Last summer I visited the Marks and Spencer store in High Street Kensington for the first time in at least 6 or 7 years. I used to live in that area for half-a-decade, and very occasionally visited that branch maybe less than a dozen times in total. Nothing of any note that I can remember ever took place during those visits, although like every other M & S in London, I had evidently been pointed out to the security guards, who would sadistically let me ‘know’ the fact.

Yet on that visit last summer, as I walked around the food counter, a female member of staff, who appeared to be the line manager, visibly pointed me out to another member of staff, her face contorted in rage. As I walked past the tills a few minutes later, a large black female cashier craned her neck to look at me.

I visited again several days later, and although the staff appeared to recognize me again, they seemed to be making it less obvious and aggressive.

This summer, having been able to return to the UK and London for the first time in 10 months I again visited the branch. This time, I needed to go to the clothes department to get some socks and underwear, which I did. A large black female cashier served me, and as I walked away after paying for my goods, said sarcastically and loudly – ‘you’re welcome’ (I had thanked her politely after being served). I walked down to the food section in the basement to buy some ready meals. As I entered, what appeared to be the store manager (who is a James Weston) and a number of his staff were standing talking together. The man who appeared to be the manager clearly seemed to recognize me, and looked shiftily to his colleagues and then back at me. A quick Google check confirmed that it was indeed James Weston, store manager for Marks & Spencer High Street Kensington branch.

Five minutes later, Mr James Weston passed me again, on his own, and I agrain pointed my smartphone at him to take a picture. He looked at me with a poor attempt to fein ignorance as to why I might be pointing my smartphone at him. Still gaslighting.

Several days later, I visited the branch again to buy more socks and a few other items such as a cup for my hotel room kettle. In the home section, the large middle-aged European woman cashier gave me the same look of recognition. She served me very oddly, almost with disgust, and after handing my reciept did not say anything, only gave me a look of very visible disgust. In the men’s clothing floor, the cashier in my queue swapped places with another cashier after appearing to recognize me. That cashier served me politely.

On both visits, the security guard appeared to recognize me and looked rather shame faced.

All the above and more is also happening to me in the Marks and Spencers branch of the European city in which I currently live. I have made a number of complaints to Marks and Spencer (UK) who claimed they telephoned the manager of that branch and was told that they ‘had no knowledge of me’. Despite this, both the security guards and the managers continued to make a point of standing watching me every time I was served (and often walking away smirking as soon as I’d been served). Cashiers at that branch (and others) have also been aggressive with me, and I was almost physically assaulted by a Marks and Spencers security guard both in the store and outside on the street.

Again, as you can read from all my other posts on this site, similar behavior happens at hundreds of other shops, shopping centers and even sometimes in restaurants, in 13 different countries and over nearly 15 years now.

In the UK, torture is illegal in both civil and common law and carries a potential life tariff imprisonment. As per the Criminal Justice Act of 1988, a public official such as a police officer committing the act of psychological torture will be subject to life term imprisonment upon conviction.