A Shiny Book, A Security Alarm, And A Mother’s Day Out Disrupted

13 September 2025

Mom Jessica Mendes posted on TikTok about a confrontation in a Big W store. tiktok/@authorjessicamendes

In a moment that felt like something out of a script, Jessica Mendes, a mother from Australia, found herself in a deeply embarrassing situation at a Big W store after what she thought was a straightforward shopping trip with her toddler. She had brought along a new, shiny-looking book from home to entertain her child while browsing the aisles. The kind of little intervention parents often do to keep toddlers calm mid-errands. When she tried to leave the store, though, the alarm suddenly went off.

Store employees stopped her and demanded that she empty her stroller, show receipts, and explain herself in front of dozens of onlookers. The assumption was that the book she held must have been stolen. Mendes recounted the moment by saying “my soul left my body” once she realized the accusation was flying. She was asked to produce receipts for all her purchases and to pull apart everything in her stroller in full view of people around her.

The twist came when the alarm was traced not to the book but to a jumper from Target, still sporting a security tag, tucked beneath other items in her stroller. That piece of clothing was the real culprit. Still, the buildup of humiliation had already played out.

Mendes shared the story on TikTok. Her tone was equal parts disbelief and forced humor. She joked about whether she should abandon bringing books from home altogether just to avoid the risk of being accused again. Her caption under the video read, “Lesson learnt double do not take your own books anywhere,” a line that underlined just how much she felt judged just for having something shiny in hand that looked new.

The incident struck a nerve online. Mothers in comment sections immediately resonated with what Mendes described. Many said that they too have felt unfairly scrutinized when entering or leaving stores, especially while pushing strollers or carrying children. Some stories recounted accusations over simple items hidden under blankets or beneath bags. Others spoke of how hard it is to prove ownership of something innocuous like a toy or a book when confronted in a public setting.

Some commenters offered practical ideas for how to avoid similar situations in the future. Suggestions ranged from labeling children’s books to affixing little notes in covers so that onlookers or store staff might recognize them as belonging to families rather than as items recently bought at the store. One person even suggested taping receipts to the item or using stickers with a child’s name to personalize a book.

The reaction online showed frustration but also solidarity. It laid bare the anxiety many parents carry when they step into retail spaces with small children. Mendes admitted that after the experience she was unsure whether she should simply default back to letting her child watch videos on her phone to sidestep the possibility of alarm-triggered trouble. She also confessed she now goes to Big W only with someone else, to avoid the risk of being alone if something similar happens again.

The incident is about more than just shop alarms. It touches on how we as a society treat mothers in public, on assumptions made about honesty, on judgment, and on the spectacle of public accusation. The distress Mendes described was real: being stopped without warning, feeling guilty for nothing, and having her private items exposed in front of strangers. That kind of exposure isn’t just embarrassing. It can feel like an assault on dignity.

Store policies on how security tags are handled, how store staff respond to alarms, and how accusations are made could become the focus of discussions in the wake of Mendes’s story. When alarms go off unnecessarily and assumptions follow, there is potential for harm. Stores might need clearer protocols for responding, more privacy in how they handle questioning, and more awareness of how mothers, children, and shoppers in general can be put through ordeal when misunderstandings occur.

For Mendes the event may be resolved in practical terms the jumper was identified and the truth established but the emotional residue remains. She has spoken of confusion, frustration, shame, and a longing for more grace in moments like these. She does not want to fear going to the store. She wants the simple dignity of not being treated like a criminal just because she carries something new or shiny or because something she owns trips an electronic alarm.

Her experience underscores how small incidents in everyday life often reflect larger issues about suspicion, class, parenting, and public space. It reminds us that what seems like a minor misunderstanding to some may carry disproportionate weight to those on the receiving end. And it suggests how useful it is to look at systems and habits that allow quick accusations rather than prompt wrinkled brows, apologies, or reassurances.