I have traveled the world. I have shopped on several continents. Purchased items from the Grand Bazaar to Kappabashi. And throughout my entire shopping career of many decades, I have so far always found that upon exiting a store, opening bags upon request and (if necessary) presenting receipts is the gold standard (nay, the only standard) of security procedures. Well, nope. Not here. Not at Cora, Woluwe-Lambert, Brussels, Belgium. The normal rules of shopping security do not apply here. "How do we know you didn't buy your purchases, exit the store, take the receipt back in with you and buy identical items all over again?" Seriously. This is what I was asked on one occasion a couple years ago. And bear in mind, my purchases included a lump of cheese sold by weight, so I would have had to serendipitously manage to find an identically weighted lump (not to mention gather together the extensive list of items in the space of about 16 minutes or so). But OK. Fine. They have a heightened security policy for some reason. God knows why, the store is in upscale Woluwe. But fine. So then why not have a signboard up to explain your bizarre one-of-a-kind Alcatraz Level 15 security ? That would seem to me to be common sense. But no. Not a one. Not a single sign in sight. No coin lockers either. Today was the last day I will ever set foot in there again. I was asked to present my small blue wrinkled plastic bag. Containing a book. "But you don't sell these," I said. "How do I know that?" "It's in English." "You could have bought it here." "You don't sell English books." "I don't know that." "Well, that's not my problem, is it?" "..." "Here's the sticker on the back showing the name of the store I bought it at. Does that say Cora ?" "...." "You should have been a policeman." "..." "A detective." And I exited into the rest of my life, filled with sunsets, joy, and never, ever going back to Cora again. The staff is insane and rude even by Brussels standards. If you've made it this far, here's the good news--go to the Kraainem Carrefour Hypermarket. It's nearby, they have everything that Cora has, it's much more easily accessible by public transport, and they have a lowest price guarantee. I don't know what I was thinking going back to Cora. Never again. read more