper_5992]

I’ve legit bought spray paint dozens of times and never seen this. Maybe it’s a regional thing? I guess I’ve always bought it in the same bubble of an area.

[u/truemad → u/Limp_Bookkeeper_5992]

I guess it depends on the location. I've never seen anything like that.

[u/SubstantialOffside → u/ExpBalSat]

I've never seen it like this, the occasional accident like someone dropped a can or something, never anything deliberate like that

[u/Frequent_Estimate_77]

I’m 43 years old. My dad had a whole spray paint closet at the house when I was a kid so I’ve seen my share of spray paint aisles and they have been sprayed all over at hardware and big box stores since the dawn of time. They should consider putting out a board. 

[u/Jolly_Ad2446]

In California they're locked up so this doesn't happen. If this keeps happening by you I predict they will be locked up. 

By the way it's the law that they're locked up no one under 18 is allowed to buy spray paint. 

[u/Late-Combination5060 → u/Jolly_Ad2446]

All around the country they are locked up but usually because they are the most stolen items In the home improvement stores. Even the 18+ were just stealing them for graffiti or to use as a job and make money off. Locking them up is the solution to everything but than you have to wait or find an employee. Which is fine with me. I actually just order paint matched stuff online nowadays so I don't get to see it anyway , it really doesn't matter. 

[u/Forced-Alt → u/Late-Combination5060]

it's the second most stolen item in home improvement stores. The number one item that's stolen is MAPP gas as it's a requirement for producing methamphetamine at scale.

[u/BlueberryPenguin]

I worked at an auto parts store and this was common. I once saw a lady go and paint her car in the parking lot… while parked right next to another customer.

[u/Edward_Zachary]

Decades and decades ago

[u/PackageNorth8984 → u/Edward_Zachary]

Yes, they always used to be behind a locked cabinet when I was a kid. I’m surprised to see so many loose out in the shelves now.

[u/ImprovementElephant → u/PackageNorth8984]

Kids aren’t allowed outside anymore and THC vapes are easy to get. They have no need for the spray paint.

[u/SpiderHomeNoWayMan → u/ImprovementElephant]

It's more about the graffiti vandals I think. They're more likely to steal the stuff 

[u/pfroo40]

Think of the dumbest person you know personally, and remember that half the population is likely even dumber than that.

[u/MC_PhiR]

Maybe they should just let people test on the Flock cameras in the parking lot.....

[u/ashms58]

Have you met people? They think they’re so entitled to do whatever they want, wherever they want.

[u/NullPointer-000111]

I bet someone will spray paint on that sign 😅. Then there's no sign so spray on floor again.

[u/QuepieRGG]

There needs to be a study done where something exactly like this is set up, and have someone watch to wait for someone to do it so we can pull them in the back and interrogate them about WHY they think it's ok despite there being two signs.

[u/FinntheHue]

Broken window theory? The second someone sees a paint mark on the ground they assume it’s fine to do so.

[u/SubieGal9]

Ridiculous.

[u/theaudacity1999]

It's not theirs so they don't care. It's an epidemic.

[u/PutridSauce]

But how would they know what color the paint is? It's not as if there is some sort of indication to what color it could possibly be on the can itself! /s

[u/rharvey8090]

I saw two women doing this the other day. Only reason I noticed is that it reeked of spray paint in the curtains section.

[u/airs_999]

Third world here, we don't do that

[u/Powerful_Concert9474]

Same thing happens wherever fingernail polish and makeup is sold too.

[u/artbystorms]

Because a good majority of people are selfish, inconsiderate, unthinking assholes. Especially in America, most people walk around with serious main character syndrome, there is no sense of community in this country, just millions of isolated people and families that all spy on each other with Ring cameras and talk shit on Nextdoor.

[u/mrbeck1]

They just need to put some butcher paper down.

[u/MonsterkillWow]

I guess people were testing the paint. Maybe there should be a wall somewhere for people to test it. IDK.

[u/mrhooha]

Well you see people have been inconsiderate entitled assholes for sometime now.

[u/RazorRadick]

Kinda surprised they are not locked up. They are at my store.

Also, who wants to buy the can of spray paint that everyone else used as a tester? You'll spend 16 bucks and get 2 sprays.

[u/zastr0w]

HD near me just has a big roll of butcher paper next to the spray cans.  Much easier

[u/Westyle1]

One person did it then others saw it and thought it was ok. Broken window theory.

[u/Itsjustmebob-]

Why are the caps colored again?

[u/Adventurous_Emu4730]

Monkey see, monkey do.

[u/Beneficial-Focus3702]

You spray it, you buy it, and then have a paint associate or cameras to watch the aisle.

[u/rubikscanopener]

I would be furious if I bought a can of spray paint and someone had already used some of it. This is asshole behavior.

[u/GeoisGeo]

Oh let me tell you about being a manager of such a place at one point and catching grown adults vandalizing, uh, random anything, to "check the colour" and having to explain that the colour is the colour on the can. Then you get cussed out...usually.

[u/Haifisch2112]

I see this at the Lowe's by me. People are dicks.

[u/Middle-Pie-9283]

I haven’t seen spray can not behind cages in ages wow when and where is this?

[u/FuzzyAd9407 → u/Middle-Pie-9283]

The only store I see with them behind cages is hobby stores. The only things I see at hardware stores behind cages are power tools and equipment like lawnmowers.

[u/Unlikely_Meat4027]

Every single store I’ve been to selling spray paint had this. Only way it stopped was because some of them locked all the spray cans in glass cabinets

[u/Odd-Worth7752]

After the first person did it, it became normal

[u/Krethlaine]

When I still worked at Michaels, we kept the spray paint locked up because it’s toxic and explosive.

[u/Natural_Ant_5590]

When did they stop locking up graffiti paints in stores?

[u/Adorable_Ad4990]

This is why we can’t have nice things. I haven’t seen spray paint outside of locked cases in years

[u/thebluerayxx]

I remember going to the hardware store with my dad maybe 20 years ago and they had a piece of wood to test colors on or to see how dried from someone else. Sometimes the cap is a lie and the color is slightly different or dried different, its good to test.

[u/slowbilly]

Been that way for decades.

[u/Both-Variation2122]

Seen it since first home depot opened here in the east in the 90's.

[u/WeezerHunter]

A lot of the big hardware stores used to have a big sheet of heavy kraft paper taped down on the ground in front of the spray paint aisle so you could test the paint. Yes, I know that the paint supposedly matches the color of the lid, but you also need to know the opacity and matte / sheen finish. I get that this looks crazy and entitled, but the hardware stores literally trained people to do this, and now they have taken away another convenience, probably to save budget, so its not really out of nowhere.

[u/_jamesbaxter]

When was it not a thing? Spray paint, paint pens, nail polish. These are the items that always get opened and tested in store. You see it less these days actually. I remember a time when the nail polish aisle at cvs always had “tester” dots and blobs COVERING the front of the shelves where the prices are.

[u/Mindless_Reality2614]

All it takes is one idiot, and all the other idiots will follow

[u/FrozeItOff]

I was going to say, "Because paint companies lie (or are lazy) about the color with lids that don't really represent to color in the can," but after reading some of these responses, some customers are just a-holes.

[u/Robert23B]

Fucking humans, dude. Stupid, stupid humans.

[u/Imverystupidgenx]

Oh, that’s actually a decent reason to have them locked up. I just assumed they were being stolen. Nope just a different type of terrible people.

[u/Proper-Bar-1259]

https://giphy.com/gifs/VvVhcK99JgauA

[u/SaintShogun]

Decades ago.

[u/shaved_wookie211]

I’ve worked in retail for a loooong time, and I can tell you with certainty that they know it’s not ok. They’re just assholes and they don’t care at all 💯💯💯

[u/ENERGON_CUBED]

Is this an American thing?

[u/Cold-Practice3107]

This is why the cans need to be sealed and the only way to try it is to purchase it.

[u/Richardknox1996]

Better question...why is it not locked behind a Display Case? Here in NZ, you can't even physically grab a Spray Can without a staff member unlocking the display first.

[u/dustinmakesthings]

I got physically ill off the fumes from asshole customers waaaaay overdoing it while working at Michaels several times in the early aughts. Gondolas hold fumes a lot longer than you’d think they should.

[u/Kaleighc11]

Our Home Depot and Lowe’s has a roll of Kraft butcher paper they pull down so you can try it on the paper, and then they tear it off when it gets full and pull down a new sheet section. With that said, the cap should be the exact color and sheen of the paint.

[u/No-End-6239]

You can’t fix stupid, but if I owned or managed this type of store I would make sure to put real color samples next to each can. I guess people want to see how the color actually looks before they buy.