Hydroponics store a danger to my grow???

[gtotoys1]

Avoid any and all hydro stores like the plague. With the extreme convenience of online ordering its just plain dumb.
Just have a safe addy to ship to. Great deals to be had. PM me for the best one to order from. Have used them for yrs. Never a problem and they even hook me up with better prices than they advertise.

 

[Lammy]

 

[hereigrow]

Avoid any and all hydro stores like the plague. With the extreme convenience of online ordering its just plain dumb.
Just have a safe addy to ship to. Great deals to be had. PM me for the best one to order from. Have used them for yrs. Never a problem and they even hook me up with better prices than they advertise.

What's the diff between going in person and payimg cash(prob safer really). Or paying online with paypal or credit card leaving a paper trail. You never know if that online store is bieng audited for another larger than you scale grower, and you would be in the mix...

 

[Mountaindragon]

After you left he must have told the remainder customers: Growing dope for sure! lol

Probably.......but maybe I didn't do a very good job of describing the experience because as far as i was concerned at the time that was exactly what he had already done!
It was like he thought he was somehow bigging himself up by doing it. Kind of like a school kid letting everyone in on a secret so they will think he is cool or something. Making a show of it and with a smug as fuck, smart arse air about him as he said it.

Its hard to keep a clear head when something like that actually happens.
Ever had what is essentially a complete stranger come up and publicly accuse you of something with no evidence what so ever?

I dunno how everybody else reacts to something like that and hypothetical "I would have done this" or "You went about that the wrong way" type comments don't really come into it, because unless you have actually been publicly implicated/accused/called out on the spot in regards to your 'hobbies' then its not really a true representation of how one will actually react when confronted with a certain situation that they are totally unprepared for.
Hindsight is all well and good, but it does not count for jack shit when you are on the spot and grasping for the right course of action. My own instincts tend to lend me towards the 'fight' reaction as opposed to flight....and sometimes that is definitely the wrong road to go down! In this particular instance....maybe, but as far as i was concerned the damage was already done when he opened his yap, and everything i did after that was just an attempt at some perverse form of 'damage control'. Probably did more harm than good....but probably not as well!

Actually this is pretty interesting....I think I might have to start another thread, so as not to hijack this one any further (sorry everybody). Curious to know how others have reacted to similar circumstances now.

 

[offthehook]

Yeah Man MD! You should definatly start that thread man. I'd be curious about that too.

My son in law once had the same experience you had, but he only said : Nah, I'm gett'n too old for that shit these days, maybe if it were legal... He remained very cool and did not need no fuss. End of talk > OUT, lol.

 

[Yesca73]

Shit at one of my local hydro shops they are drinking and vaping in there . First time I went in they ask me if I wanted a hit . I said no thank you . These guys dont even know who I am . There is weed and $ visible under the counter . Crazy spot but they have good prices . I dont go in there much. It is located in one of the crazier towns in Norcal.

@ ALONE it is better to go to the store further away

Another story . I went to my local hydro shop ( I have about 10 in my area)I guy from work recognized me there . I didn't know him at the time but he ended up being my supervisor . He let me know about a year after it happened . I guys after he determined I was cool . Not good .

 

[hereigrow]

Same thing happened to me years ago i worked at a place down the street from a hydro shop..I went in on my lunch break to pick some things and when i got to the register I looked up and there was a coworker standing there lol awkward encounter, although it shoudlnt be. After all im not doing anything wrong but we never spoke of it afterwards

 

[CoastalSFC]

if you're in a non legal state stay the fuck away.

 

[Alone]

Yes! Ive stayed FAR AWAY from it and NEVER EVEN DROVE NEAR IT.

 

[Able Mind]

hell no homie don't shit were you lay your head at...

 

[heatherlonglee]

Yeah stay away from there for the most part. Only the most legal of items may be purchased, assuming you have visible outdoor potted plants at you grow space.

If you go to a hydro shop just get what you want only. Just go in get one two things and bail. No grow questions! For the most part if you have questions about a product, forums and manufacturers web site or better to call the company who makes the product. Hydro companies have contact info. Use that for whatever you need to know about a product best way to get it correct not just some hydro employee's opinion.

My little trick is to act like you've never seen or heard of anything in the store besides what you need. If engaged in small talk point out specifically what you don't know and never heard of (even if you know, pretend you don't). Last two times I bought PRO-MIX, once I acted like I thought what I wanted was called "Sunshine PRO-MIX" the other time I was sure to mention how it was way to large a bail and how would last me forever, being I only have a small patio garden and occasionally gift away a plant to friends.

Out of place and ignorant of the things in the store play out better in my mind as less conspicuous then just staying quiet the whole time. If anyone else wants to listen in on your conversation be sure they hear how you know nothing about a thing in the hydro shop.

 

[sourpuss]

Heres a little horror story for you guys.

Edited

 

[zero244]

No doubt some of these hydro shops might be police fronts, but keep in mind the police can use online stores as fronts. And if you order online they have your address as well.
Doing something illegal is automatically going to create some paranoia, it is best to be careful but not paranoid. I suspect the vast majority of hydro-grow shops are legit.
In my opinion the bigger your operation the more likely you are going to have a problem.
Keep it small guys........it is easier to hide.

 

[BrnCow]

.

 

[supermanlives]

depends where ya live. florida,texas ect I would drive on by the close store for sure. then again a lot depends on you. how you look,how you act, ect. also having clean record incase local piggy runs through checking plates as we all know they do. borrow a car , be clean cut,dont reek of weed and wear tyedye shirt ect. don't drive directly home after make a few stops ,maybe double back,hit a side street ect. I went to a worms way that was known to be watched for years without issues and I never pulled up out back . I parked right in front and loaded up the truck. if you act suspicious you will get attention quicker than acting innocent IMHO

 

[sourpuss]

Trust me it wasn't cops. Was related to the store. For sure.

 

[cheifnugget]

Worst thing about hydro stores is the people tracking every problem from their grow in there and leaving behind mites and eggs and pm spores that you pick p and bring home...Worst is the stores with carpet...I quiver every time I'm standing next to a guy that asks for a p bomb from behind the counter.

 

[soil margin]

Can't just go in discreetly? Like borrow a friends car to drive there and walk in with a baseball hat and sunglasses on? Or just have a friend/relative do the shopping for you?

If not I'd probably avoid anything to do with the place.

 

[GrowerGoneWild]

Yes it endangers your grow. Use a cutout... (somebody that doesn't grow) Or use a vehicle that cant be traced to your grow. You would be suprised how easy it is to get a address off of a plate. Always assume the employes are observing you for later LEO tips.

Hydroshops are not the only place to find garden materials.. I've been able to buy hydroponic chemicals at a local shop that has all kinds of other things.

 

[Euphoriaholic]

In central Florida, LEO were scoping out multiple hydro stores. The cops started investigations on customers who made any purchase big or small. There were many people who got busted from this police operation. All the people who got busted as a result of the investigation had their names and address published in the local newspaper.

The majority of the people who got arrested only got one year probation no jail time.
It turned out most people arrested had small garden for their own personal stash.
The Court system eventually put a stop to this police investigations. The Court ruling said operating a Hydro store is not illegal. And purchases from that said stores are not illegal.

The newspaper article mentioned the police investigation of Hydro store were gross waste of police resources.