I've certainly had such nudge-nudge, wink-wink interactions around reatil system stupidity, but this isn't a general solution and not every person/demographic would have such a happy ending. Indeed, you're lucky a separate anti-shoplifting system didn't flag you for 'enhanced screening' or some such taking the friendly clerk out of the equation and handing you off to the rental security drones. Then you'll just be the guy on the surveillance camera taking a part of the shelf and walking out with it (and no they probably won't care you put a part back). The more automation, the less 'human in the loop', the less opportunity for common sense to inject itself into the scenario.